mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
I’m having a 1920s-themed party for my birthday in a few weeks and was all excited to serve old fashioned 1920s-style drinks. I thought it would be a perfect excuse to try out absinthe, which I have wanted to do ever since the tamed-down stuff was legalized in the U.S. a couple of years ago. Alas, a little research has dashed my hopes, because absinthe was declared illegal long before the Roaring Twenties hit. But if I ever do get the chance to give it a shot, I’ll be in good (crazy?) creative company:
1. Marilyn Manson is such an absinthe advocate that he even has his own brand of the stuff – the appropriately, if-not grossly named “Mansinthe.” But he doesn’t drink it. He prefers a brand called Serpis.
2. Ernest Hemingway once submitted a concoction he called “Death in the Afternoon” to a collection of celebrity recipes and allegedly wrote most of For Whom the Bell Tolls under the influence of the Green Fairy. The recipe: 1.5 ounces of absinthe with four ounces of ice-cold champagne. Hemingway even documented his absinthe-laden activities once: “Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it.”
3. Oscar Wilde believed that absinthe helped his creative process, and said, “After the first glass you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.”
4. Van Gogh is rumored to have chopped his ear off during an absinthe binge. Some research has suggested that it’s even the reason that he used so much yellow in his works – thujone, a component of absinthe back in the day (it’s not in the legal stuff in the U.S. these days), has been shown to fuel creativity and cause yellow-tinged vision.
5. Emile Zola favored the green beverage to distract him from all of his personal troubles. Even so, he knew what the drink could do if abused: in “L’Assommoir,” he wrote about an absinthe addict who “stripped himself stark naked in the Rue Saint-Martin and died doing the polka.”
6. Toulouse Lautrec loved the Fairy a little too much. A notorious alcoholic, Lautrec supposedly had a special cane made that could hold the green liquid inside so he would always have some with him. He used absinthe images in many of his works, including the one pictured: Monsieur Boileau au café.
7. Edgar Allan Poe favored a strong drink consisting of brandy and absinthe (ew).
8. Johnny Depp is another contemporary absinthe drinker; Marilyn Manson said he and Johnny rang in New Year’s 1999 together in France, drinking absinthe and discussing how the world was about to end. “I hated cocaine but I used to like Absinthe, which is like marijuana,” he once said, “drink too much and you suddenly realize why Van Gogh cut off his ear.”
9. Aleister Crowley loved absinthe, but that’s no surprise – he tried (and enjoyed) just about every hallucinogen in the book, including laudanum, opium, cocaine, mescaline and heroin.
10. Even past presidents were known to imbibe the emerald from time to time. America’s most famous absinthe joint (arguably) was the “Old Absinthe House” in New Orleans, which was renamed The Absinthe Room when new management took over in 1874 and began serving “French-style” absinthe. The Room boasted a celebrity clientele that included both Roosevelts and William Howard Taft, plus Oscar Wilde, P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Jenny Lind, Enrico Caruso, Robert E. Lee, Liza Minelli and Frank Sinatra. It’s still there today.
Have any of you ever tried it? Is it good or gross? Should I just save my money?
Comments (45)
Comment
- Follow mental_floss
Everything I read about absinthe indicates that there’s nothing special about it; it’s just a high-proof alcohol.
posted by Craig on 6-30-2009 at 4:10 pm
Please post and let us know how it turns out. I’ve always been curious about it myself.
posted by KaeleaMajere on 6-30-2009 at 4:22 pm
I have a bottle of Lucid in the Fridge at home. I have drank it a few times, and I’ve never gotten more than a standard drinking buzz from it. I didn’t notice anything special other than it didn’t taste all that good (I don’t like anise flavor). Every time I tried it, it was a shot of absinthe, a sugar cube on an absinthe spoon, and water to melt the sugar into the absinthe.
No hallucinations, nothing crazy, nothing special other than it being expensive and fairly potent.
posted by Michael on 6-30-2009 at 4:23 pm
I have not (yet) tried it. I too, have been waiting for a special occasion to give it a shot.
