This venerable and much-mythologized liquor is now at Zambra, and Bar Beat goes to investigate: with video!
For more on Absinthe’s return, check out this week’s Bar Beat column.
—David Forbes, staff writer
Absinthe in Asheville
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A friend bought a bottle while we were traveling in Italy… tastes very much like black licorice and straight from the bottle, is VERY warm going down. A pleasant drink, however, and decievingly strong. Prolonged use is rumored to induce insanity, though, on account of it being fermented with wormwood.
A favorite drink of Marylin Manson, and Johnny Depp.
<>Prolonged use is rumored to induce insanity<>
I bet Gordon Smith drinks Absinthe. Lol:)
Great video. I’m a Chivas drinker myself.
I’ll send a bottle over.
Shucks; I have been wanting to try this stuff for years. I had hoped (and sort of expected, based upon what I’ve read of absinthe) to get something more than a “warm” feeling going down. Perhaps opening a portal to another dimension or something. Now I’m not so sure it’s worth 15 bucks a pop.
Dionysis,
After my first comment, I searched around the net and wikipedia to make sure my factual spouting off had any basis… and I was correct.
The effects included a drunk sensation, but one of hightened senses instead of dulled. one site suggested trying small doses of everyday foods to experience a new appreciation for them, and touching different textures because absinthe allows for a childish wonderment, though a short while later you may simply feel drunk again.
After reading this, I too thought it wasn’t quite worth the money or hype, as another more common banned green substance can have the same, and a little longer lasting, effects.
“Dionysis,
After my first comment, I searched around the net and wikipedia to make sure my factual spouting off had any basis… and I was correct.
The effects included a drunk sensation, but one of hightened senses instead of dulled. one site suggested trying small doses of everyday foods to experience a new appreciation for them, and touching different textures because absinthe allows for a childish wonderment, though a short while later you may simply feel drunk again.
After reading this, I too thought it wasn’t quite worth the money or hype, as another more common banned green substance can have the same, and a little longer lasting, effects.”
Thank you for taking the time to look into it further and share your findings. While I’m all for ‘childish wonderment’, your final analogy and implicit suggestion sounds like a winner to me :)
I’m pretty sure the stuff they are selling at nc bars is not that similar to the “traditional” stuff that used a boatload of Wormwood. from the bit of research ive done on the net (not in bars) it would seem that the active ingredient obtained from wormwood is not very high in the “legal” stuff which would explain why it just tastes like a version of jagermeister.
Not really PFKaP. It’s not sweet at all, more like a licorice gin, but tastier than that sounds.
In any case, it is very strong and slightly euphoric, mostly from the warm sensation you experience. Anyone expecting some sort of near-psychedelic effect is going to be disappointed.
That said, it certainly was a different sensation than, say, a couple of Jameson’s on the rocks.
Keep in mind I don’t assume to be an expert, that’s just my observation.
I have had it at zambras and it is worth it just for the falderall … of course I had it in the midst of a conglomerate of drinks so i have no idea if it had any impact others than as a contributor to my general delinquency on that evening …. i wasn’t tripping as far as i recall … not that I would know what that would be like anyway
Absente isn’t true absinthe, although real absinthe IS available in the state of NC, it is on the ABC’s special order list so it would take a large investment to carry it as they would have to buy a case of it.
To my knowledge the only true absinthe we can get is Lucid.
http://www.ncabc.com/pricing/view_item.aspx?filing=39213
Keep asking your local ABC store for it and maybe it will hit their shelves!
Rocket Club,
There’s some confusion here over the names. Absente, available by the bottle in the ABC store for some time, is NOT absinthe, as it uses southern wormwood (artemesia abrotanum) instead of grande wormwood (artemesia absinthium). It is 110 proof, doesn’t provide the same lucid buzz as real absinthe and is not something I’d recommend.
Grande Absente, on the other hand, is what’s served at Zambra and they do have to buy it by the case. It IS absinthe, as it does use grande wormwood. It is also 138 proof and has all the pleasant qualities described in the above column.
I am completely in favor of asking your local ABC store for Lucid, Grande Absente, Kübler or any other variety of absinthe that’s available. The more the merrier.
Anyone tried Sirene Absinthe Verte. It’s made in the US. Someone gave me a bottle and it tastes great to me, but then I am new to all this. No visions yet, sadly.