Absinthe Blog

The world renowned Ezysian Cafe in Hoboken New Jersey was the site of Viridian Spirits States side celebration party to mark the event of their latest product being cleared for American import markets.

It was March of 2007 that their “absinthe superieure” that will be on American shelves under the name “Lucid” became the first brand of absinthe in a century to receive a  “Certificate of Label Approval” from the U.S. Treasury departments Alcohol and Tobacco Trade Bureau.

The founder and CEO of Veridian Spirits Jared Gurfein told the throng of gathered reporters that it was only after his team of attorneys and legal experts submitted a series of briefs that challenged the current law on the basis that it was effectively rendered null and void in 1938 when the FDA was created which thereby repealed the 1906 Pure food and Drug Act. which the ban on absinthe was based off of.

Mr. Gurfein went on to further explain that their newly legal and approved “Lucid” absinthe would be classified as a distiled spirit under the newly revamped policy of the Treasury Departments Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

He further reiterated that “Lucid absinthe was and is made in accordance with established traditions, methods and formulas that were established by the original Swiss makers of the 124 proof liquor over one hundred years ago”.

He further clarified his statement by adding “nothing was changed in the formulation of the Lucid recipe to accommodate U.S. regulators and this is the exact same absinthe that would have been served to you if you were alive and drinking in a French bistro a century ago.”

Lucid absinthe is produced in France’s renowned Combier Distillery, using the finest products, herbs and wormwood available and is now available for sale in drinking establishments and liquor retailers across the U.S.

Sambuca is an Italian spice flavored liquor that is made in much the same way that other popular liquors are which is by beginning with pure distilled alcohol. The main flavoring ingredient in Sambuca is anise and most particularly the star anise.

The flavor of the star anise is imparted into Sambuca by first distilling the essential oils from it and then adding the distillate to the concoction along with sugar and other natural flavors. Sambuca is drank in many ways including straight out of a glass as well as an ingredient in many types of popular and flavorful mixed cocktails.

The actual history of this flavorful Italian liquor is somewhat vague but many have traced its origins to an anise flavored drink by Arab name of “Zammut” which first appeared in the port of Cititavecchia on trade ships that were arriving from the East.

The name Sambuca was first used to describe the drink as it is known today approximately 130 years ago in Italy and it was brought to America along with so many other things that Italian immigrants brought with them from their homeland when they began migrating to the U.S.

It was in the late 1800s that the first commercial version first appeared in the Italian port city of Civitavecchia, which was produced by a man by the name of Luigi Manzi. However; the first large scale production of Sambuca was began in 1945 by a man by the name of Angelo Molinari who began the production of a brand of Sambuca called “Sambuca Extra Molinari”, which was distributed around the entire country of Italy.

One very popular way to serve Sambuca is over ice in a small glass that is garnished with a few dark roasted coffee beans. Sambuca is a clear liquor but the ice will cause it to turn cloudy after it is added to the glass.

Vermouth is actually a type of fortified wine that has been flavored with various types of aromatic herbs and spices according to a guarded trade secret. Vermouth comes in sweetened and unsweetened varieties, with the unsweetened type being commonly referred to as “dry”.

It was a man by the name of Antonio Carpano who is credited with creating the first vermouth recipe in 1786 and he decided on the name “vermouth” because he was attempting to emulate a type of German wine that was flavored at the time with the wormwood herb.

At that time, the common German pronunciation for wormwood was “wermuth” and it was also the same pronunciation for his new product. In Antonio Carponos time, due to the lack of modern medicine there were a variety of tonics that were available and in fact it is speculated that this is what vermouth was first marketed as due to its bitter flavor that was required of any tonic of that period.

In general, there are three accepted styles of modern vermouth ranging from “dry white”, “extra dry white” and “sweet red”. The red sweet variety of vermouth is occasionally drank straight up as well as being used in mixed drinks and most notably the Manhattan martini with the dry white type of vermouth being commonly used in standard vodka and gin martinis.