However! Those of you that don’t give it much credit might, to all of our dismay, have been doing it wrong. Absinthe is an interesting drink because it relies mostly on a chemical reaction for full effect. Most fancy bars would prepare it with a special absinthe pourer consisting of special glasses, a fancy fork and a jar with a faucet attached. The absinthe goes in first. The fork is placed on top of the glass and has a sugar cube on top. Then, ice water is dripped via faucet over the sugar cube. This causes the sugar to react with the absinthe, activating thr hallucinogen. The reaction is seen by a green spiral travelling through the liquid. That’s how it’s supposed to be done… Supposedly.
I do wish I could confirm this but, alas, I have not found myself at an occasion worthy enough of such a priveledge. I figure, I have the equipment and a technique; what bad is it going to do to try it?
posted by Griffin Patterson on 6-30-2009 at 4:33 pm
I had an absinthe drink once, with a flaming sugar cube. I agree with Michael: the absinthe you can get in the U.S. doesn’t have the hallucinogenic properties, but it is extremely strong. It’s one of those burns-going-down-your-throat drinks. I had a few sips and I was done. Not really pleasant at all. Might be worth it if it was the kind that made you high!
posted by Lindseydl on 6-30-2009 at 4:33 pm
Sounds like your birthday party will be a lot more fun than my last birthday party!
posted by Witty Nickname on 6-30-2009 at 4:36 pm
Its ok, there our a couple different varieties, I have had the Swiss version which is clear color and taste like black licorice and wintergreen. I have had the Green French style which still has the black licorice taste but it also is more spicy. And i have had high wormwood count czech absinthe, it had a more unique flavor but after 4 glasses of it i wasn’t seeing green faries or any of that jazz but i was having a hard time getting up the stairs. It reminded me more of a moonshine drunk then anything else.
posted by capecoddan on 6-30-2009 at 4:37 pm
That is true, the stuff you get in the US is both overpriced and doesn’t have many of the hallucinogenic ingredients that are true in the European varieties. A friend of mine is in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria and bought a case to ship home to us and not only does it taste many times better, but also has hallucinogenic properties somewhat like mushrooms with a calming drunk aspect to it.
posted by Dave on 6-30-2009 at 4:40 pm
A) What about Charles Baudelaire???? C’mon, now…the man loved the green stuff.
Also: I’ve tried it, both European & American, sugar cubes and not, etc.
Some of it tastes pleasant, others not so much. Strong though…I went through a slight phase…and damn if the hangovers didn’t keep that phase in its infancy…
posted by thomm-thomm on 6-30-2009 at 5:00 pm
There is NO difference between European absinthe and what is now legal in the United States. It doesn’t exactly have hallucinogenic properties, but I do admit, it does give an interesting, calming sort of buzz.
I would highly, highly recommend learning more about this curious spirit before enjoying. The trick is in the preparation. Lighting a sugar cube on fire is abhorred in the absinthe community. For the love of God, don’t do it! Cool water should be delicately dripped into the absinthe (with or without a sugar cube) until it produces what is called a “louche” – in other words, it will become cloudy.
The “licorice” flavor is actually anise – but to many, yes, it does taste like black licorice.
So overall, absinthe is an excellent social drink if prepared correctly…but many people do not enjoy the taste.
You can learn more about absinthe here: http://www.wormwoodsociety.org/.
Personally, I love it.
posted by Niki on 6-30-2009 at 5:07 pm
While visitng a study-abroad friend after our stint in Italy, we decided to partake in the absinthe she smuggled home from Amsterdam.
The licorice flavor reminded us of a college favorite – Jager, so we did the only logical thing: made Absinthe bombs!
No green fairies that night, but I do have fond memories of laying in the floor because I was convinced she had put a suitcase on my head to keep me down. Ahh, those were the days.
posted by Amanda on 6-30-2009 at 5:21 pm
I’ve tried Spanish and French Absinth, bought for me by coworkers and friends, it is strong and certainly isn’t a “normal” drunk feeling but I did not halluecinate, there was a night though that after three of us killed a bottle of Oxygen brand absinth that I was found outside talking to a tree so…
posted by The Dread Pirate Bob on 6-30-2009 at 5:30 pm
Had it many times in the Czech Republic – no hallucinogenic effect but yes, it’s strong. And although the purists may well abhor the sugar cube, for us laissez-faire absinthe drinkers, I think it’s the sort of little ritual that makes it a fun, exotic experience regardless of its alcoholic or psychotropic effects!
