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How to Drink Absinthe

wikihow.com — "Absinthe is a formerly banned spirit drink that is made with Artemisia absinthium (wormwood) and other herbs. Also known as la f ée verte (the green fairy), absinthe was originally formulated during the 18th century by the French-born Dr. Pierre Ordinaire in Switzerland as a digestive tonic."

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  • wiifm69, on 01/09/2008, -12/+9We have pretty ***** absinthe here in NZ, they strip out the thujone, but give you 89% alcohol. The suppose the alcohol does induce hallucinations...
    • Berkana, on 01/09/2008, -3/+14Originally, absinthe didn't have enough thujone to give you hallucinations; the idea that real absinthe gives you hallucinations was promulgated by French winemakers who feared that absinthe would take business away from them, according to this:

      http://www.smallscreennetwork.com/video/55/absinth ...
    • h4ppydotcom, on 01/09/2008, -1/+5I always thought the idea behind the Bohemian (burning) ritual was to burn off some of the alcohol to allow the herbs to affect you before you passed out drunk. Reading the article, though, there is no mention of this, so perhaps I'm wrong.
    • russau, on 01/09/2008, -2/+5@Berkana - this article agrees with you: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/sgublog/?p=92
      "You would have to drink straight thujone to get this affect. The amount found in Absinthe is not dangerous, in fact you would die from alcohol poisoning before the thujone would start to kick in. "
    • redwards, on 01/09/2008, -2/+7I came in here to mock all of you nutjobs who thought absinthe was a hallucinogen. Glad to see you're all on top of it, though. =P
    • aliengoods, on 01/09/2008, -6/+3Go with Everclear. 95% grain alcohol.
      • vornan19, on 01/09/2008, -1/+2Sorry, not enough taste for me. And I do the French Method but I have altered it in using a dripper. Mmmm, tasty!
  • charliekwalker, on 01/09/2008, -3/+9I drink Suisse La Blue Clandestine. I don't bother with the ritual, though I own absinthe spoons, etc... To be honest I prefer to have it as a shot.
    • vornan19, on 01/09/2008, -2/+4Philistine.
    • ordig, on 01/09/2008, -2/+2 I recommend Sebor. its the only brand I've tried that seems like it is full strength.
    • ordig, on 01/09/2008, -1/+2Sebor actually has 10mg thujone

      This stuff looks like the strongest available with 35mg:
      http://www.absinthe-dealer.com/songe-vert-detail.h ...
    • vbrtrmn, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3Clandestine is very good, all the Swiss absinthe I've tried is very good: Duplais Blanche, Duplais Verte, Kallnacher, Kübler 53, and any La Valote. Swiss absinthe has a premium price, but the taste and quality makes the price understandable.
      German Eichelberger is supposed to be good and pretty inexpensive.
      French absinthes that I recommend are: Abisinthe 72 Amer, Blanche de Fougerolles, Francois Guy, any Jade, Un Emile 68, and Versinthe La Blanche.
      I've had two Spanish brands Lasala and Segarra 45, both were good.
      And the ONLY good Czech absinthe is Toulouse Lautrec.
      When I used to drink more, I would purchase 6 bottles at a time from: http://www.absinthe.de/en/
    • Nick519, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1that is so wrong i don't even know where to begin.
  • Lexor, on 01/09/2008, -16/+42Kevin Rose dugg this... must be chompin' at the bit for a drink ;)
    • passedoutghost, on 01/09/2008, -8/+6Maybe on the next episode of diggnation he and Alex can drink a bottle of absinthe instead of the beer they normally have.
      • thetedster180, on 01/09/2008, -1/+8too bad they are off alcohol for the month
  • Shogi, on 01/09/2008, -21/+81.Swallow
    2.Take it like a man
    3.?????
    4.PROFIT!!!!
    • Grimdotdotdot, on 01/09/2008, -0/+24I think 3 is 'star in gay porn'.
    • CurrentResident, on 01/09/2008, -1/+3Dugg up because I was reading it in the Underwear Gnomes' voice before getting to Profit.
      • pivovy, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2They are underpants gnomes, not underwear.
  • dvsbastard, on 01/09/2008, -3/+34Drinking it is not the problem... It is trying to remain standing after a few shots that becomes a challenge...
    • jonahatan, on 01/10/2008, -0/+1It's a great hangover solver in moderate amounts
  • Berkana, on 01/09/2008, -3/+17According to Robert Hess, the burning sugar and all that is a recent development from Czech absinth distillers that was not part of the original absinthe method:

