Absinthe flame

Posted on MsJekYll'z Absinthe Forum

Topic created by ArtHaus
on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 at 08:30

ArtHaus said on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 at 08:30...

I was surprised, and a little intrigued, to read the following:

"compared by one critic to an absinthe flame that “burns in the void” without visible matter"

The statement relates to a poem called "Un coup de des” by Stephane Mallarme. The Financial Times gives no idea who the critic was/ is. I was wondering whether this is a modern day critic or one from the past.

La Fee Vertigo said on Thu, 30 Aug 2012 at 18:58...

I suppose the critic thought that Mallarme used to light up his spoon and drip caramel into his absinthe. Why he thinks that absinthe burns in a void is a little harder to understand; unless of course he/she is simply being pretentious. I would guess it was a modern critic.

THEABSINTHEPROFESSOR said on Wed, 5 Sep 2012 at 17:40...

It is a facile statement. Flaming absinthe could be explained by reference to moonshine folklore (safe distillate burns blue and tainted burns yellow).

La Fee Vertigo said on Thu, 6 Sep 2012 at 14:48...

facile? it is only so in the sense that the flame does not burn in a void. Ever read Stephane Mallarme?

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