posted by Gwan on 6-30-2009 at 5:30 pm
I’ve always been curious about absinthe too, and knowing that several of my favorite celebrities (Poe, Depp, Van Gogh, & Wilde) have imbibed makes me even more curious. Maybe if I ever get to Europe . . .
posted by nutmeag on 6-30-2009 at 5:37 pm
Oh, and it was the featured drink of one of the main characters in the awesome TV show Carnivale.
posted by nutmeag on 6-30-2009 at 5:38 pm
Its hard to find the REAL stuff anymore, but I HIGHLY suggest NOT drinking absinthe in th bathtub. A hot bath and a spinning ceiling are two things that stomachs don’t normally like together… Saw Johnny do it in From Hell and had to try it myself. Bad choice. Cool bath, next time. For sure.
posted by Kate on 6-30-2009 at 5:39 pm
featured = favored
posted by nutmeag on 6-30-2009 at 5:39 pm
First–Huge props to Niki who seems to be the only one that ‘gets it’.
There isn’t a difference between the “old absinthe” and the “new stuff”. The ban was a result of shoddy research–mainly linked to green dying chemicals added to the old stuff, which were actually poisonous, and hence caused “hallucinations”.
That being said, it’s strong stuff. Rolling in at around 130 proof (65% Abv for those playing at home) it will lay you out, even if you only have one or two servings. I personally love the Pacifique brand, based out of Woodinville, WA, poured into an absinthe glass, and then diluted with ice cold water dripped onto and through a sugar cube.
Delicious stuff, and it packs a punch, but if you don’t like anise or fennel, you won’t like this.
posted by Ian on 6-30-2009 at 6:10 pm
I used to drink absinthe with a buddy of mine all the time… He swore it made him hallucinate but it never did me… Make sure you do the whole adding sugar thing to make it turn green or greenish yellow… I will say just that in the way some people say tequila makes you want to dance or whiskey makes you want to fight, I found absinthe kind of brought on a more mellow creative type of intoxication than the other drinks… however I have no clue if different types of alcohol have different effects on the mind.
posted by Kevin on 6-30-2009 at 6:18 pm
I’ve tried it – thought it was nasty stuff – would never be able to drink enough to get hallucinations.
Of course, the stuff they legalized in the US doesn’t have the hallucinogenic qualities, even if I could stomach it long enough…
posted by skye on 6-30-2009 at 6:54 pm
I dont like the legal absinth we get in the US…. my buddy went to europe and brought a real bottle home…. it’s not my cup of tew but it sure messes you up when you drink a bit too much
posted by jeremiah AZ on 6-30-2009 at 7:22 pm
I agree with most of the other posters here. Niki is right that it is not a hallucinogen and that US absinthe is the same as any other. I, too, love the stuff.
Note: you almost have to use a sugar cube to drink it, and you do want to drizzle ICE-COLD water over the sugar cube to get the lovely louche effect. Flaming sugar cubes, however, are for posers. It can be drunk straight, I’ve heard, but “only if you don’t let it touch your tongue.” In other words, it’s pretty nasty straight.
My husband and I have tried many brands of absinthe. I’m not such a big licorice/anise fan, so my favorite by far is Mata Hari brand. It has the least anise-y flavor. His favorite is Kubler.
If you don’t know how you feel about anise, I strongly recommend Mata Hari brand and doing the whole sugar cube/water method.
By the way, there is one bar in New Jersey, Catherine Lombardi’s, that serves absinthe, if you happen to be in the Garden State and don’t want to invest $60 in a bottle. It’s on the 2nd floor, right next door to the New Jersey State Theatre in New Brunswick.
Happy birthday and happy absinthe drinking!
posted by Southern Buddhist on 6-30-2009 at 7:25 pm
In fact, I think you’ve just inspired me to go whip up an absinthe right now!!!
posted by Southern Buddhist on 6-30-2009 at 7:26 pm
No thujone, no absinthe.
posted by Tyler kent on 6-30-2009 at 8:34 pm
I like absinthe myself–I drink Lucid, the only brand available around here. And I \louche\ it first (i.e., put a sugar cube over a strainer and pour water over it, til the sugar cube dissolves in the absinthe).