    http://www.digg.com/food_drink/How_to_serve_Absint ...
    • headzoo, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4Since absinthe can run over 60% alcohol, I wouldn't recommend putting fire any where near it.
      • fritzek, on 01/09/2008, -4/+1We are drinking the absinth the "Bohemian" way(except for the cold water) and its not really dangerous. Even clean alcohol burns quite poorly(ie with respect to petrol). I think the whole idea of adding a sugar is just to improve burning process. The only thing, that may happen, is cracked glass. But even this happens only if you let the alcohol burn for couple of minutes.
    • triskele, on 01/09/2008, -1/+4No *****. Read the article.
      "Use this method appropriately. This method is not traditional, but has become popular. Absinthe with a high alcohol content will ignite more readily, but it is certainly not recommended that high-quality absinthe be set aflame."
      • slang75, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3I watched a frat boy burn off his eye brow at a bar in Prague using this method. The bright blue flame on the green liquid can be deceiving.
        • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3I would have paid to see that.
  • dtele, on 01/09/2008, -4/+44very carefully
    • samgab, on 01/09/2008, -1/+2Dugg for the subtle reference to the "how-to-drink" guide in the hitchhikers guide to the galaxy for the Pan-Galactic Gargle-Blaster.
      "Drink ...but ...very ...carefully"
    • iLEZ, on 01/09/2008, -4/+2I agree with the H2G2-reference, but it also applies to reality. The last time i drank absinthe i totally freaked out emotionally. Avoid this stuff like you would avoid a pan-galactic gargle-blaster. May i suggest a Jynnantonix?
    • dawgma, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2No doubt.

      Here is the real reason Absinthe gets its reputation: When you drink absinthe you are generally MORE lucid than if you had been drinking straight liquor at the same alcohol percentage. But the lucid effects do WEAR OFF by the end of the night... and that's when the alcohol kicks in. So the mistake a lot of people make is over drinking the absinthe because you do not think you are as drunk as you really are. Then all of a sudden the booze shifts gears on you and you have your head in the toilet (or, in my case, through a window).

      I had 4 bottles of Kubler 53 over the holidays. I would say 50% of the time I ***** up and drank too much. Each time I did NOT see it coming. Usually with beer or other spirits I know when to draw the line. It's not so easy with absinthe.
  • uscfan7690, on 01/09/2008, -1/+8Lucid brand is great, and US legal
    Definitely take the time to prep and drink it as suggested here
    • Newportbeachguy, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Do you know where we can get this, online if possible?
      • esteskid, on 01/09/2008, -2/+0i'm pretty sure all the thujone is basically stripped from it in lucid, but just google it
        if you want real absinthe in the US you have to buy a kit, and make it yourself
        • sremick, on 01/14/2008, -0/+1The "kits" you refer to are a joke, and will not result in making anything that even resembles "absinthe". Unless the kit includes an alambic, which they do not.
      • RockRNifty13, on 01/09/2008, -0/+0You can order absinthe from this site:

        http://www.drinkupny.com/category_s/86.htm
    • sremick, on 01/11/2008, -0/+1The guy who makes Lucid also makes some of the best modern authentic absinthe on the market, although the rest of his product line isn't legal to import into the USA.

      Worth noting, though, is that it's illegal to IMPORT, not to OWN. ;)
  • doctorfungi, on 01/09/2008, -3/+104However you drink it, drink this stuff responsibly. If you're looking for hallucinations, eat some psilocybin mushrooms. You'll never hallucinate on modern day absinthe, but you'll sure as hell get drunk as ***** from it.

    It's a great drink, absinthe, but far too many kids drink it expecting to trip balls. If you're expecting that, you're in for a MAJOR let down. Drink it for the novelty of preparing it, the taste of it, and the different kind of drunk you get from it (for me, it's a more clear minded drunk).

