Absinthe!!!!!!

[Fawkinscratch]

I have been drinking Absinthe for a few years, my first few bottles were shipped from Europe.
There is so much hype and misinformation out there....
Absinthe first became popular after a blight ruined the wine industry. Its nefarious reputation came as a result of the recovering wine makers wanting their market share back...with the help of their bought and paid for legislators of course.
As for absinthe being "poison", some producers of phoney Absinthe used nasty stuff to add the green color. No problem with the genuine stuff!
Thats another good reason to buy it from an original Absinthe producing region like France or Switzerland.....not some overpriced Crapsinthe from a former Soviet republic.
For reliable info, check out http://wormwoodsociety.org
Now the fun part...being as high as 72 proof, you will get happy! A peculiarity of Absinthe seems to be that many drinkers retain a certain "lucidity" even after having drank quite a bit. Some attribute this to thujune, but Allen is right, its not psychedelic. (most vintage pre-ban samples tested showed low thujone)

No, it's not psychodellic...but throwing the mugwort in the mix, drinking before bedtime produces some very lucid dreams. And to the naysayers that say it has to be distilled to be absinthe...wel, call it something else, I enjoy it immensely, and I wanted to share this recipe with you all.

[OneBadPig]

I have been drinking Absinthe for a few years, my first few bottles were shipped from Europe.
There is so much hype and misinformation out there....
Absinthe first became popular after a blight ruined the wine industry. Its nefarious reputation came as a result of the recovering wine makers wanting their market share back...with the help of their bought and paid for legislators of course.
As for absinthe being "poison", some producers of phoney Absinthe used nasty stuff to add the green color. No problem with the genuine stuff!
Thats another good reason to buy it from an original Absinthe producing region like France or Switzerland.....not some overpriced Crapsinthe from a former Soviet republic.
For reliable info, check out http://wormwoodsociety.org
Now the fun part...being as high as 72 proof, you will get happy! A peculiarity of Absinthe seems to be that many drinkers retain a certain "lucidity" even after having drank quite a bit. Some attribute this to thujune, but Allen is right, its not psychedelic. (most vintage pre-ban samples tested showed low thujone)

[sd allen]

Distilling produces a clear liquid.The green color comes from chlorophyll.Chlorophyll comes from a variety of additives such as woormwood, juniper,ect.Coloration may be red or green dependig on what you add and may be artificial.
The bitterness is not as present in REAL absinthe.
Thujone comes from a variety of spices and isn't a psycedelic.You will probably get alcohol poisoning before before you feel the effects of thujone.Your Thanksgiving turkey has more thujone than 10 bottles of absinthe as it is found in sage.
If you soak barley in grain alcohol it does not make whiskey.
If you soak wormwood in grain alcohol it does not make absinthe.

[Fawkinscratch]

FYI
Absinthe contains ingredients that are considered poison. Wormwood is an herb that is harmful to the liver. A wee touch every now and then won't kill you, but to drink it regularly could. Absinthe has been popular for many many years and was/is considered illegal in the US.
My son wanted some for his birthday, but we found it wasn't for sale here. We went on line and bought some out of country. It turns out that they did not sell us Absinthe, they sold us a crystal bottle (filled with absinthe) because you can't sell absinthe in the US. He and the hubby had a fine time with that "crystal bottle".

Alcohol is harmful to the liver. Absinthe is legal in the US and has been since 2007. The reason it's not as good as european absinthe is that the thujone content is required to be 10 mg or less in a 750 ml bottle. A popular brand is Lucid.
As far as distilling it goes, if you use a high octane base...why do you need to distill If you don't mind sediment?
when mixed with a sugar cube and ice water it "loushes" properly, although it is more of a greenish brown because I am using only 100 proof spirits.
I have tasted Kubler, and Lucid and the great imposter Absente...My recipe tastes better IMHO. More bitter, more thujone.

[Moira]

My kid likes the stuff. She brins a wee bit back every time
she goes to Europe. She says that the stuff they sell here
isn't the same.

[sd allen]

Absinthe MUST be distilled...otherwise it's only a concoction of spices in ''white''liquor.
If it ain't distilled....it ain't real

[herbalpagan]

FYI
Absinthe contains ingredients that are considered poison. Wormwood is an herb that is harmful to the liver. A wee touch every now and then won't kill you, but to drink it regularly could. Absinthe has been popular for many many years and was/is considered illegal in the US.
My son wanted some for his birthday, but we found it wasn't for sale here. We went on line and bought some out of country. It turns out that they did not sell us Absinthe, they sold us a crystal bottle (filled with absinthe) because you can't sell absinthe in the US. He and the hubby had a fine time with that "crystal bottle".

[Fawkinscratch]

At least 100 proof vodka, if you can get everclear...even better!
1.5-1.75L bottle of vodka 100 proof minimum.
10-15 tablespoons dried wormwood (try 12 at first)
8-12 tablespoons mugwort
10 tablespoons anise seed
12-15 star anise pods
6-10 tablesppons fennel seed
2-5 tablesppons spearmint
2-5 tablepsoon peppermint

Steep vodka with wormwood and mugwort for 10 days-3 weeks.
remove mugwort and wormwood
This step adds to the mix the needed thujone content..groovy!
Add every thing else except the spearmint and peppermint. Let steep for 1-3 weeks, and remove.
Add Spearmint and peppermint for 2.5 days and remove.
Let batch "cure" for at least 1 week before drinking.

~~***IMPORTANT***~~

To drink, Absinthe MUST be mixed, traditionally it is mixed 1-1.5shots with 4-8 parts ice water and a sugar cube, google it, and there are several different ways.
I like drinking it like this...1.5 shot in glass with ICE water to near brim,disolve 1-2 sugar cubes with absithe spoon, fill to top with ice cubes. Pull absinthe through teeth and along the sides of the tounge, it's a bitter drink, but it's oh so good!
If you want to feel less sleepy time, reduce the amount of mugwort and increase the amount of wormwood.
try to avoid the powders as it soaks uop alot of the alcohol, and remember to get an airtight lid on that GLASS container!
Here is the website where I purchase my herbs, try a pound at a time...

http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/