It is also common to hear red vermouths being referred to as Italian vermouths and white vermouths being referred to as French vermouths however; not all French vermouths are white and neither are all Italian vermouths red.

One thing to remember is that vermouth is not a liquor but rather is a wine and this means that it should be stored as such. An unopened bottle of vermouth should always be stored on its side and an opened bottle of vermouth should always be kept refrigerated.

Ouzo is a clear, sweet anise flavored liquor that is popular in Greece and is similar in taste to Italian Sambuca, French Pastis and Raki which is a Turkish liquor. The actual history of this exotic Greek liquor is somewhat unclear but some researchers have traced its origins to ancient times.

It is speculated that its origins began as the result of the introduction of liquors such as Turkish Raki, which is an anise flavored drink that was carried by Arabic speaking merchant seamen as they traded throughout the Mediterranean.

The actual origin of the  name “Ouzo” is also unclear but it has been speculated that it was derived from a stamp “uzo” that was placed on crates of high grade silkworm cocoons that were exported out of Tyrnavos during the late nineteenth century.

It was Greek independence in the 19th century that gave birth to the modern Ouzo industry that is largely centered on the island of Lesbos. Still one more factor the contributed to the growth in popularity of Ouzo along with other anise flavored exotic liquors was the outlawing of absinthe in most European and all Western countries a century ago.

One of the more recent events concerning Ouzo happened on October 25, 2006 when Greece won the exclusive labeling rights to the name “Ouzo” as well as a few other Greek liquors. This means that only a liquor made in Greece can be be labeled as Ouzo which was a big victory for both the liquor makers in Greece and connoisseurs of fine authentic liquors around the globe.

Most Ouzos are between 36-40% alcohol and a popular traditional way to drink it is mixed with cola over ice. However; many people prefer to drink it straight over ice in a medium sized glass. Also there are some popular cocktail recipes that are available that call for Ouzo as an ingredient.

With more and more people making absinthe a drink that they are drinking in their homes and in drinking establishments across the U.S., now that it is legal to do so more and more people are asking about thujone.

In simple terms, thujone substance that is contained in the wormwood herb that goes into the making of absinthe, because of the slightly bitter taste that the wormwood imparts into the drink. Thujone is alleged to have hallucinogenic properties and this is the main reason for much of the mystique that has surrounded the drinking of absinthe since it was formulated over a century ago in Switzerland.

Due to the fact that consuming thujone in large quantities can have toxic effects, it is not recommended that it be experimented with. However; if you are determined to use yourself as a guinea pig, you can easily buy wormwood in its raw form on the Internet from specialty herb retailers.

A much better way to taste wormwood and feel the effects of the thujone that it contains is to buy a bottle of absinthe on the Internet instead. The absinthes that have the highest quantity of thujone are those that are marketed from the Czech Republic but that is not a rule that is chiseled in stone.

Also when you do your “thujone” test by drinking absinthe you also get to experience what it feels like to drink a high alcohol content liquor, because most of the brands of absinthe that are available over the Internet will be 124 proof or more.

If you don’t feel like waiting by your mail box for your bottle of absinthe to arrive though you can now take a ride to your local liquor retailer or bar and order up one of the several brands of absinthe that have been recently cleared for sale in the U.S.

So you are thinking of adding wormwood to your garden this season but you need some tips on how to do it. The first thing that you will need is some wormwood seeds and they should be available over the Internet. However; what you will also find while you are searching for wormwood seeds is that you can easily buy raw wormwood already sifted and bagged from specialty herb retailers on the Internet and that is a lot easier than growing it.

Wormwood grows wild in some regions of Europe and it is also cultivated for commercial use there, so there should be no problem in growing it in the U.S. However; before you crank up your John Deer tractor and plow under your entire crop of tomatoes to plant wormwood, you may want to study up on the various varieties that there are.