    I know far too many idiots who pledged to drink until they saw things and ended up with alcohol poisoning.
    • maxsunset, on 01/09/2008, -0/+15...or experienced a placebo effect, as was the case of some friends of mine. I just got buzzed.
      • ElGanyan, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5All too true. I reside in Spain, one of the few countries in which Absinthe was never formally banned, and I can't count the number of times foreign exchange students or tourists claimed they were seeing things after a few shots of "Absenta" at a bar. It's mostly consumed for novelty purposes here (read: tourists). Locals love a good herbal liquor after dinner or what not, but you rarely see Spaniards ordering Absinthe (and I doubt many of the brands here are "real" absinthe anyway).
      • MonkCanatella, on 01/09/2008, -1/+2There's nothing wrong with the Placebo effect, if it works, it works!
    • KoZo, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2I felt hot while drinking Absinthe, but that's about it. No green fairy whatsoever, except some green backs.
    • orangetiki, on 01/09/2008, -2/+1Thank you. I couldn't say it better myself
    • altinnovation, on 01/09/2008, -1/+5I never hallucinated from it even after having 600ml of Absinth. The only thing that happened is that I could not control my movement well and my decision making abilities kind of sucked. Actually, I was very clear minded on the inside, just that I was comfortable with doing anything.

      As the alcohol got into my bloodstream a bit more (about 15 min after my last cup), I grew extremely weak and tired and laid down on the sidewalk to sleep, but I asked my friend to spill a bucked of water on me because I knew that what I was doing was completely stupid.
      I also threw up in a restaurant (outside seating place), and then at the washroom of a mcdonalds.
      At the McDonalds I felt extremely tired and I think I slept at the open bowl for about half an hour.
      Some of my friends got me lot's of water to drink, and took me to a park bench where I kind of slept sitting up for an hour while they talked.
      After the one hour I said I wasn't going to throw up, but I did 8 seconds after I said that.

      After I threw up I was completely clear minded and able to walk to the bus station and talk to people normally, except that I was very weak.

      At home, I had the worst headache and was severely hungry, even though I could not eat. I also had trouble falling asleep.

      So that you don't have to go through with what I did, I reccomend that you control yourself when you're with this type of alcohol. I have never drinked Absinth since.
      • aMeta4, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Thanks for the anecdote. Remember what brand it was by any chance?
  • Philluminati, on 01/09/2008, -9/+6This stuff is awesome. I had it in Prague a few weeks ago. It burns a caramelised sugar trail down your throat (Czech method). I couldn't breathe. You don't put water on it though. You just put a beer coaster over the glass to put the flame out.
  • Troyjinman, on 01/09/2008, -9/+0umm...apparently absinthe is legal now..for a limited time anyway...

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=615_1199185567&p=1
    • floorman56, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2That is Lucid it uses a different wormwood so legal in the U.S. Go to your store and ask for a bottle of Jade Edouard 72 and watch them laff at you
  • Julz, on 01/09/2008, -11/+2is it true its illegal in the states? it must suck if it is coz Absinthe rocks!
    • strictnein, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2No, it's now legal to import again in the US. It was never truly illegal to consume in the US, but getting it was kind of a pain.
      • Antha, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2My sister brought back a bottle from Paris somehow. We drank it after the Tool show in Colorado Springs, and boy howdy, it knocked my dick in the dirt.
  • Wartyboskfapped, on 01/09/2008, -15/+4I don't drink anything that made Van Gogh chop part of his *****' ear off. That's just me.
    • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -0/+12so you don't drink schizophrenia? probably a smart move.
      • strictnein, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4Schizophrenia is great, assuming you prepare it properly.
    • fwonk, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Unrequited love is so easy to get too..
  • 1randomguy08, on 01/09/2008, -12/+6Absinthe is overratered well atleast he ones which dont contain wormwood.
    • carbbomb, on 01/09/2008, -0/+7The wormwood cause the hallucinations thing is a myth.
    • ibeetle, on 01/09/2008, -2/+3Of course it is overrated; if it does not contain wormwood then it is not Absinthe.
  • GeorgeStone2, on 01/09/2008, -9/+0I had a quater pint of the stuff. 70% though.
    I got to the party late and needed to play catch up.
    That still isn't the worse thing i've downed.
    My all time least favorite has to be a glass of red wine I had to down while playing touch cup.
    • strictnein, on 01/09/2008, -0/+6Any other life stories you wish to share with us?
  • innocentsinner, on 01/09/2008, -9/+44Do we really need a "How to Drink Absinthe" article every month?
    • b0rna, on 01/09/2008, -8/+15no but we do need more users who don't sit and count article topics 24/7 daily for 365 days/year.
      • orangetiki, on 01/09/2008, -1/+4I hear that. Sorry I am not on digg 24-7, nor realized that I had to be in order to enjoy the site
    • fugazied, on 01/09/2008, -0/+7Alcohol affects short term memory you know..
    • mrspize, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2yes
    • Nick519, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2until everyone finally learns what is and is not true about absinthe (and how to drink it), yes.
  • Nivardus, on 01/09/2008, -4/+5Absinthe is not illegal in the states, just Thujone, the toxic chemical from wormwood.
    • Evolutuon, on 01/09/2008, -7/+1Toxic? You mean "active ingredient".
      • UTPinky, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3Alcohol has always been the active ingredient - even back in the early 1900's.
    • jbarket, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1To be more specific, it's actually banned by the FDA. It's not actually a classified substance.

