Absinth(e), anyone?

[knife_fight]

so I just broke down and ordered some absinth online from europa. can anyone tell me what to expect? or some good ways to drink it, as in recipes, mixes, etc.?

[scouse mac]

Originally posted by knife_fight
so I just broke down and ordered some absinth online from europa. can anyone tell me what to expect? or some good ways to drink it, as in recipes, mixes, etc.?

Pretty sure you heat a small spoonful of brown sugar (lighter under a spoon is best) and when its caramalised you stir it into a shot of absinth they down in one! Its a very very good little tipple but wouldn't have too many in a session

[slasherman]

Originally posted by knife_fight
so I just broke down and ordered some absinth online from europa. can anyone tell me what to expect? or some good ways to drink it, as in recipes, mixes, etc.?

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml

...I think they only sell real absinth legaly in east europe...plases like Praha in Tjekkia and such......

[Haunted]

It's made from the wormwood herb and is good for stomache disorders. (Thank Magrat for that bit of information.)

[scouse mac]

Originally posted by slasherman
http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml

...I think they only sell real absinth legaly in east europe...plases like Praha in Tjekkia and such......

That used to be the case until a few years ago when it got itself unbanned, they did insist that the alcohol levels in the legal versions were reduced from the blindness enducing levels seen in victorian times

[slasherman]

Originally posted by scouse mac
they did insist that the alcohol levels in the legal versions were reduced from the blindness enducing levels seen in victorian times

..why...:)

[ChEEbA]

Wormwood among other things. The wormwood (or absinthium) is the more active ingredient that gives it it's halucinogenic properties. Some people experience it, others do not.
High levels of alcohol were not what got it banned in many places, rather the abovementioned ingredient, due to toxicity released over the long distillation period.
The alcohol level IS rather high, and is STILL usually over 50%, even in the pseudo-absinthe they have started selling in cellars worldwide. Beware - you'll have no effects other than from the very high alcohol content if you buy anything locally, more often than not.
You'll be better off importing some, correctly so from europe.
Alternatively, some herbalists and "natural high" kind of shops carry wormwood, as do most online stores of that nature. You can distill some in either this pseudo-absinthe they're selling nowadays, or port, which would lead me to believe you could probably do it with something like stones ginger wine too.
I'd reccomend 3 months, in the shade.
Be aware, it WILL have a rather bitter taste, this is to be expected. Wormwood tastes like poison...after all, it IS.
Don't drink more than a few shots in an evening, and make sure you're not alone.
- B

[scouse mac]

Im sure there is a section on absinthe on the From Hell dvd, given that the main character was hooked on the stuff