Absinthe Makes The Heart Grow Fonder
by admin on Mar.18, 2007, under absinthe
Absinthe is a very evocative drink. Mention it to a random person and they might think of a hallucination-ridden poet living in decadence on a Parisian street and cutting his ear off after downing a bottle of flaming spirit, or a Manson fan in a black baby-doll who enjoys cutting and pretends to be a vampire while hanging out at Johnny Depp's club.
For those romantics among you, I have sad news: absinthe is not hallucinogenic. The much-overhyped “epidemic” of absinthism that caused it to be banned owed more to the extremely high alcohol content (you try acting normally after drinking a bottle of anything that’s more than 50% ABV) and the common use of adulterants such as methanol in cheaper brands. Due to recognition of this fact, it is now possible to manufacture and/or sell authentic absinthe in many countries, including Spain, Switzerland, the UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. France is something of a special case; even though many of the most popular brands are made there, it is illegal to sell anything under the name “absinthe”, and it must instead be labeled “wormwood-based spirits”, which results in separate labeling for domestic sales of French absinthes.
Now, a few tips for any would-be absintheurs: If you want to stay completely legal while still getting most of the experience, go with a pastis. After absinthe was banned, the major manufacturers reformulated their drink, lowering the alcohol content, adding sugar, and removing the wormwood. Popular spirits in this category include Absente, Herbsaint, and Pernod.
Stay away from anything that claims that you can make absinthe at home; it's either illegal and dangerous (home distillation) or misguided (soaking herbs in vodka does not produce absinthe). Particularly beware of anything that contains wormwood extract, as thujone in high concentrations (which they tend towards) is a convulsive neurotoxin. In the minute doses you get from real absinthe, it's not dangerous; thujone is also found in the herb sage at similar concentrations.
While it's illegal to import or sell absinthe in the US, it is not illegal to own or drink it. If you want to try it and have the dosh, I would recommend buying a bottle from an overseas seller. For example, eAbsinthe.com is a UK based distributor that ships to the US and has guaranteed delivery; if for any reason you don't receive your order, they will refund the full purchase price. Be aware that it's a bit pricy, especially at current exchange rates.
Importation of alcohol is overseen by a Federal agency; you need a license in order to import commercially, and it needs to conform to specific guidelines as to content and labeling (and size of bottle; 700 ml is standard in the UK, but is not an allowed size in the US). Importation for personal use is much more loosely controlled, and in most cases a license is not required, nor do the labeling restrictions apply (unless you plan to give it to someone else as a gift). However, if they really want to get pushy they can confiscate your bottle of scotch, gin, or what have you, since the determination of whether it falls under the personal use exemption is up to them and the guidelines are fairly vague. For this reason, many UK sellers will either refuse to ship to the US or will disclaim any responsibility for your shipment actually arriving. (It's even more fun in Michigan, since we're a control state. Some out-of-state US spirit vendors won't ship here.)
Absinthe is one of the items specifically listed by the US Customs Service as not permissible to bring into the country. However, as possession isn't illegal the highest penalty that can be incurred is confiscation of the shipment. As with other alcohol, while they can confiscate it they rarely choose to do so.
Prior to the recent renaissance of traditional absinthe, a number of Czech absinths (note spelling) became popular. The lack of anise flavour is the chief defining characteristic of these “Bohemian” absinths, which have little in common with real absinthe other than the use of wormwood. Certain brands also like to hype high thujone levels and play up the mystique of its supposed hallucinogenic properties. Personally I find this type of marketing abhorrent, and for this reason alone would urge you to stay away from this drink. If you need a further reason, it is also extremely nasty tasting.
Finally, a word on the proper drinking of absinthe: Traditionally, absinthe is poured into a glass, over which a slotted spoon is placed. The drinker then places a sugar cube on the spoon and drips ice-cold water through it until it is diluted to approximately one-quarter the original strength. The makers of Bohemian absinth decided that this wasn’t impressive enough, and started claiming that you should soak the sugar cube in absinth and set it on fire, then add water to extinguish it. While this might be okay for a Czech absinth, don’t set real absinthe on fire. Remember: burning absinthe makes the baby Jesus cry.