      This is essentially the legal gray area that makes it possible to import and/or collect "real" absinthe. Just don't drink it.... hahaha.
  • spammishking, on 01/09/2008, -3/+13Forget "How to Drink Absinthe" I want to know how to get real Absinthe in the states (not that crap liquor stores try to pass of as Absinthe)
    • headzoo, on 01/09/2008, -0/+6I ordered a bottle of Jade Nouvelle-Orléans from http://www.absintheonline.com/acatalog/Jade.html . It arrived from the UK in about 7 days. The USPS didn't ask any questions (Although I did have to sign for it, and the customs form labeled the package contents as "beverage").

      That being said, Lucid and Kubler (Which are being sold here in the states) is on many an absinther's favorites list. I wouldn't call it crap.
      • ibeetle, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4The same company that makes the wonderful Jade Nouvelle-Orleans now makes a Absinthe lite under the name Lucid (only 10mg thujone). But hey thujone is thujone. So 3 drinks will get you the same thujone as 1. Unfortunately, at $100 a bottle Nouvell-Orleans is a once or twice a year thing for me.
      • Nick519, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2this company is fantasic. i've bought from them, too, and i highly recommend them.
    • mongip, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Lucid now sells high-grade absinthe in the US. You can get it at several liquor stores around the chicago area. Call the Lucid distributors (you can look up their web site) and ask them who is selling it in your area. Thats how I found the stores I buy it at. It is a really good drink with a completely different buzz attached to it, but you'll need another wiki article on how to deal with the hangover if you drink too much. It kicks worse than tequila. Cheers.
    • ToxicGas, on 08/11/2008, -0/+1Here's the Marilyn Manson brand that you can order ....
      http://www.mansinthe.com/
    • jbarket, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Lucid and anything else you find the US is going to rate pretty low on the thujone scale. That's not to say it's not worth purchasing, but personally I recommend ordering from http://www.alandia.de. Shipping is pricey, so go in with a buddy or two on a few bottles. The actual absinthe prices are relatively inexpensive though.

      And they always send something extra... German gummy bears, postcards, random bags of their loose absinthe sugar cubes... great place.
      • charliekwalker, on 01/10/2008, -0/+2Agreed. I've used Alandia for over 5 years.
  • Nerdculture, on 01/09/2008, -6/+3Better yet try this: pour about a shot worth in a glass, drop in a cube of sugar, mix with an equal part of water. The taste is strong if you buy the good stuff so if you're not a seasoned vet. of drinking this is a good way to try it for the first time.
    • Nerdculture, on 01/09/2008, -2/+3Dangit I didn't see the link ignore this comment lol
  • hillkiwi, on 01/09/2008, -3/+3They water down thujone in Alberta, but I don't think it's regulated at all in BC Canada. I have read that it does nothing though, just a legend. I've tried it a few times (from around the world) and never felt any effects, personally I'd only use that stuff for molotov cocktail bombs - a horrible drink.
  • collective, on 01/09/2008, -3/+5I remember doing the flame style Italian Absinthe at a party with some people. A bunch of others thought we were doing some kind of hard drug like crack lol. The alcohol numbs your mouth, but the taste of carmelized sugar and licorice gets through, it tastes awesome.
    • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -1/+3that's pretty disgusting. why ruin the absinthe with carmelized sugar? i hope you werenot drinking anything good.
      • orangetiki, on 01/09/2008, -2/+3He is probably referring to the "modern" method ( lighting the sugar on fire )
        • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3i know, and that's disgusting.
  • Shenaniganz08, on 01/09/2008, -6/+4I just got drunk when I tried some Vintage French absinthe. We drank an entire bottle one night and two friends reported hallucinations and acting weird, one friend said she felt like she was under anesthesia... I think they were all faking it, of course I'm a bit biased ( coming from a background of taking 151 shots followed by goldschlager as an undergrad :P )
    • aussieNickuss, on 01/09/2008, -5/+3151 shots? Are you browsing digg from your grave?
    • soxpride, on 01/09/2008, -0/+13I think he means Bacardi 151
    • Jugalator, on 01/09/2008, -1/+5Yes, they must have been faking it or feeling placebo effects, because the thujone in absinthe doesn't cause hallucinations, that's a myth. Something for MythBusters to test? Heh.
      • elhaf, on 01/09/2008, -1/+3I loved it when they tested their level of drunkenness with a sheriff present, and also the one where they ate poppyseed muffins and ended up failing a drug test for heroin.
  • GalacticRerun, on 01/09/2008, -2/+3Well this was a very lazy article submission. It came up on everyone's iGoogle homepage How To of the day.
  • toxictonic, on 01/09/2008, -7/+1illegal to sell not consume
  • avoss, on 01/09/2008, -4/+22Those preparation methods are for the absinthe neophyte. Here's how it's really done:
    1. With a bronze muddler, muddle fresh wormwood into the palm of your right hand.
    2. Smother a PALE green fairy with your right hand while reciting Revelation 8:10,11.
    3. Pour Absinthe over a flaming sugar pyramid and into a Swarovski crystal glass while you count to seventy seven.
    5. Enjoy.
    Optional(although not for the purist): Garnish with fairy wings
    • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/09/2008, -0/+5Link is going to be PISSED when he finds out you drank his fairy.
  • carbbomb, on 01/09/2008, -3/+9Very overrated and overpriced.
  • JavertHolmes, on 01/09/2008, -3/+47You drink absinthe in the following manner:

