Absinthe in America

Topic created by MsJekYll
on Sat, 17 May 2008 at 17:24

MsJekYll said on Sat, 17 May 2008 at 17:24...

Absinthe in the USA - the prohibition isn't over yet I have been overwhelmed by email responses to my article about absinthe in the USA.

I welcome all your emails, but I thought a public forum might be a better platform to vent your our frustrations about USA "safe" versions of absinthe. Yes, I am as disappointed as you are.

Anonymous said on Tue, 20 May 2008 at 20:39...

Watered down licorice flavored hooch! What did you expect? You think the Fed Govt would actually allow us to get f***ed up on wormwood. It is OK in Europe and I tried some real absinthe inAmestrdam...

MsJekYll said on Sat, 24 May 2008 at 19:09...

Well, I guess I wouldn't have put it as bluntly as you, Anonymous ;-) but you are right of course. I guess I wanted to believe it... But sure, I know what they say: if it's too good to be true...

I read a very interesting expose about absinthe in America recently. I can't remember exactly where it was (some paper in California I recall). The journalist did a thorough investigation and concluded it was all a premeditated marketing strategy designed to insinuate that the American public were suddenly gonna get their hands on something forbidden, even illicit... while researchers and historians agreed it was just imitations with "absinthe" on the bottle label.

Oh well. At least I spoke my mind, so don't get too harsh with me Anonymous, alright? (By the way, why do you people do this? Is it too difficult to make up some funny nickname if you don't want to use your real one?)

dragonfly said on Fri, 30 May 2008 at 15:37...

It's like everything else. The Federal Government insists on treating all of its citizens as if we were children, incapable of making decisions on our own, without the Great & Glorious Feds to protect us from ourselves. Why anyone would believe anything the Federal Government says is way beyond my understanding.

So when the Government says, this is absinthe, it just has less thujone. It's like saying this is MGD, its just watered down, a lot, and it tastes kind of weird, and there's less alcohol, but really it is just the same as the other MGD. Yeah, go ahead.

Trust the Feds to be honest with you. Because they've been so honest over the years. I, on the other hand, will continue to question everything my Government says and does. Especially while that wacko Texas cowboy is still in office.

Alice in Wonderland said on Tue, 3 Jun 2008 at 13:55...

Well said Dragonfly. Keep up the good work MsJekyll, cool site.

MsJekYll said on Fri, 6 Jun 2008 at 21:37...

Thanks Alice :-)

Dragonfly: I agree with Alice - well said!

Kieren said on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 at 19:31...

The same old, same old. The feds trying to save us from ourselves. Big Brother knows best. ?? yeah, right. No, Big Brother just wants to tell you what you can and cannot do or have or be. It's a control issue.

Have you seen how much it costs for us Americans to buy European Absinthe and import it into the US?

if it's something one might enjoh, they either ban it, or in this case change it so its nothing like the real product.

MsJekYll said on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 at 23:55...

Spot on, Kieren. I like to think I can make my own mind up about what I put in my body. I've drunk (real) absinthe for the past 12+ years and I'm still very much live and kicking. The modern world offers far greater dangers than a little absinthe.

MsJekYll said on Wed, 11 Jun 2008 at 23:58...

I just thought I'd mention that there is a related discussion in progress in the Is absinthe legal? thread as well. Having said that, I'm not trying to chase anyone off here -- quite the opposite. But this forum software will not let me merge related threads, so I just want to point the casual visitor in the direction of additional info/discussion.

Patricia in Dallas, TX said on Tue, 8 Jul 2008 at 22:57...

absinthe in the u.s.? no thanks, no way. overcharged cat's pee, not real absinthe :-(

absynthe newbie said on Wed, 9 Jul 2008 at 01:58...

which absynthe do u recommend patricia? i want to try, but i'm confused. which is real, which is not? thanks

Patricia said on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 at 01:16...

in order of preference:

1. la valdetre. very good swiss stuff. fresh and raw, full of power. that's what i like...character. some people say the colour is too deep but that's no problem for me. too deep compared to what? the watered-down nonsense they try to pass on as 'absinthe' in the u.s. ?

2. armand guy. this one's french and is pretty much the real deal as well, IMHO

3. absinthium 1792. pretty good everyday absinthe. give it a try if you don't want to spend much. i never thought i'd say this until i tasted it. not bad, not bad at all! its for the mass market, for sure, but still 10x better than the lucid crap, for rougly half the price

i'm curious about this century stuff you reviewed msjekyll, by the way. sounds a bit like la valdetre to me. being the absinthe addict i am, i love to learn of these hard to find gems. have you drunk valdetre and how does it compare to century?

