Absinthe: Classic or dud

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Has anyone drank this stuff? or is best avoided?

― Michael, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh god, how strange... I was just unpacking and found a big bottle of absinthe that my mates brought back from Eastern Europe somewhere, and was going to start a similar thread.

A couple of notes about absinthe-

DO NOT MIX with other alcohol. If it is prepared correctly, and drunk by itself, it will produce a very clear-headed, non-sloppy, almost hallucinogenic drunk. If you mix it with other bouze (ie get drunk, and then have some absinthe) or drink irresponsibly, it can make you shit-faced and violent.

Watch the wormwood content- most absinthes available in the UK have about a 1% or 2% wormwood content. This is sufficient to get the slightly hallucinogenic effect. I have drunk Absinthe with a 10% wormwood content (this is the stuff I've just unpacked) and that is HIGHLY hallucinogenic, and has caused me great problems- think BAD shroom trip type thing.

The hardest thing to get past is the taste- it *is* rather like a combination of liquorice and formaldehyde. Doing the whole sugarcube/lighter ritual (which is half the fun) can make it taste like warm pernod. I mix it with a bit of creme de menthe, or fruity low-alcohol liquers like Midori and Malibu, to make it taste more palatable.

For the classic or dud, I'd probably go with classic, though I have sworn off the stuff (except the aforementioned bottle, which is being saved for a special occasion). It really *does* depend on the situation in which you consume it, you do have to respect the stuff. If you treat it less like alcohol and more like a hallucinogen, you'll have a better experience.

― masonic boom, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Tastes like shit[e]. Dudo.

― JM, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Only dumb-asses drink it for the *taste*.

― masonic boom, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I like it. I'm not very hard when it comes to alcohol, but I can drink absinthe neat without too much difficulty. But I once thought it would be a great idea to dip it in bread and put a match to it. Actually, that bit went OK. It was the next stage, in which I tried to eat the (extinguished) product that provoked barfarama episode.

― Nick, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't actually mind the taste so much, but it is serious stuff. It's Classic but can so easily turn into Dud if you're not careful - it pole-axed a freind of mine, there was nothing we could do to revive him and he looked deathly, we even thought of calling for an ambulance - but he suddenly sat bolt upright and said "I wanna go a' bed". He lived.

Approach with caution.

― DavidM, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Gettable in U.S., anyone know?

― Tracer Hand, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Kate, the stuff that you can buy in offies or you see in bars, has that a high wormwood quotient? I thought the whole hallucinogenic properties of Absinthe were largely myth, now I'm really interested..;)

I asked a barman a few days ago would he serve it as there was a bottle of it behind the counter but he wouldnt cos he said it was only on display. Better off, I was ver, ver drunk at the time.

― Michael, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The stuff at bars and in Waitrose is almost invariably the low wormwood percentage stuff. (including Hills) If you want a good example of high wormwood, try something like Staroplzenecky, which is a tooth-chattering 10%. It's easier to get in Eastern Europe, but I do know a specialty store in Chalk Farm that sells it, albeit for a ridiculous amount of money. The hallucinations are quite mild, more like shrooms than acid. But just remember that wormwood *does* really cause brain damage.

― masonic boom, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I don't think they sell it legally in the US.

― Ally, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Is anything fun legal in the US?

― Kerry Keane, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

No. The US sucks.

Anyone who can set me up with some absinthe really quickly, email me. I need it.

― Ally, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I can get it from the off-license that's 5 mins walk away...haven't yet bought any, it's about £35 a (decent-sized) bottle! The divine LC has a *very* small bottle of it, though we haven't plucked up the courage to try it yet.

― DG, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

How fast could you get it to me and how much would you charge me for shipping?

Perhaps I should take this to email, I might as well ask you to mail me some cocaine while I'm at this...

― Ally, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Just sent you an email, Ally.

― DG, Monday, 25 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Thank god, Ally's finally getting hooked up. I was afraid I was gonna have to go back to CA for absinthe.

― Otis Wheeler, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Listen, I've been on the hook up for quite some time, though not with absinthe. I just choose not to share with you and your psycho angry dictator friend, that's all. Can you blame me? You two got me to light cotton balls on fire.

― Ally, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

I think this is what Kiss was talking about when they said "These are crazy crazy crazy crazy nights". I certainly wouldn't share any of my absinthe with people who made me set cotton balls on fire. Whatever next.

