Falmanac: The Fallston Almanac of American History
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(NYTimes) - "You could say that absinthe is a kindred spirit of so many falsely subversive things: ear piercing for men, tattoos on women, those cigar bars, pole-dancing-aerobics classes, mind erasers, blogging about one’s bikini grooming, naming one’s bong after a cartoon character."
Oh well, it still tastes good, most of it.
(MSNBC) - An analysis of century-old bottles of absinthe — the kind once quaffed by the likes of van Gogh and Picasso to enhance their creativity — may end the controversy over what ingredient caused the green liqueur's supposed mind-altering effects. The culprit seems plain and simple: The century-old absinthe contained about 70 percent alcohol, giving it a 140-proof kick.
... Laboratory tests found no other compound that could explain absinthe's effects. The scientists are set to detail their findings in the May 14 issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Link
In related news, Albert Hofmann may or may not be dead. Was he ever here at all?
Image: inabsinthia
It's been a month or so since I last wrote about absinthe; since then the "Green Fairy" has been busy, you can now find absinthe in many liquor stores in the Maryland area. And in that same time, I have made my peace with Lucid. I drink it several times a week now. It remains an interesting experience and I find it goes well with cogitation. It goes well with pork rinds too (but don't tell the connoisseurs I said so). 
The other day, I found a bottle of Kübler Absinthe Superieure at Midway Liquors (another great Route 40 institution; if you can't find it at Midway, you won't find it anywhere else 'round here.) Kübler is manufactured in Switzerland by a company that made it way back before Absinthe was banned, in one of the first great episodes of drug hysteria of the 20th century. It is a blanche absinthe meaning that, according to the Wikipedia, it "is bottled directly following distillation and is unaltered. It is a clear liquid which contains the distilled oils of the herbs used in its production." (Lucid is a verte absinthe meaning that, according to the Wikipedia, it "begins as a blanche. The distillate is altered by the 'coloring step' whereby a new mixture of herbs remain in contact with the clear distillate. This process greatly alters the color and flavor, imparting an emerald green hue and a heavier, more intense flavor.") 
My first glass of Kübler was mixed in my usual 1:3.5 ratio of absinthe to water, even though the bottle recommends 1:5. "I could drink this all day," was my first thought. It was my second thought too. My third thought was that while Lucid invokes the dark mysteries of the Belle Époque, Kübler evokes a more pleasant occasion. One can easily picture a happy group whiling away a sunny afternoon drinking Kübler.
After all, Belle Époque translates as "the beautiful era," not the murderous rampage era; equating that time with Jean Lanfray is like thinking the 60's was all about Charles Manson. By 1913 France was consuming 60 liters of absinthe per inhabitant a year, it wasn't 'til after the ban that we all started slaughtering one another - the era we call World War One, not to mention the rest of that psychotic century. (Perhaps our own Beautiful Era has already come and gone, that short breather between the Cold War and the War On Terror? Hope you had fun - I did.)
My second glass was prepared in the recommended 1:5 ratio and was surprisingly good. I say surprising because Lucid, to me, tastes best at a 1:3.5 ratio, no more and no less; it is an exacting substance. The Kübler has a bit more of an anise flavor than Lucid, but much less than the Absente brand. Kübler also seems to lack the peppery aftertaste of both, which is unfortunate, but not unexpected as it is not a verte. Is Kübler my new favorite? I'm not sure. While Lucid is by far the most interesting drink of the three, I don't always want my drinks to be interesting. Nor do I want all my drinks to be unrelentingly pleasant. Absente, probably best classified as a pastis (but who really cares?), still beckons me with its rich licorice flavor. I think I will keep all three on hand to fit my mood - at least for now.
Illustrations courtesy of The Virtual Absinthe Museum and Wikipedia.
Absinthe became notorious for two reasons: it was popular with artists and it was thought to cause insanity. If you would like to be a crazy artist, here's two things to consider about absinthe.
1. Artists drank absinthe because it was the cheapest thing on the menu.
2. Absinthe won't make you crazier than any other alcoholic beverage will.
In part 1, we tried Absente and Green Moon, two drinks that may or may not be Absinthe, but we couldn't get our hands on "the real thing," that is, Lucid or Kübler. But that has changed as we found a store in NYC, Park Avenue Liquor Shop, that ships. And ships quickly, they must cater to the most demanding of alcoholics; our delivery got here, safe & sound, in 30 hours.
How is it? The good news is, just as reported, Lucid has less of a licorice taste than Absente. And, like Absente, it has a pleasant peppery aftertaste. The bad news is that it has a pronounced chemical taste, almost gassy in flavor, like a robot fart. I tried diluting it, but that just made it watery. For the second glass I doubled up on the sugar, and that helped a little, but I still wasn't loving it. I have yet to try a third glass.
It occurs to me that perhaps we don't have the same tastes as those who have come before us. Absinthe comes from a time when fruitcake and horehound candies were considered yummy. Another thought: while the makers of Lucid may have gotten it chromatographically correct, perhaps they should have given their concoction a little more soul, or at the very least, a bit more flavor. Having said that, I think I'll go have another. Next up, when I can afford it, Kübler - or maybe St. George Absinthe Verte.
Update: 3 cubes to the wind
Maybe I was a bit hasty with my first impressions. I tried Lucid with 3 sugar cubes; it made all the difference in the world. It's good, real good, and the chemical taste all but disappeared. Here's my recipe:
I'm sure you have heard the news: Absinthe, that most demonized of all drinks, is back. Not only has it returned, it appears to be all the rage. We will spare you the usual blather and cut to the most important question: Should you buy a bottle?
For starters, you probably won't be able to find a bottle of the two most heralded brands in this area just yet, at least we couldn't. But we did find two brands worth considering.
The first "Absente" has all the ingredients, and is made in the same way, as traditional absinthe, except that the grande wormwood has been replaced with southern wormwood. The importer claims that it is still a true absinthe and Falmanac is inclined to agree.
The Second, Green Moon, is a "French vodka with Absinthe essence."
We found both in a gift box complete with a glass and a slotted spoon. The spoon is for preparing Absinthe in the traditional way. One places a shot of the stuff in the bottom of the glass, and then slowly pours cold water over a sugar cube, placed on the spoon, to taste. The cold water causes the mixture to "louche," which simply means it will turn color as the various ingredients come out of solution. (Contrary to urban myth, traditional preparation does not involve fire.)
And how does it taste? Like licorice mostly. There are other ingredients floating around in there, and your palette will find them in due time, but if you don't like licorice (anise actually), don't bother.
I found Absente to be an interesting concoction, simultaneously repellent and compelling - a lot like life in general. And I kept drinking.
Green Moon wasn't to my liking at all, though I think it would agree with those who enjoy the taste of flavored vodkas.
My testing partner, who doesn't like licorice, didn't care for either and quickly switched to Wild Turkey. "But it was fun," she said, "the little ritual with the spoon and all."
And I think that's the answer: Yes, buy a bottle, it's fun to try, but keep a backup drink on hand. What better way to spend a long winter's evening with friends, Pictionary? Bah.
We will write part 2 of the story when the two "authentic" absinthes available in the U.S., Lucid & Kübler, reach the local market.