MsJekYll said on Sat, 12 Jul 2008 at 20:45...

Hi Patricia

I know of La Valdetre but have never actually tried it. From what I've heard, it does have character as you say and that's good. I know it's difficult to get (there's nowhere to buy online as far as I know... or is there??) Where do you get it?

Patricia said on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 at 15:51...

my husband goes to Switzerland a few times and year and buys it there. not sure if it's sold online. i have two unopened bottles and could trade one if you like. you have any century around? ;-) i was just going to order it but I'll hang on in case you are interested......

MsJekYll said on Sun, 13 Jul 2008 at 23:57...

Yeah, sure, great idea. Email me! You're in Texas, right?

Julz said on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 at 19:23...

Soo, I have some questions..... 1st- Is it illegal to purchase a kit to make it yourself?? And if not, does it ever come out right? I too, was stoked to hear that a legal version (lucid) was available here in the u.s.I have never tried any form of absinithe before, but I am super-curious! Lead me in the right direction for my first time!!?

dan8 said on Sat, 9 Aug 2008 at 00:10...

homemade absinthe kits are legal. they can make really good absinthe, but i think this depends on the skill of the herbalist who picks the herbs that go in them and on the quality of the herbs as well.

Curious1 said on Fri, 29 Aug 2008 at 23:45...

I have been reading info off the Web for awhile and I must be missing something. A lot of sources deny that large amounts of thujone are not present in absinthes, Euro and US. The last bit I read was at:

http://www.absinthe.se/default.asp?load=http://www.absinthe.se/thujone/index.html.

It also appears that thujone is not responsible for any mind bending effects. (Possibly that is the result of some other as-of-yet undetected compound).

Who is scamming who is what I want to know!? BTW, I like to rely on independent scientific evidence to make decisions and am not generally interested in personal experiences (i.e., studies based on a population of one).

Has anyone done any blind evaluations of this?

LucidWhore said on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 at 16:44...

I hate to admit it, but I like Lucid...
Not like the hot chick next door,
more like the cheap, kinda nasty easy girl down the street...

Anonymous said on Sat, 15 Nov 2008 at 15:27...

cheap and nasty....... lol

Anonymous said on Mon, 1 Dec 2008 at 03:11...

I finally bought my first bottle of Absinthe last week and chose Lucid. On the label it says it's made "with a full measure of wormwood" and it also indicates 62% alcohol (124 proof). I don't think they can legally put it on the bottle if it doesn't contain wormwood. I'm wondering what "proof" you have that it doesn't contain wormwood?
It did seem to taste better in Prague, but I think anything would taste better there.

Toocurious said on Mon, 5 Jan 2009 at 01:05...

I live in south florida, I'm interested in trying lucid... Because absinthe is not legal in Florida. I want the whole hallucination feeling. Does is work?

Abs said on Fri, 9 Jan 2009 at 16:16...

I just got a bottle labeled Grande Absente here is their website

http://www.grandeabsente.com/home.html

I have no idea what thujone content it has, but certainly it claims to be "imported from france" "original recipe" , "wormwood" and 138 proof.

I am no Absinthe connoisseur, as I am mostly a Chartreuse drinker, and based on my experiences with this absinthe I still prefer the Chartreuse.

It has a very pretty emerald color, no artificial colors are listed. It tastes very strongly of licorice and even "neat" is very smooth on the palette. With the sugar cube and cold water thing, it louches as I would expect and certainly sweetened and watered down a bit you can discern a few other flavours as you drink it.

I had expected a bit more "bitterness" as in a vermouth, jagermeister or chartreuse or other herbals, but would have likened this flavour more to a strong Pernod, ouzo, anisette or sambuca. The overwhelming flavour being the anise, star anise, licorice root, fennel or what-have-you that has that black licorice taste.

MaterSammichMan said on Mon, 12 Jan 2009 at 16:09...

Who is making absinthe IN the U.S.?
As I understand it, the law is <10ppm Thujone, not Zero.
And that includes anything imported also.
Is that correct?

chaya said on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 at 20:55...

Le Tourment Vert is made in France but distributed only in the US

David said on Thu, 29 Jan 2009 at 21:25...

is it out in us?

goo goo said on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 at 02:18...

Yes, it was released Dec 21st in the US from what i read online

craig david said on Fri, 30 Jan 2009 at 22:24...

Yea, I tried the LTV too. I thought it was really good but no hallucinations.