My abs experience is getting shitfaced blotto on it with a heroin addict going cold turkey in Prague. It seemed to help her. Me I burnt my nose on the spoon on fire.

― Pete, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

All the flaming cotton balls prove, Ally, is that you're the one shouldn't have any coke. We would never do anything crazy like that.

― Otis Wheeler, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Oh, no, Ramon only asked me to burn him with cigarettes while you golfed with glass bottles from the minibar. In no way are you two off your rockers.

― Ally, Tuesday, 26 June 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

Do some research before talking about something you obviously don't know. If you want to taste good absinthe, try Deva or Segarra or NS from http://www.spiritscorner.com/ing/index.html (to my knowledge, it's the only place on the web with reasonable prices. Most others are liars trying to sell a product for what it's not to morons looking for a high).

A good starting point is the forum on this site (but read the FAQ before entering the forum):

http://www.sepulchritude.com/chapelperilous/absinthe/

Forget about the czech brands and this bogus fire ritual. It's absolutly not historicaly accurate. Absinthe must be drank with extremely cold water in ratio of 1 part absinthe for 2 to 5 parts water. If you get an unsweetened absinthe, you can do the french ritual of pouring water over a sugar cube.

― wolfgang fener, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

Do some research before talking about something you obviously don't know.

Should I really do this? My life would collapse!

Taking sides: Talking out of your arse about stupid things like absinthe vs. Doing serious research before opening your mouth.

― Nick, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

For a second I thought he was telling me I should be researching cigarette burns and glass golfing.

― Ally, Thursday, 9 August 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

one month passes...

I've drunk Staroplzenecky a few times and enjoyed it. I prepare it in the French manner with sugar cubes and water,slowly dissolving the sugar through a tea strainer. Two or three lumps(acc. to taste) does the job. I experiencedno potent psychoactive effects, justa pleasant, boozy/dopey sensation. Recommended.

― vlad, Saturday, 15 September 2001 00:00 (twenty-four years ago)

two months pass...

I know that this thread died down a few months ago, but if anyone out there would be so good as to email me with some information regarding the procuring of some absinthe, I would absolutely adore you forever

~ GrrlJake

― Jake Kilgore, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

they sell it in safeways now even if it is weak and overly flourescent

― Ed, Friday, 16 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

You can mail order it from europe; a friend of mine did this a while back. Just do a web search. I brought a bottle back from Prague like a year ago and I was stopped at customs...they were looking for drugs; the customs agent didn't even know what absinthe was. I don't think it's illegal to have it in the US, it just seems like it's illegal to sell it.

― Kris, Saturday, 17 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

ABSINTHE.... NOW LEGAL in British fu columbia.... I WILL BEN THERE FOR IT.. THE REAL SHIT BY THE WAY.... Victoira.. NAnamio. then VAncouver... yes, Van couver...

WOOORM WOOD... let it flow EEEVEN FLOW... EDDIE SUCKIT

― brian macdonawldoswalkd, Saturday, 17 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

The stuff that you can buy over here is shite and it's only 50 percent or something. We had some that claimed to be 85 percent when we were in Prague, I think we came in at 3 or 4 the next afternoon still hammered.

― Ronan, Saturday, 17 November 2001 01:00 (twenty-four years ago)

three months pass...

Hi,if anyone knows were to buy Wormwood in the UK please contact me,please e-mail if possible,thank you..

― Kate Mathews, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

WOOORM WOOD... let it flow EEEVEN FLOW... EDDIE SUCKIT

Brian's pinnacle on the net.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 20 February 2002 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)

five months pass...

I just came back from Prague yesterday. It was the first time i had ever tried Absinth, and it was great. This is really and intelligent drink, the drink of van Gogh, Wilde and Hemingway! I drink it by putting Absinth on a spoon, then sugar on top of it, and then i light the spoon, stir it into the Absinth, and then I down it. That is actually half the fun.

― Brigitte Cammie, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Absinthe is the very definition of the road to Ruin.

― Tim, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

i'm suspect of this lighting the spoon stuff. i don't remember reading anything about this on the absinthe web pages i visited. maybe it was made up by an over-dramatic bartender somewhere.