I will say that I’ve heard that one has to drink at least 3 glasses of the stuff to have the hallucinogenic effect of the wormwood–and frankly, I’d be dead if I had more than 1 glass in a sitting!
posted by Brigid on 6-30-2009 at 8:55 pm
I agree that the American stuff is not that different from the European absinthe but there are differences. Real absinthe drinkers usually dismiss American absinthe since the thujon content is low. However, there are different schools of though regarding how high the thujon content was of the original turn of the century absinthe (1800s.) Setting your drink on fire is indeed for posers. (just because it was in a movie doesn’t make it true) Yes, the proper method is to use ice cold water and a sugar cube (or if you’re me an lazy then sugar solution and ice water.) The louche is caused by the anise in the drinks flavoring. Old absinthe was sometimes colored green with solutions of copper which causes madness. So far the best absinthe I’ve had (out of about seven kinds all Euro) was a clandestine Swiss one. The Swiss never stopped making absinthe they just went underground with it. I’ll agree to that it is a different drunk. Though hallucinations are not in order. Most absinthes I’ve run across are in the region of 120 to 150 proof which, yes, will make you pretty intoxicated. However, there is something else going on though, whether it is the thujon I do not know. I’ve linked a retailer through my name that I have used. Honestly, I don’t see the big deal with the stuff. NO it is not typical alcohol. There’s a rich cultural history and ritual to the drink that puts it in a class all its own. It is a drink that is meant to be savored and not downed to get drunk quickly expecting to see green fairies.
posted by nihil on 6-30-2009 at 9:20 pm
Seriously, I didn’t make the list?:) I thought I was just as notorious as those guys…
ANyway, just to clear up a few things:
-Fire+absinthe=ruined drink
-Absinthe in the US is “real” absinthe and it EXACTLY the same as the overseas absinthe. Thujone is the same in both US and EU absinthe. US absinthe is NOT a “lite” absinthe. But it shouldn’t be about the thujone anyway, this is an AMAZINGLY tasty drink, granted you’re drining a GENUINE (read: not Le Tourment Vert) absinthe.
-Absinthe is to be drank diluted with water, usually between 3 to 5 parts. If you take it as a shot, well, no crap it’s going to taste terrible, what do you expect taking a a shot of anything?
posted by The Absinthe Review Network on 7-1-2009 at 1:03 am
Some friends brought some Czech absinthe to us while we were in Germany. My husband and a friend both did 3 “shots” of it with sugar. My friend’s husband and I abstained b/c neither of us particularly like licorice. Both my husband and friend had tried absinthe before and thought the “buzz” was similar to alcohol.
I have no idea what brand of Czech absinthe it was, or if it had been tainted somehow, but my husband and friend both had a VERY long night. I do remember it was in a distinctive triangular bottle. My husband became very mellow, but discernibly “trippy”, very fascinated with bright, shiny things, very into music. My friend was initially having fun, definitely feeling more “different” than drunk. For about an hour, she was uncharacteristically peppy. She moved on, however, over the course of 2 hours, to a full scale bad trip. She thought she was dying, we were trying to take her money, kill her, etc. We were very close to taking her to the hospital at one point b/c she remained tachycardiac for over 15 minutes. Fortunately, both escaped with little more than a hangover the next day. Both my husband and friend are serious recreational drinkers, and normally, 3 shots of liquor might give them a good buzz, this was an altogether different experience.
I tried absinthe in a much more controlled environment with my husband recently. There is a shop in Heidelberg where you can sample it. I found one I liked, not so “licoricey”, we purchased it I have tried it, a shot or two at the time. The feeling was not really different than having a few shots of liquor, perhaps a bit more mellow. My husband experienced the same effect.
I’m not familiar with the method of making absinthe and what contaminants or additives it could/should? contain to make it hallucinogenic, but I can attest that there’s at least one out there that definitely packs a bit more punch. My unsolicited advice? If they aren’t from a controlled or known source (Lucid, regulated German sources), handle with care!
posted by ashleyrobin on 7-1-2009 at 1:30 am
I went to prague not to long ago (I live right next door, in germany) and those guys have taken it to an extreme. Every little gift shop boasts the stuff in every different color of the rainbow. The most interesting one i say was a brand that had a mary jane leaf on the fron and claimed to contain hemp. I personally like absinthe, but I also enjoy other anise spirits, such as ouzo.
posted by fredude on 7-1-2009 at 2:21 am
“FDA (27 CFR 13.51) Absinthe” is available in the USA, but…
1. TTB’S POLICY REGARDING THE USE OF THE TERM “ABSINTHE”
Thujone-Free.