DR.Z said on Sat, 31 Jan 2009 at 01:11...

My Favorite Absinthe drink is

TRIPLE FRENCH MARTINI
1 oz. Absolut
1 oz. Le Tourment Vert
1 oz. Chambord
1 oz. Pineapple juice
- Shake well and strain into chilled cocktail glass
- Garnish with lemon twist

sambucha said on Sat, 14 Feb 2009 at 07:03...

....I cant stand this american govt constantly swooping in and banning anything remotely mind altering. What is wrong with escaping from this mindless consumer society... If one chooses permanent escape, that is also his right.

Setting It Straight said on Sun, 15 Feb 2009 at 16:45...

"thujone free" means less than the limit of detection by chemical (FDA) testing which is, in this case, 10 ppm. so, yes the limit for US absinthe is <10 ppm.

also, thujone will not cause you to hallucinate so much as convulse, and only then if you drink enough absinthe for the alcohol to kill you first.

In all likelihood absinthe's hallucinogenic history has much more to do with poor technique on the distiller's part (probably heavy metal contamination or some such fun) than with thujone. Chemistry/Technology has come a long way in the last hundred years!

I have a few bottles of old world absinthe as well as some traditional bottlings from US distillers. There is no noticable difference in its effects. For those of you looking to get high off of this stuff, my suggestion is to buy a bunch of cough syrup and set up a meth lab instead. It will be a hell of a lot cheaper than the sobering costs of shipping absinthe from France or Switzerland only to be disappointed when the there are no singing dragons that visit you in your drunken fog.

Some great websites to visit in order to learn more about the history of absinthe are www.feeverte.net or www.wormwoodsociety.org - happy exploring!

POMBE said on Wed, 18 Feb 2009 at 03:49...

Though Wormwood is a key herb for true Absinthe, it's Thujone that provides the Green Fairy with her magic.

I've been an Absitheur for three years now and have tried over a dozen European varieties. Personally I prefer the "strong" Absinthe offerings. These typically have 30 to 35mg Thujone and alcohol content around 68% (give or take).

I live in Illinois and have always had my Absinthe shipped to from Germany. To date, I've never had a shipment problem and still use the same source as always. In fact, I'll be placing my largest oreder to date later this week.

The prospect of a "true" Absinthe available in the US peaked my interrest as it's not cheap to buy and ship my orders. However, I have yet to read about any Thujone content in any US "Absinthe". This leads me to believe they contain no Thujone at all.

The Lucid question has been brought up a few times. A bar in McHenry Illinois about 20 minutes from me sells Lucid. My research on Lucid has yet to find any noted Thujone content, but I will probably drive up there to check it out for myself.

For Curious 1, I have not done any scientific/blind testing. I can however factually state that there is a difference between a true Absinthe and just an 80 proff bottle of booze. Absinthe doesn't warrant the Hollywood mythes about hallucinating and making out with ones sister. The best way I can describe it is...
...the happiest, most relaxed drunk you've ever been, but without the drunk. It's as if your concerns litterally melt away and a relaxed comfort takes over. Absinthe's a great way to "wipe the slate clean" and find an "all is right with the world" state of mind.

The Green Fairy is one groovy lady and I'm glad we met.
Most I've introduced her to have also been glad we met.

ty9 said on Thu, 19 Feb 2009 at 12:31...

Hi POMBE

I like your description of the absinthe/ thujone effect :-)

The US brands are thujone free or thujone-very-lite. Dollars $$$$ mean that companies have waged a public relations war for many years now to downplay the role of thujone. That is because of the FDA "thujone-free" regulations and the problem about acknowledging absinthe's euphoric effect ....that "wipe the slate clean" feeling you mention. If they do that then they will get their license removed by Big Brother, no such problems in open-minded Europe.

The US brands are keen to make clear that they use grande wormwood, unlike the long established competitor brand, whilst denying the role of it's main NATURAL element. The reason that many of these new absinthes tatse like licorice bombs is that the recipes are messed with and anise takes over from the wormwood. If you use the required amount of wormood then wormwood will be the dominant flavour and not licorice. If you like licorice flavour buy a bottle of ouzo....

Of course, there are also nasty modern ways to remove thujone and also use chemotype (mutations) of the plant.

"Prohibition is finally over" as Lucid publicity machine says? Yeah right? Nothing has changed actually. These versions of absinthe are like an old toothless hooker (wearing dentures and a blond wig) in the dim smokey night hour.....not what they seem. Get some absinthe with real bite ;-)

Capt. Ace said on Fri, 20 Feb 2009 at 15:29...