― Ron, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Mixed with champagne as a shooter. Makes you feel like you are flying. Then (if you are me) you end up in a hotel room on your own bouncing around to Nickleback live on Germany's Viva! music channel.

Proof that wormwood is bad for your brain.

― Anna, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Nickelback? Ooh, that kind of horror story should make its way into the "Absinthe: Just Say No" campaign...

― Nicole, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

You doing anything tonight Anna?

― Graham, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

This is really and intelligent drink, the drink of van Gogh [died broke and crazy], Wilde [died in prison]and Hemingway [blast head off with shotgun]!

sounds about right.

― Dave M., Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Tonight I am going to a gig. I have a hangover due to thinking cosmopolitans were a good idea at two in the morning and then going into a loud and ill-informed rant about Caberet Voltaire (why?!) on the nightbus. I don't even want to drink this evening, let alone absinthe.

― Anna, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Cher-No-Byl

― DO YOU SEE!!, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bizarre exchanges between Otis and Ally, Brian posting drunk and me responding -- ah, the ILX of yesteryear.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Okay SO... I drank loads of absinthe last night. Lacking a slotted spoon, and dubious about the freebase technique described above, I made a simple syrup (equal parts water and sugar brought to boil), added about 6 parts ice-water to 1 part La Fe&233; absinthe.... shaken vigorously in cocktail shaker... I was not nearly prepared for how anise-y it would taste. Weird thing was not that we were slurring our speech - but that despite noticing we could do nothing about it!!

― Tracer Hand, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

curious how much you paid for the la fee and whether you imported it yourself or bought bottle already in the US??

― Ron, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-three years ago)

three weeks pass...

ok, came back from Mallorca last night with a bottle of Absinthe Hapsburg red label (85%).
Does anyone here know anything about the quality of the stuff?

― don C, Wednesday, 4 September 2002 14:54 (twenty-three years ago)

the La Fée was a gift from the UK

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 16:44 (twenty-three years ago)

la fee verte review of your hapsburg is positive, but not glowing.

― ron (ron), Wednesday, 4 September 2002 23:07 (twenty-three years ago)

website for LF is www.eabsinthe.com for WORLDWIDE DELIVERY

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 5 September 2002 04:05 (twenty-three years ago)

I had one of the most enjoyable nights of my life in Berlin after consuming a few shots of Absinthe (10% wormwood, I think) and a few spliffs. A classic, in moderation.

― Andrew (enneff), Thursday, 5 September 2002 10:14 (twenty-three years ago)

two weeks pass...

Swiss La Bleue. Nothing like it. 3 shots and the tree's were swaying in the wind like they never have before. Almost like smoking pot but without the intensity. Very relaxing. 200 Dollars U.S a bottle through a U.S source, pricy but it has 70mg of thujone in it versus the usual ten. Worth the price. A tiny bit of homework will lead you to who sells this.

― David Lopaz, Monday, 23 September 2002 12:43 (twenty-three years ago)

I find that you get a great energy rush from The Green Fairy. A complete classic, but stick to two or three shots. There is a liquor store in Soho (old compton st)where you can purchase a half bottle for £20 (an idea size)

― kinski (kinski), Tuesday, 24 September 2002 14:38 (twenty-three years ago)

According to http://www.absintheonline.com/Myth,%20reality%20and%20absinthe.pdf, La Bleue has 25 mg thujone in it. Has anyone had experience ordering from absintheonline.com? I am thinking of getting a bottle of Un Emile which I heard was pretty good for the price.

― Jenny, Sunday, 29 September 2002 00:25 (twenty-three years ago)

First of all Jenny, there are diferent kinds of La Bleue. The one I am talking about is made from a swiss farmer and is La Bleue 3#. 1,and 2 have less thujone. There are other forms of La Bleue out there as well. And supposidly they cannot accuratly judge the amount of thujone in Absinthe, so this is a guess from a well respected distibuter/absinthe book author. The Absinthe of yester years is estimated at having 260mg of thujone. Beware, I have heard some of the La Bleue dealers are liars and give you something else all together. If you want genuine La Bleue try looking at the dealer list at I think La Fee Verte.com. Type absinthe into yahoo and this info site shows up quickly. Hope this helped.

― David Lopaz, Monday, 30 September 2002 12:30 (twenty-three years ago)

two months pass...