    Absinthe is placed in the mouth. The process of drinking together with the stimulation of the gums and palate by the movement of the drink begins some of the reflex activities which take over once the absinthe moves into Stage 2, the pharynx.

    Enzymes in the saliva help to form the absinthe into a bolus, which the tongue squeezes into the pharynx by moving up towards the palate.

    The larynx lifts up to meet the epiglottis, which lowers, making a seal that prevents material from entering the windpipe. This is important as it stops the liquid from being aspirated into the lungs.

    The absinthe is passed into the oesophagus by automatic contractions of the pharynx. It then travels to the stomach by gravity and reflex action. This stage of swallowing is entirely automatic and cannot be controlled.
    • carbbomb, on 01/09/2008, -7/+2That's how you drink everything, Doogie.
      • partysan, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3There's a party in my pants... and you're STILL NOT invited
      • MarkOfTheDead, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4whooooosh
      • aMeta4, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2You may want to talk to a doctor about getting a sense of irony transplant: yours is broken.
    • spiritditch, on 01/09/2008, -2/+2Nerd! :P
  • dstz, on 01/09/2008, -3/+3Apparently http://www.absintheonline.com/ is the only place to go for authentic absinthe.

    See this page http://www.absintheonline.com/acatalog/Jade.html for example.
  • daxsymbiont, on 01/09/2008, -7/+27it's just ***** alcohol.

    you sensationalist assholes.
  • passedoutghost, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2I've never had absinthe. What does it taste like?
    • elislider, on 01/09/2008, -1/+6anise/licorice. personally i think its gross as f*ck but my roommates like it.
      similar picture i took a few weeks ago:
      http://www.flickr.com/photos/elislider/2179709319/
      • LetsGoHokies, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2So it tastes like Jager?
      • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4yeah. blue absinthe and a burning sugar cube. your roommates are buying crap and preparing it badly.
    • 1randomguy08, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3I agree with eleslider
    • fritzek, on 01/09/2008, -0/+0soap/dental water. I dont like it very much, but the drinking ritual is funny.
    • altinnovation, on 01/09/2008, -2/+2It tastes like gasoline. I'd rather drink female come than drink this again.
      And if the best stuff is from the Czech Republic than my oppinion stands, as that's where I first tried it out.
      • aMeta4, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2Tasted like gasoline?? Dude, I think someone may have sold you gasoline in a cup. Were you in an Exxon at the time?
      • sremick, on 01/11/2008, -0/+1Not only is anything out of the Czech Republic good by any means, it's not even real absinthe. Real absinthe is distilled through a complicated process. Czech crap is grain alcohol with some oils thrown in and tastes like *****.