I watched a documentary last year about Ted Breaux and his fascination with recreating absynthe the way it used to be made.

He produces the stuff in the Lucid bottle. I finally got a bottle and found it
"interesting".

From the Lucid site:

"lucid is formulated by world renowned absinthe expert T.A. Breaux, and is distilled in strict accordance to traditional French methods. lucid is crafted in the historic Combier distillery, founded in 1834 and designed by Gustave Eiffel in the fabled Loire Valley of France. Each bottle of lucid is carefully prepared by skilled craftsmen, using ancient copper absinthe alembics. Unlike most contemporary imitators, lucid is distilled entirely from spirits and European herbs, and uses no artificial additives, oils, or dyes. lucid recalls the rich tradition of Absinthe, and is crafted using a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), Green Anise, Sweet Fennel, and other fine European herbs traditionally used in making fine Belle Époque absinte"

In the very near future I plan to order a few of the European offerings since drinking Absynthe is a wonderful past time.

ty9 said on Thu, 26 Feb 2009 at 18:35...

"interesting"

Euphemism: A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant.

Lucid is made from beet alcohol and not grape. Nevermind the vulgar bottle and the thujone issue.

derrick said on Mon, 9 Mar 2009 at 01:00...

i've had Lucid, not my taste. i'm fed up and about to start distilling my own with a high thujone content ... and yes, thujone does matter, a lot for some folk ... the effects are unmistakeable ...

STEPH said on Wed, 29 Apr 2009 at 06:18...

Anyone know about the new stuff called Le Tourment Vert Absinthe ?

chris 197050 said on Tue, 12 May 2009 at 13:56...

guys they did a study on the thujone content in vintage bottles recently discovered and guess what it was less than 10ppm thujone
these were sealed pre prohibition absinthes
as far as the effects go all effects mentioned is also considered alcohol poisoning lol
the effects were manufacured by people who thought drinking absinthe was evil much like all the rumors about smoking pot or cigarettes are today some people don't like it so nobody should like it
a really good site to look at is the virtual absinthe museum they also have links to other good sites ms jekyll awesome site will bookmark it lucid was the first bottle i bought if you mix it slow it is not bad i prefer kubler 53 or sirene which is distilled here in illinois abit grassy tasting but smooth and has a nice finish

Hbilly said on Wed, 20 May 2009 at 19:23...

"Lucid, in particular, tastes to me like an herbalist dumped his collected pharmacopoeia into a blender with Everclear and olive oil" Eric Felten, Wall Street Journal

ACE22 said on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 at 22:04...

based on what i heard in here, pro-absinthe people can go FUCK THEMSELVES !

bitch !

got a problem with the government/laws/police ? FUCK YOU

ace22 said on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 at 22:08...

The only reason wit WOULD be legal, is because the government can TAX it.
LMAO

thats the only problem i got with the government.
the money hungry jerks in office !

ace22 said on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 at 22:10...

if they could tax crack it would be legal.

(if they found a way, id be fuckin pissed)

but they will find a "way" to tax it, something those fuckin jews are the master of !

ace22 said on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 at 22:20...

welcome to america, the land of MONEY MONEY MONEY
lol

the land where MONEY can do absolutely anything.

ace22 said on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 at 22:39...

including be above the law
LOL

W.Ormwood (HG) said on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 at 14:45...

Crazy and sad at the same time :-(

OranX said on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 at 11:10...

"What set Four apart from other energy brews is wormwood oil, he said then. It's a key ingredient in absinthe, a strong, green-hued liquor long believed to cause hallucinations. A chemical called thujone in wormwood oil has psychedelic qualities, so federal food regulators allow wormwood oil as a flavoring only if its thujone has been extracted. But it's not clear whether Four still contains wormwood"

LA Times Mike Hughlett - August 24, 2009

Wormwood flavoured absinthe for the USA .....but with the thujone extracted :-( I agree about ace22, perhaps someone might delete him?

BoozeTraveler said on Thu, 5 Nov 2009 at 16:45...

What’s available in the US now is considered true absinthe because it involves use of the herb of absinthes namesake, Artemisia absinthium (grand wormwood). Because of the thujone-free restriction in the US we are restricted to a limited number of absinthes that meet the FDA restriction of 10 ppm (parts per million) thujone or 10mg/kg. This doesn’t mean that they are bad, it just means that many European absinthes and "bitters", from 11-35mg/kg aren’t available for US retail purchase, thus restricting selection. Also, some of the best absinthe comes from small foreign producers that lack the resources to export large enough quantities for US distribution.
Read the full article at: http://theboozetraveler.blogspot.com/2009/02/mail-order-absinthe.html

BoozeTraveler said on Thu, 5 Nov 2009 at 16:48...