We approve the use of the term “absinthe” on the label of a distilled spirits product and in related advertisements only if the product is “thujone-free” pursuant to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation at 21 CFR 172.510.
2. Further, American distillers may not even call their product absinthe, but only use the word as a “fanciful term” modifying some other word. They can sell “absinthe verte” or “absinthe superieure”— but not plain old absinthe.
Professor Arnold of the University of Kansas: “They are playing pretend,” study co-author Wilfred Arnold says of the liquor’s new cheerleaders. “It is nothing like the old stuff.” (Time Magazine)
posted by Hygienique on 7-1-2009 at 5:42 am
Some guys I knew in college imported several bottles from Europe, I’m not sure exactly from where. I enjoyed the drink. It just made me feel a little bit more drunk than usual.
One of the guys once did several shots before going to a managament class. He said the posters on the wall talked to him.
posted by LMD on 7-1-2009 at 8:42 am
Curious then… Does absinthe taste anything like ouzo?
recaptcha: explaining slobber
HA!
posted by Hyacinth on 7-1-2009 at 9:14 am
I too have tried “The Green Fairy” – there was a time that you could find it under collectables at the worlds largest online auction site…but the internet has a few reputable shippers who guarantee delivery.
I recommend the higher thujone blends from Germany/Switzerland…the former soviet bloc countries make some potent blanc options.
I recommend Strong 68 or Absinthe Trul..
posted by Chasdelgaloise on 7-1-2009 at 9:31 am
I got a bottle of Jade PF 1901 last year. I enjoyed it very much, my girlfriend at the time just couldn’t get into the taste. I ended up shelving it for a while, as I don’t really drink much any more. I think tonight, in honor of your post, I will pull it out and see if it kept well.
The most I drank in one evening was three glasses. No hallucinations, and I knew there would not be. I expected high alcohol content, and a strange buzz like no other drink. I was not disappointed. I found it like being rather drunk, without the stumbling or slurring. A very heady drunk, even intellectual and alert.
I rather enjoyed the taste. The entire time the drink has a delicate feel to it. The ritual, the resulting louche, the complex flavors and aromas, and the strangely creamy texture all combined into a treat you can not enjoy in big swigs. You’re almost forced to savor it, if you appreciate flavors at all.
It was good, but it was in no way a hallucinogenic experience. Check out http://www.wormwoodsociety.org, and read the FAQ.
I recommend giving it a try if you never have, especially if you like the anise flavor. I found it much more natural tasting than something like sambuca or ouzo.
Check out that wormwood society website and learn about it before investing in what can be an expensive taste. The reviews there can be rather enlightening, as well. I heard a lot of good things about the work being done by the people at Jade and I decided their product was as likely as I would ever come to tasting Pernod Fils in 1901. I can’t say whether that was true or not, but I really enjoyed my first absinthe. I have to believe the label had something to do with it.
posted by Gizank on 7-1-2009 at 10:22 am
I remember trying some a few years ago, but I don’t recall the brand, nor do I recall where it was from (I’m in Canada and not entirely sure about whether it was ever illegal here). In fact, I don’t recall much from that evening!
One thing I do remember is that one of my colleagues (we were on a trip to an engineering conference while in university) had an extremely bad reaction to it. He had one shot, and within a few minutes was flushed, having trouble breathing, and had a terrible headache among other symptoms. The rest of us were obviously concerned for his health and quickly did some “internet research” – discovering he was most likely having a reaction to the wormwood. He did recover the next day, but from what I remember the rest of his night was not pleasant.
I have to wonder if the hallucinations that some people claim to have are somehow a result of a wormwood allergy or mild poisoning, similar to how mushrooms affect people. I didn’t have any hallucinations, but it was definitely a different kind of drunk!
posted by Bert on 7-1-2009 at 10:28 am
Absinthe was the first alcohol I ever had, and it was while in Eastern Europe. It was an interesting way to start drinking. If I remember correctly, it tastes a little like Jagermeister (that black licorice flavor), which I know many people don’t like… but it’s yummy to me. Granted the drink I had was something around 180 proof, so it didn’t take much to do me in.
posted by Corbet on 7-1-2009 at 10:35 am
I did find the list of celebrities and their favorite drinks rather interesting.
posted by Dan the Music Master on 7-1-2009 at 10:51 am
ugh…it’s really strong. Feels like its burning your mouth and esophagus. I almost threw up, and didn’t hallucinate or anything.
