Another Czech absinthe that carries a heavy price tag and high alcohol content is Absinthe Original. Absinthe Original claims to respect and adhere to a 200 year old secret Swiss recipe. High quality ingredients with no artificial flavors or colors are used to create an absinthe experience that the makers claim as one of the world’s most demanded. Herbal extract of angelica, hyssop, juniper, nutmeg, and wormwood are used to create a complex bouquet. 70% alcohol is sure to light up your mind. At around $100 per 75 cl (25.36 oz), this product certainly should induce an original buzz.

Staroplznecky Red Czech absinthe markets its product seemingly based on the foundations of self-proclaimed fancy bottles and its red hue. With hints of cinnamon promised in every sip, the makers of this 60% alcohol, 10 mg/kg thujone containing hard beverage employ a sales campaign based upon sexual innuendo, artistic bottles, and social acceptability.

Admittedly lacking an anise-flavored bouquet as is traditional in all French and Swiss absinthes, Staroplznecky Red’s claim to fame may not be worth its price tag. Nice to look at, high in alcohol, and marketed towards sexual fulfillment, this red Czech absinthe may or may not deliver.

The brand of Czech absinth boasting the highest thujone content of 111mg/kg is Zele Premium Absinthe. At 151 proof (75.5% alcohol) this absinthe style beverage is both bold and bitter. For those who want to experience the two most noteworthy ingredients of classic French or Swiss absinthes, this is your product. With a natural green hue, this concoction claims to send the mind on an adventurous journey while simultaneously pleasing the pallet. An entire liter for $239.00 US, the price may be worth the journey or it could just be a down payment for a hospital trip. Drink with care!

While traditional absinthes are named after grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), they contain a relatively small amount of the plant by volume. The main ingredients of traditional absinthe, named the “Holy Trinity” by connoisseurs, are wormwood, fennel, and anise, with anise being the predominate herb. Thus anise also lends absinthe its dominant flavor. Czech/Bohemian absinths generally lack anise or contain very little.

The primary component that all absinthes contain is ethanol – common drinking alcohol; and they contain it in large amounts. Czech absinthes also contain wormwood, which when combined with ethanol is extremely bitter. Traditional absinthes such as those produced in France and Switzerland are not bitter, but yield a much smoother, anise-flavored experience. In essence, Bohemian-style absinths are not really absinthes at all. They are simply wormwood-containing ethanol marketed under the guise of traditional absinthe in order to reap the profits generated by the new surge of absinthe consumption.

Another important difference in Bohemian-style absinths is that they are generally not produced by the process of distillation. They are simply high-proof alcohol or vodka cold mixed with herbal extracts and tinted with artificial coloring. Traditional varieties are distilled and twice macerated herbal/alcohol blends. In order to compete in the ever-discerning market of absinthes, some Czech absinthe producers are embracing the traditional methods of distillation/maceration along with traditional ingredients, thus breaking away from the Bohemian absinth stigma.