The Absinthe Man Cometh

We've covered absinthe a few times before, most recently to debunk some absinthe myths that surround the world's most famously banned liquor. According to a Wired article we found this week, however, not everything about the drink's mystique is smoke and mirrors.

Ted Breaux, described as an "obsessed microbiologist," has broken absinthe down to the molecular level, and has come up with some interesting findings. His tests are rigorous, and his findings interesting - Breaux agrees with our assessment that most of the newfangled absinthes you find nowadays are just a pale imitation of the real stuff.

Breaux wasn't the only one rediscovering the long-banned beverage. In Europe, food regulations adopted by the EU in 1988 had neglected to mention absinthe, and when they superseded national laws, the drink was effectively re-legalized. New distilleries were popping up all over Europe, selling what Breaux dismisses as "mouthwash and vodka in a bottle, with some aromatherapy oil." Absinthe had disappeared so completely for so long that no one knew how to make it anymore. Including Breaux, who continued trying to reverse engineer it in his lab.

Apparently Breaux has distilled three absinthe variations of his own based on the pre-ban liqueur. The plus side is that it wasn't affected by the recent hurricanes since it's distilled in France, but the downside is that you still can't buy it here in the US because it's against the law. We never thought we'd have a reason to idolize the French, but this might just be it. Plus, watch out NicoShot - Breaux's next release will be a tobacco-based liqueur.

Read the full article at Wired. Plus, visit the Jade Liqueurs site, where you'll also find details about how to buy their absinthe online.

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Comments

I'd read where the use of a flaming sugar cube was bunk, that this was not the proper way to add sugar to absinthe. Then I read where that is actually the czech method of drinking absinthe. I'm not sure which to believe, but I also don't think burnt sugar would be a very pleasant taste to begin with. Opinions are appreciated :)

Best,
Penny

Posted by: Penny at January 31, 2006 11:30 AM

Hi Penny -

We went right to the experts on this one, and all sources point to "never set the sugar on fire."

http://www.feeverte.net/faq-absinthe.html#B19

Posted by: Liquor Snob at January 31, 2006 11:01 PM