Fascinating article, though!
posted by Tavolini on 7-1-2009 at 12:38 pm
My first drink after landing in New Orleans for the first time was Absinthe in the French Quarter. Served with ice cold water and sugar, yes, lit aflame and maybe unnecessary, I know, but tasty and powerful nonetheless. The color and taste of the drink, mixed an infrequent feeling of unknown bearings made for a blissful start to my vacation. The Quarter’s gas lamps seemed to dance and glow with more awe that night. To each is own, I guess. But it was more memorable than random beer or standard mixed drinkie.
posted by MiraDawl on 7-1-2009 at 12:40 pm
I went to a party with one of my friends a couple weeks ago. Well, one of my friend’s cousins had a bottle of smuggled in Absinthe and she thought it would be fun to take a couple shots. well, she ended up making out with an Orlando Bloom poster all night long. I didn’t take a shot because I didn’t want to know what I’d end up doing.
posted by hidden sunshine on 7-1-2009 at 12:44 pm
I had some that was shipped from Germany at a friends’ house. I had to throw an extra lump of sugar in it, as I despise anise. It gave me a very pleasant buzz, much nicer than being drunk. I just had a shot, made with the fancy glass & silver strainer thingy you pour the stuff over.
posted by Paula on 7-1-2009 at 1:16 pm
Had a glass of some stuff from the Czech Republic. Since it was only one, I can’t say I had any hallucinations or anything of the likes. However, it was enough to put me on the border between buzzed and drunk (and I’m a guy who can hold his drink pretty well). The craziest part was I still had complete motor control, something regular booze can’t provide.
As for the stuff that’s available in the US, it’s overpriced and smells like bug spray. If you like the taste, save a ton of cash and get a bottle of Ouzo instead.
posted by erak on 7-1-2009 at 2:32 pm
@ Bert and Gizank….I didn’t realize that Czech absinthes had such a bad reputation until I read your posts and wormwoodsociety.org. I think I may be inclined to agree w/ Bert, absent any scientific proof that properties in “real” absinthe make it hallucinogenic. Based on my objective (read sober) observations of the 2 “subjects” and pretty good (read ad nauseum) knowledge of their “typical” drinking behaviors, an adverse reaction of some sort would be a reasonable explanation of their experiences. Based on their experiences vs. mine (regulated/non Czech absinthe, only a “mellow” buzz) I am inclined to think that an adulterant might be responsible for their “unusual” experience.
There is a great chemistry experiment here if someone is willing to perform it. Based on anecdotal evidence (mine, others related to me, and those on this thread) I think that some Czech absinthes have an adulterant (intentional or not) to which some people are especially sensitive. Now if I only had the time, and the lab to explore…Please, someone who needs a thesis, explore!
Even better…reCaptcha is “finishes people”! Oh, and please induct me into the “unnecessary quotes” Hall of Fame immediately :-)
posted by ashleyrobin on 7-1-2009 at 9:15 pm
I f**n love this stuff!!!
posted by Peter Grffin on 7-2-2009 at 1:54 pm
Apparently I missed a few bases in my first post, as someone posted DIRECTLY after mine with a false testimony about “tripping” from absinthe, which is impossible. YOU CANNOT HALLUCINATE OR OTHERWISE “TRIP” FROM ABSINTHE. Period. Don’t believe me? Look up the medicinal properties of the flavouring herbs and you’ll see there’s nothing that could possible make you trip. In fact, you’ve probably eaten many of the herbs in food!
It also seems like people are under the impression that Czech absinth (which is really only imitation absinthe) is somehow more powerful or the “real” stuff. Most Czech brands are macerated wormwood vodka, not absinthe. There’s no secret, Czech-only ingredient in their brands that makes it more potent. In fact, Czech brands are MISSING key ingredients. This notion that Czech absinthe is more intense is purely marketing BS. As someone who’s tried them firsthand, I can personally attest to this fact.
Obviously, I can’t keep checking back here indefinitely, but if anyone has any questions, feel free to contact me, and I’d be glad to help:
mailbox(at)absinthe-review(dot)net
posted by The Absinthe Review Network on 7-4-2009 at 6:44 am