        Absinthe... REAL absinthe, does not taste like gasoline at all.
    • cbartlett, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1I've had the imported stuff on a number of occasions and thought it just tasted like any other anise-flavored alcohol such as ouzo. It didn't do me in with 3 sips as some people implied.
  • jonr, on 01/09/2008, -2/+61. Get Absinthe
    2. Pour in glass
    3. Drrrink! Feck! Girrrls!
  • Shadez, on 01/09/2008, -4/+3Ah, absinthe, the drink that makes you want to kill yourself
  • jstem1994, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1A small bar in Newport KY close-by (yes KY) had it a few years ago. My wife's friend drove us crazy to go check it out. I wasn't interested, don't drink, but boy did they get ***** up on it.
    No hallucinating but very drunk.
  • CressCrowbits, on 01/09/2008, -1/+0Best drink ever as invented by Me during New Years Eve 99-00 celebrations:

    Basically, it's a Tequila slammer, but replace the Tequila with Absinthe and the soda water with Champagne. Blam!
    • aussieNickuss, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1Soda water? I've never seen a slammer with soda water.....just salt and lemon.
      • CressCrowbits, on 01/09/2008, -0/+0A common mistake - that's a SHOT of tequila. A slammer is where you have a shot in a small, square glass, pour soda water over the top, SLAM the glass on the table so it turns in to a big pile of fizz and knock it back.
    • megabozz, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3That's called a "death in the afternoon". It was invented or at least made famous by Ernest Hemingway.
    • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2you know, one of hemmingway's favorite drinks was an absinthe/champagne cocktail. no slamming, please.
  • DamnMan, on 01/09/2008, -0/+3I prefer Tequila for all my negligibly-trace-amounts-of-hallucinogenic beverage needs.
    For anyone that just wants to know what it tastes like without going to some ***** pretentious bar just go buy a bottle of Pernod, Pernod was a brand of Absinthe before the ban and the recipe remained intact sans the wormwood.