For instance, there is a variety of wormwood that is called “Grand Wormwood” that is indigenous to Switzerland and it exclusively goes into the making of Kubler absinthe which is the top selling premium absinthe in Switzerland.

The best idea is to start your seedlings in small Styrofoam cups that you have poked a small hole in the bottom of for drainage. Fill each cup with the best ph balanced potting soil that you can find for sale and plant a seed in each one and place on a window sill that gets plenty of sunlight.

Water once thoroughly and then allow to sit for a few days but don’t over water and don’t fertilize as doing either one of these things will zap your seedlings before they have a chance to sprout.

After your seedling begin to appear, move them outside into more sun but make sure that they don’t get cooked in the direct sun all day. After they outgrow their cups, plant them in the ground and tend to them as they need it.

With the senseless prohibition on absinthe having now been lifted, it is now possible to order a shot of absenthe at your local bar if they carry it. However; if they don’t stock it, it is for good reason and that is that due to it’s cost of approximately $50-60 per bottle it is just one more expensive, trendy hooch that they have to worry about their employees guzzling.

You should be able to easily track it down at higher end establishments though and it is going to run you somewhere around $10-15 per shot. If you have never drank liquor that has an alcohol content above 80 proof then you should be aware that most absinthes are over 100 proof.

This means that absinthe is not a drink to play the “big man on campus” with or you may end up spending the night with your head in a toilet or worse yet in the padded cell at your local  jail.

If you are looking for something that will make you see hallucinations than you may have to stop by your local downtown park and buy something from the shady looking guy hanging out in the parking lot, because absinthe won’t do it.

This is because, while the absinthe that you will find for sale here in the U.S., which would be “Lucid” or Kubler is of the highest quality and made to exacting traditional specifications, it does contain a minimal amount of thujone in accordance with U.S. government standards.

Since its appearance in drinking establishments across the country some highly skilled “mix masters” have developed quite a few different absinthe cocktails and some in fact have been reported by those who have tried them to be quite palatable and strong. So, if you are ready for a timely change to something new when you are out on the town on the weekends, you may think of asking the bartender if he or she has one or more absinthe cocktails to recommend.

There was a time a little less than a century ago when the making and selling of absinthe was legal in the United States as well in all other western countries including most of Europe. However; it was during a time when the temperance movement took hold that absinthe was the first liquor to fall victim to it.

Back then, absinthe was a very misunderstood drink and much was written about it and the exploits of those who drank it, all of it for the most part was sensational. Due to the lack of modern chemical testing methods that are available today, in those earlier times it was assumed that it was the thujone, not the alcohol in the 126 proof drink that was to blame for the bazaar behavior and the misdeeds of those who drank it.

Recently however; it has been determined that the amount of thujone that makes it through the manufacturing and distilling process of absinthe is in fact negligible and also people are now more fully aware that if you sit down and drink any bottle of 126 proof liquor you are going to be stuck running around with a lamp shade on your head for the day if you drink to excess, thujone or no thujone.

Tools of the Absinthe Drinker

Absinthe Spoons

Of course, if you choose to you can pour your absinthe straight from the bottle into a glass and sip it slowly as you would a fine scotch. On the other hand, over the the course of years a few tools and customs have found their way to the counter and tables where those who drink absinthe relax with the drink that they have grown to love.

The most basic and commonly used tool of the absinthe drinker is a special slotted spoon accompanied by a dish of sugar cubes and a decanter of chilled spring water. According to tradition, the spoon is positioned over a glass of absinthe and a sugar cube is then placed in it.

Subsequently, the chilled water is slowly poured over the sugar cube and allowed to drip into the absinthe through the slots or holes in the spoon to a ratio of approximately five parts absinthe to one part chilled water. A collectors market has now developed for absinthe spoons and they can be found ranging in price from $20 - $3000 depending on the rarity and demand for any particular absinthe spoon.

