In Absinthia Title
Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder. - Dowson
Michael likes Kubler in Corpse Revivers

We really like this Cocktail Recipe Book


Jonathan quested
for St. George

Absinthe Cocktails Book
There is a Spoon!


Posted by Jonathan
on 07/23/06

Paul from Cocktail Chronicles gives a good description of the talk by Ted Breaux, of Jade Liqueurs, at this years Tale of the Cocktail. Complete with pictures, now we really wish we had been able to make it to Tales of the Cocktail ...

The Cocktail Chronicles - Tales of the Cocktail, Day 3


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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/21/06

Blogger ex-patriate David Lebovitz writes about his visit to Vert d'Absinthe, the shop where we purchased a couple of bottles of absinthe ourselves. Some nice pictures too.

David Lebovitz : Visit to Vert d'Absinthe

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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/21/06

The 2006 The International Wine and Spirit Competition was held recently and in the highly competitive Absinthe category, five coveted awards were handed out.  The only Gold Medal and the award for best in class went to the Swiss verte, Absinthe Duplais 72%. Four Silver Medals were handed out to:

  • Doubs Premium Absinthe 55%
  • Jade Edouard 72%
  • Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68%
  • Combier Blanchette 60%

We have tasted and enjoyed both Jade products and the Blanchette (actually, another Jade family member) here at InAbsinthia.  Look for tasting notes on the Eduard coming soon.  We are looking forward to trying out both the Duplais and the Doubs. Congratulations to all!

To see the awards on the IWSC web site, click the Awards link at the top, then click on the Spirits category. Here's what they have to say about the Duplais:

Unique, golden/green hue. Slow forming louche had sudden active spurt resulting in thick, almost solid, milk shake finish. Eventual colour was translucent , rich, golden green with amber highlights. The aromas after louche were slow to emerge but built with time into a complex herbal salad. Wormwood and fennel began to establish themselves on the nose with hints of spice lifting above the meld of herbs. Full textured, rich, creamy mouth with outstanding, refreshing taste with substantial fennel and wormwood flavours. Massive power, yet well controlled, long, everlasting finish. Magnificent product.

Also, see this page for more information on the award-winning absinthes:

Absinthe Classics - Medal Winners at the 2006 International Wine and Spirit Competition


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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/20/06

Here's another misinformed news story from KFMB channel 8 in San Diego, California on the influx of this "banned liquor".  Be sure to check out the video clip showing the story from the "Consumer Alert" portion of the newscast.  The print story is amusing too:

  • I can't even begin to imagine just how bad Mexican "absinth" is.  Notice in the video clip how every bottle shown is labeled "Absinth", a dead give away for a very poor absinthe imitator.
  • The horrific "burning sugar" ritual is everywhere in this story, with nary a nod towards the real dripping water over a sugar cube method.
  • We're told that absinthe tastes like "Yeagermeister" (sic) - jeez, I hope not!
  • The sugar ritual makes the "bitter liquor smoother".  Again, I don't understand this insistence that absinthe is bitter.  None of the absinthes we've drank here at InAbsinthia has even the slightest hit of bitterness.
  • Just who the heck is "Earnest" Hemmingway? The star in an Oscar Wilde play?
  • They just had to get in the hysteria of thujone (and by implication absinthe) being "linked to stomach problems, convulsions and even death".
  • And, again, to call it "banned" in the US is overstating the matter, although we should give them credit for at least mentioning its legality in Europe and Mexico.
News 8 :: Banned Liquor Making Comback In Mexico and Online

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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/11/06

As it looks like absinthe is legal in Australia, they are having a Viva la France party in Adelaide that features:

Top French foods, wines and spirits will be offered including absinthe, and Moet and Chandon - real French Champagnes.

It's a party to be held at The Boho Bar this Friday and Saturday. Sounds like fun!

Adelaide was one of our favorite Australian cities. Be sure to check out the pie floaters, a pretty grisly-sounding but actually pretty tasty concoction featuring meat pie covered tomato sauce floating in a bowl of pea soup wonder if it goes with absinthe?

The Advertiser: Vive la France

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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/07/06

A couple of newspaper stories I've only recently come across which are still interesting reading. They date as far back as 2004, yet much of what they cover is apropos today.

Reason: The Search for Real Absinthe: Like Tinkerbell, the Green Fairy lives only if we believe in her.

This one, from Reason magazine, is a recap of absinthe's increase in popularity. The writer interviews Jad Adams, who has become something of a de-facto expert on the subject since the publication of his book, Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle. I'm reading it now and I can't say as I'm wildly impressed, although the quotes from him in various articles seem reasonable enough. The article also talks about how bad Czech "absinth" is, as well as bringing in the old quote from an absinthe connoisseur, who decries its legalization, and subsequent popularity, as if that detracts from the taste.

The Drug Issue: The Absinthe Underground (Seattle Weekly)

This article, from August of 2004, centers on Hiram, who is the proprietor of WormwoodSociety.org. He introduces the writer to absinthe and, again, talks about the bad Czech absinthe (which can be bought in Canada) and its illicit appeal. Both of those story lines can stop now, thank you very much. The article also talks about "HG" absinthe, or home-brewed stuff (the HG comes from the German word Hausgemacht). I'm not sure why home-brewed is so interesting. Perhaps because of its quasi-legality and current expense, but I'd probably stay far away from home-brewed absinthes.


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Posted by Jonathan
on 07/05/06

The Devil's Picnic is a recent book by Taras Grescoe, a prolific travel writer from Montreal. In it, he visits various places to try out the forbidden, including the likes of unpasteurized cheese in France (illegal here in the US), bull testicles in Spain and, of course, the "notorious liquor", absinthe. He searches Switzerland for a "true" absinthe. You wouldn't have to search very hard any more, as it is legal to produce there! But I have the book on order and will review it here soon.

TorontoSun.com - Lifestyle - Gourmet reading

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