    For frat boys and college kids that just want something with a little more kick than alcohol to it, drop some buds of Cannabis sativa in a bottle of vodka and leave it in the cabinet for a couple of weeks.
    • timbo458, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2Back in the "day", we would put hashish in southern comfort, same effect! Then take acid!
  • factory81, on 01/09/2008, -8/+2Absinthe is not hallucinogenic unless you buy the real stuff. Now that it is legal in the U.S there is a bunch of non-hallucinogenic ones out. You need to spend upwards of $100 american in a country such as Germany for real Absinthe with wormwood.
    • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2none of it is hallucinogenic. however, the crappy "high thujone content" stuff is dangerous, and not even really absinthe.
  • pennvneff, on 01/09/2008, -2/+6I tried Absinthe when I was in Prague, that stuff tastes like *****. I don't know why anyone would want to drink that garbage.
    • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -1/+7that's because the czech stuff is not real absinthe. it's crap meant to fool tourists like you.
      • oldhick, on 01/09/2008, -3/+5Its all the same.
        • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -3/+3no, it's not at all. it is a totally different distilling process. the czech, or "bohemian" absinthe is not made in the traditional way, and it doesn't look, act or taste much like real absinthe.
          • oldhick, on 01/09/2008, -2/+4True, if you like the taste and are actually buying absinthe for the taste than no argument. Most people that get excited about absinthe think they are going to hallucinate from the thujone. This is a myth. I can say that I am some what of an expert in the study of this phenomenon. I have tried literally 50+ different kinds of absinthe with varying levels of thujone all over Europe. I've talked to many people in my travels and its always the same. Those that claim hallucinations are kids falling victim to the placebo effect. Its just alcohol and I don't care much for the taste. If I find one thats trippy, I promise I'll let everyone know.
          • lostarchitect, on 01/09/2008, -2/+2@oldhick, Of course, you're totally correct about that. Personally, I like the taste of absinthe and anise-flavoured drinks in general, and have no "illusions" (ha, ha) about hallucinogenic properties.
          • volonix, on 01/09/2008, -4/+1Stop being pretentious *****. It's a drink. Drink it. Dont ***** lecture about it.
  • lastoch, on 01/09/2008, -0/+2I'll stick to Scotch, thanks.
  • digitallysick, on 01/09/2008, -0/+1I don't even know what it is where i could find it even if i wanted to drink it, or whats so great about it?
    • kevlarbaboon, on 01/09/2008, -1/+3Nothing.
    • JRW5061, on 01/09/2008, -2/+0You have to order it online. It is very expensive for the good stuff. I think it was like 75 dollars for a fifth. I don't know if it's worth it but it deffinately gives you a great feeling. The best stuff is from czech republic.
      • sremick, on 01/11/2008, -0/+1The Czech stuff is fake crap for gullible tourists. It's not real absinthe and it tastes like *****.
  • timbo458, on 01/09/2008, -1/+2DUGG for the fact that the US gov rescinded a law on something that was once legal. How about the "green" next?!
  • griff36, on 01/09/2008, -2/+3buried for it being a wikihow article
  • Macgyrl64, on 01/09/2008, -5/+3I have a wonderful bottle of Absinthe I picked up in Maine, of all places. I consumed it ritually and with the right mind set, had a wonderful experience. It's a different feel from hard like kind spirits. Definitely a wonderful addition to ones personal bar. Good 100% Agave Tequila is a similar feel. More emotions tweaked and mind wonders in a wonderful, somewhat sexual way. It's all good. Pass the sugar cube and water please
  • orangetiki, on 01/09/2008, -3/+1I only knew of the traditional ritual. I might try the modern way soon. See if it sweetens the mix a little more
  • JRW5061, on 01/09/2008, -4/+0I drank absinthe my freshman year of college. It was the real stuff with lots of thujon from czech republic. We finished a fifth of it between 4 people. I was expecting to trip balls but I really did not "hallucinate". It was deffinately a different feeling than being just drunk though. It was a really euphoric drunk and I went out and had a great night. Has anyone on here really hallucinated from absinthe though? I mean like really see stuff.
  • dizavin, on 01/09/2008, -2/+16okay, you have ***** kidding me. I drink a fair amount of this stuff and a lot of what I hear of people's ideas of "how" to drink this stuff are wastes of money.
    first and foremost: lighting your sugarcube on fire is like pouring ketchup all over a freshly boiled and buttered lobstertail. you are changing it's flavour. for the worse. don't do it. it'll just make your drink taste like burnt sugar. (not to mention burn off all the alcohol, by the way.)
    second: while you are pouring in your icewater, look for an effect called "louching" (lou-shhh-ing) it's the oils and thicker properties in the drink separating from the water. this happens when you put ice water in decent, real absinthe. if it doesn't do this? then you got ripped off, my friend. and your probably drinking some crap bohemian Czech strain of the drink.
    witch, by the way, is not ABSINTHE, its called Absinth. because the Czech could never figure out how to actually brew the stuff. so they basically made moonshine with anise and wormwood in it, pumped in as much thujone as they could into the drink and dyed it green.
  • cam07ds, on 01/09/2008, -1/+1True Absinthe can still be purchased in the US just not from a US retailer. Do you home work and you will find hundreds of authentic versions. Personally I like clandestine, duplas, and others are great I keep a few bottles on hand. The price will be the issue with most types.
  • cam07ds, on 01/09/2008, -1/+3the czech absenthe is the worst of the bunch. Go to the jade web site and get the "real" thing. I poured out all my czech bottles once I started getting the "good" stuff from Jade.
  • sremick, on 01/09/2008, -1/+11Burning the sugar is a joke. This is not the traditional method. The burning sugar cube gimmick was basically invented by the Czech fake absinth makers to up the "cool" factor and mystique so that people would actually buy their crap.

    Czech absinth is not absinthe. It's not distilled like the real deal... it's just grain alcohol with some flavored oils thrown in. Real absinthe has very little thujone and will not make you "trip ballz". Burning the sugar and thinking you're being all cool and authentic is stupid, lame, shows how gullible you are and will ruin the flavor of the drink (although if you've bought the Czech swill then probably it can't get much worse).

    If you want to buy the real thing, go here:
    http://www.absintheonline.com/

    If you want to learn about it from people who actually know wtf they're talking about, go here:
    http://www.feeverte.net/
  • tango1110, on 01/09/2008, -0/+4The little green man on my shoulder is telling me that this ***** isn't working.
  • GeyserShitdick, on 01/09/2008, -4/+121.) Apply black eyeliner
    2.) Put on some Bauhaus (Tears for Fears will do in a pinch)
    3.) Invite Azalea, Lord Nightshade, and Scyptyr over.
    4.) Put some green food coloring in your step-mom's vodka. Serve in plastic champagne glasses left over from New Year's and enjoy.
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