ABSINTHE

For years, absinthe for me was one of those forbidden pleasures as it was not legal to sell it from within the United States. I always got mine through Alandia (http://www.alandia.de/) who assured me that even if my purchase were intercepted at the border, my money would be refunded. I don't have to worry about that now (or the outrageous shipping fees that applied for overseas transportation). They carry the stuff at Shamrock! Incredible! What you see to the right is a brand I formerly had to order from overseas but which is now available locally. It originates from Austria and is known as a "bohemian" absinthe. The only real difference is that it contains less anise (the herb that gives absinthe that really powerful and not-so-desirable (in my opinion) licorice taste. Because of this, it makes it easier for you to mix it in cocktails.

Absinthe has a rich history and was, of course, outlawed here in the States and most places abroad around 1915. Wikipedia has a really good entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

The following particular paragraph, quoted from Wiki, says it all. Though absinthe has long been knows as some sort of devilish psychoactive poison, those claims are just not warranted:

"However, the debate over whether absinthe produces effects on the human mind additional to those of alcohol has not been conclusively resolved. The effects of absinthe have been described by some as mind opening. The most commonly reported experience is a "clear-headed" feeling of inebriation—a form of "lucid drunkenness". Chemist, historian and absinthe distiller Ted Breaux has claimed that the alleged secondary effects of absinthe may be caused by the fact that some of the herbal compounds in the drink act as stimulants, while others act as sedatives, creating an overall lucid effect of awakening. Long term effects of low absinthe consumption in humans remain unknown, although the herbs in absinthe have both painkilling and antiparasitic properties."

The only danger that I might warn would-be experimenters of is that it's not as easy to tell how many drinks you feel you've had. The absinthe does indeed "wake up" the brain, and the experience is quite beyond normal alcohol intoxication. You travel above the normal swaggering "blarrgg" of an alcohol buzz to a place where you find a flight of ideas and an overly talkative impulse.

Something I did over the weekend was to experiment with a basic absinthe martini recipe I found on Webtender. Here's what I ended up with:

1.5 oz. Stolichnaya vodka
1.5 oz. Mata Hari absinthe
1.5 oz. Gallo dry vermouth
add a little red grenadine to taste (but you don't have to)

Shake all that stuff up in one of those mixing things along with some ice and pour yourself a cocktail. Drink heartily, but be warned...

"After the first glass (of absinthe), 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, which is the most horrible thing in the world." - Oscar Wilde