In the EU the legal limit of thujone in spirits is 10mg/kg and if the product is labeled as a bitter the limit is 35mg/kg.

Michael said on Thu, 24 Dec 2009 at 09:22...

I have read quite a bit about "Lucid" absinthe. It claims to be the only genuine "pre-ban" grade absinthe in the US. It claims to have not only a full measure of Grandewormwood, but also to have a full measure of thujone. (From what I can tell, they are the only absinthe in America with thujone)From what I read, this is the real thing. I've tried it, and it seems genuine from my somewhat inexperienced perspective. Someone help. Is this finally the real thing in America?

Thanks for the help.

Dr. Dodo said on Fri, 25 Dec 2009 at 20:39...

"It claims to be the only genuine "pre-ban" grade absinthe in the US"

Most sincerley, good Sir, 'tis also a most fortituous draught for pains, sprains and strains, itches and twitches, congestion and conflabulation, chills and ills, colic, constipation and cogitation, titillation and infatuation, sneezes and wheezes, dropsy, dyspepsia , female sloth, and gentlemen's private maladies. "Tis that most rare of things and is made from the very waters of Jupiter, brought to Earth by the Archangel Gabriel himself.

Dr Erasmus Dodo

Funksoulbrother said on Sun, 27 Dec 2009 at 08:27...

US hooch hawkers are now claiming their absinthe might contain Thujone or subvertly imply that it does. Truth is that any absinthe sold in the USA will be determined by the FDA to be "Thujone Free" Lucid Absinthe is made in France, but ONLY sold stateside, i think that pretty much covers it.

aussie said on Fri, 12 Mar 2010 at 10:50...

i live in australia and went over to the US for a hoilday and am going back later this year and was asked to bring a couple bottles of absinthe as you can get it here but i take it i wont be allowed to bring the stuff in ?? right???

Prince Of Thrift said on Sun, 21 Mar 2010 at 02:01...

looking to purchase Absinthe in Topeka, KS (Austin, TX in 6 months) where would I find it?

mgs-dia said on Fri, 26 Mar 2010 at 05:09...

Hey Pombe : how can I buy European absinthe ? You said you bring from Germany..... why not France or Switzerland ? Last December I brought a bottle from France in my luggage..... when I got home I read in the customs booklet that "no absinthe is allowed in international travel luggage"........but, I did not know, and I brought one home....

so, the question is, where to get real absinthe ? It seems that everyone talks, there are many places in USA that sells absinthe, but then people say that "absinthe in USA is not real absinthe".....I am confused....

I tried this in France and I liked, but I am not an expert to really see any difference with the one I have in the local liquor store here...

fullspeed said on Fri, 28 May 2010 at 07:17...

The joy of real absinthe comes from sophisticated blend of subtle effects, provided by wormwood and the other herbs. What we get here in the States just doesn't do the trick.

@mgs-dia - Don't worry about customs booklets, they don't care anymore. I bring 2-3 bottles about 3x a year from Europe and have never been hassled. or just order online, the stuff will make it thru alright.

twzlettemommy said on Sun, 20 Jun 2010 at 03:45...

when i was in knoxville (in March) i stopped in a liquor store and seen Grande Absente - Absinthe Originale (the brand also has a refined version). After buying a small bottle and trying it i did a little research because the lady at the liquor store said it had just been legalized and that there has been refined versions of absinthe and this was the first true to recipe. The brands web site says its made to the original recipe in france but im not sure whether to believe it. the web site is http://www.grandeabsente.com/absente.html . it is 69% alc/vol (138 proof) I had never had absinthe before so im not sure what an original is suppose to taste like.

Neitzsche said on Fri, 9 Jul 2010 at 01:19...

"A 2008 study of 13 pre-ban (1895-1910) bottles using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) found that the (pre-ban) bottles had an average of between 0.5mg/L and 48.3mg/L and averaged 25.4mg/L. A 2005 study recreated three 1899 high-wormwood recipes and tested with GC-MS, and found that the highest contained 4.3 mg/L thujone."

I think a lot of people dont know what the fu*k they're talking about. The more thujone does not equal a better buzz. Why should I pay $200+ for 100mg/ml thujone 'century absinthe' when modern science shows us that preban absinthe did not contain 1/4 of the same levels of thujone???

Sounds like a marketing technique, and they're on this page posting. Dont be fooled.