Absinthe Glassware

It took only approximately fifty years to pass from the time that absinthe was developed as a tonic in Switzerland to the time of its being banned in most European and all western countries but it was during those fifty years that glassware making was at its zenith and was a highly developed craft in most European countries.

The popularity of absinthe and the ready availability of expert glass craftsmen led to the development and production of some very unique glassware specifically for the drinking of absinthe. As a general rule, these glasses tended to be approximately six to seven inches tall, rather wide and were designed sturdy to withstand heavy use.

Cordon, Pontarlier and Reservoir were the names given some of the glasses that were made for the drinking of absinthe with the cordon having a glass ring around its base that marked the level of absinthe that was to be poured into it, which also by the way, now makes it highly collectible. However; the most coveted of absinthe glasses by collectors is the pontarlier glasses which have a separate reservoir in them for containing the absinthe.

With Absinthe now having been cleared for sale in the U.S. and more and more people trying it every day, wormwood is becoming the topic of conversations in drinking establishments across the the country.

What is it and where is it grown? In spite its being described in its name as being a “wood”, it is in fact what most people would recognize as being a shrub. In centuries past it was commonly used for many purposes, including a main ingredient in many tonics due to the thujone it contains.

In fact, when absinthe was first made in Switzerland it was marketed as a health tonic due to the fact that it contained wormwood as one of its many ingredients. Wormwood is mostly grown commercially in Europe but it is available in raw form on the Internet from specialty spice and herb retailers.

There are several varieties of wormwood that are grown with one of them being “Grand Wormwood” that is grown in Switzerland and is used exclusively in Kubler premium absinthe.

One of the properties that it is said to contain is the ability to induce hallucinogenic effects on people that consume it due to its thujone content and it is for this reason that so many people in the U.S. are particularly intrigued by this unique herb.

Wormwood is also noted for its unusually bitter taste and it is for this reason that it is used as a flavoring agent in products such as absinthe. Wormwood has also been used in the past as a replacement for hops in some European beers due to its bitterness.

If you are planning on buying wormwood on the Internet and experimenting with it, it is is highly recommended that you exercise some level of caution when you do so, as it can have toxic effects if consumed in large quantities.

No sooner have Americans recovered from their first Absinthe hangover then they are now being confronted with the prospect of Absinthe cocktails.

The fact of the matter, is that expert “mixologists” have been hard at work in their laboratories creating delicious new ways to drink the 106 proof spice flavored liquor after bartenders across America reported numerous instances of having to extinguish people who spontaneously erupted into flames after consuming multiple shots of the high-octane-hooch.

The good news, is that the people are all OK and the Absinthe cocktails that are now being poured in drinking establishments across the land are said to be tasty and strong.

In fact, it is the makers of Kubler Absinthe, who by the way know a few things about it, being that they are the oldest distiller of the magic liquid in Switzerland that have come up some of the best rated absinthe cocktails that are currently being swilled.

So if you have ordered up your first shot of absinthe and got your eyebrows singed when you drank it, don’t despair, because the following is a couple of the proven delicious cocktail “formulas” that the folks at Kubler have so kindly provided. 

The Absinthe Cocktails

The Mint Muse
1 1/2 oz. Lucid Absinthe
2 oz. Pineapple Juice
Muddled fresh Mint Leaves
Lime Wedge or slice
Topped with a splash of Sprite or 7-UP

Muddle mint leaves with the lime wedge or slice and add Lucid or Kubler absinthe. Add crushed ice and pineapple juice and mix briefly. Top with a splash of Sprite or 7-UP and add mint sprig.

Starry Night
2 1/2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch Chocolate Vodka 
1/2 oz. Lucid Absinthe 
1/2 oz. Simple mixing Syrup
Crushed chocolate cookie on moistened rim of glass
Garnish with a small scrape of Chinese Star Anise

In an ice filled shaker, add the vodka, absinthe, and mixing syrup. Shake well and strain into the chocolate cookie crumb-rimmed martini glass.  Add the scrape Chinese star anise lightly on top.