Is there anywhere that I can get a bottle of good absinth to share with my friends by 12/31/02 (in the US)? It's hard to find site to will confirm delivery with such short notice. Email me, I'm desperate.

― Anna Antunez, Sunday, 22 December 2002 23:13 (twenty-three years ago)

in a pinch "cool mint listerine" will probably work just as well

― geeta (geeta), Sunday, 22 December 2002 23:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Hahaha I just read this whole thread, it's the best thread ever! I was such a fucking coke head. It also explains why I seem to have been subscribed 4 life to an absinthe mailing list for no apparent reason, I wasn't the one who actually wanted the absinthe if the evil list master is reading! That was Wheeler.

― Ally (mlescaut), Monday, 23 December 2002 03:33 (twenty-three years ago)

ABSINTHE.... NOW LEGAL in British fu columbia.... I WILL BEN THERE FOR IT.. THE REAL SHIT BY THE WAY.... Victoira.. NAnamio. then VAncouver... yes, Van couver...
WOOORM WOOD... let it flow EEEVEN FLOW... EDDIE SUCKIT

This guy was a complete cockfarmer.

― donut bitch (donut), Monday, 23 December 2002 20:20 (twenty-three years ago)

three years pass...

So I appear to have ordered a bottle of Trenet Amere Noir, which I am reliably informed contains 35 mg of thujone. Has anyone had this before?

I am planning on using it to play Rez to (seeing as it is seemingly impossible for me to score any weed). Or maybe write some songs.

― tissp! (the impossible shortest specia), Tuesday, 17 January 2006 13:44 (nineteen years ago)

my old mad scientist incredibly messy roommate bootlegged absinthe, don't know how close to the real deal it was, but not much wormwood. A very nice warm lovey drunk, but could easily segue into insanity. She used mint to make it a little more palatable.

― emilys. (emilys.), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 02:04 (nineteen years ago)

I drank absinthe—for the first time—the night before a final exam. After a shot or two my friends became instantly argumentative, the kind of argument where people are actually just talking at the same time and kind of drowning each other out. Later on I decided to see just how teeth-rattlingly loud I could listen to Autechre's Incunabula. (Really fucking loud, as it turns out.) The chattering synths were well in tune with absinthe's particular narcotic frequency. I was loving it. I ate some pizza and it was the best pizza ever.

In the end I took a very experimental—and quite possibly still intoxicated—approach to writing the exam; conversing directly with "the reader" in my essay questions, retracting previous statements, jokes about mistaken identity, a bit about Dickens drinking brandy ... I felt really relaxed and actually enjoyed writing the exam. In the end I did pretty good so maybe it wasn't such a mistake (not that I'd repeat it).

― Fields of Salman (fieldsofsalmon), Wednesday, 18 January 2006 04:58 (nineteen years ago)

one year passes...

One absinthe that will try to brave the regulators next year is a spirit distilled by Markus Lion in Germany for the performer Marilyn Manson. Called Mansinthe, it is “designed to please newbies as well as long-term absinthe lovers,” Mr. Lion said in an e-mail message.

― libcrypt, Monday, 10 December 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

Mansinthe will be sold at Hot Topic and come with a very scary black t-shirt.

― libcrypt, Monday, 10 December 2007 17:07 (eighteen years ago)

1/2 ab sine theta

― Just got offed, Monday, 10 December 2007 17:09 (eighteen years ago)

three years pass...

la berthe de joux is such a perfect drink, i wish it wasnt so expensive.

― ☆, Friday, 28 October 2011 18:18 (fourteen years ago)

one year passes...

A couple of notes about absinthe-
DO NOT MIX with other alcohol. If it is prepared correctly, and drunk by itself, it will produce a very clear-headed, non-sloppy, almost hallucinogenic drunk. If you mix it with other bouze (ie get drunk, and then have some absinthe) or drink irresponsibly, it can make you shit-faced and violent.

not true

― ^ sarcasm (ken c), Thursday, 8 November 2012 13:11 (thirteen years ago)

looking to buy a bottle for making corpse reviver #2s with. no idea which though.

― ^ sarcasm (ken c), Thursday, 8 November 2012 13:12 (thirteen years ago)

if that's the only thing you plan to do, buy the smallest bottle you can find

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 8 November 2012 14:06 (thirteen years ago)

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