Has anyone here ever made Absinthe

You are not going to be able to make good absinthe at home.



It can also be very dangerous if you go adding "oil of wormwood" or any thujone concentrates. You are risking kidney failure and possibly death by being careless with thujone.

Thujone IS NOT, repeat, IS NOT a hallucinogen and absinthe will not make you "TRIP" If that is an experience you want, there are many other substances that will do the job and are safer than fooling around with homemade "absinthe".

Just get this:

http://www.drinklucid.com/lucid_home.cfm

It's the real deal and available in the US.

For a sane and scientific look at the world of absinthe, check out this site:

http://wormwoodsociety.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

I especially recommend their FAQ.
 
imaguitargod said:
Completely disagree. :snooty:
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Well, unless you distill it ( which is not legal in the USA) then it is possible...but not likely .

What I'm talking about are those kits or steeping wormwood in vodka or grain alcohol. That ain't absinthe.

As to what you get up to, I'll just give you the benefit of the doubt. ;)
 
LUCKYDOG said:
Which would you recommend?
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http://www.thehotpepper.com/showpost.php?p=114023&postcount=11

:)

Already posted my favorites.

I'm going to disagree with Chuk. I've been drinking Absinthe pretty regularly for about 4 years now, and I've tried well over 20 different kinds.

There's a lot of hype around the whole thing. Basically, if an Absinthe is made from Artemesia absinthium (Grand Wormwood), it's the real deal. Lucid is the first American absinthe to be "the real deal" (as opposed to Absente, which is not made from Artemesia absinthium at all). But that's only half of it.

As you'd expect, you can get Absinthe in different strengths. You want a "bitter," or "bitterspiritouse." This means there is ~35ppm of thujone (a chemical naturally released from Grand Wormwood). American Absinthe has less than 10ppm. This means, to get the same effect, you need to drink 3 times as much (which means 3 times as much alcohol). Sure, it's possible, but you'll be so stumbling drunk by the time you get the effects, it's not worth it. In the strictest sense, Lucid is the real deal. But it's too weak to be worth the heavy price tag.

For first timers, you'll probably notice a difference. But you'll be disappointed. As it happens, either way you'll probably be disappointed. At this point I'm going to reiterate what Chuk said:

Thujone IS NOT, repeat, IS NOT a hallucinogen and absinthe will not make you "TRIP"

If you expect what you see in the movies, it's time to remind yourself that what you see on TV isn't real. Absinthe is a very interesting feeling, but you'll NEVER hallucinate on it. In fact, if you do - seek medical help immediately, because you're probably having an allergic reaction and could end up in shock.

Back on track, thujone definitely has effects (in my opinion - I can definately tell the difference between a bitterspiritouse and a regular Absinthe), and I'd stay away from the American Absinthes that do not have it, or have less than 10ppm (Lucid, Absente, etc). If they were half the price, I'd say do it. But as it stands, all you'll get is drunk. Sure, they taste good, but you do not get the true absinthe effect from these.

Absinthe is supposed to make you feel very clear-headed, but a little intoxicated as well. It's difficult to describe, but after getting "used to" the absinthe drunk, plain old alcohol makes me feel VERY slow and stupid.

End.
 
I'm going to defer to Klyth here and not argue. He has tried more absinthes than I have. For the record, I have noticed the "clear -headedness" effect form the absinthes I've tried... mainly Lucid. It does the job for me.

What I will do is state my opinion on the matter.

I have done a lot of "online research" and actual science seems to be on my side of the debate. I have not read that thujone is a psychoactive except from people who talk about the "secondary effects" of absinthe. This is where a lot of subjectivity and possibly placebo effects come into play... not science. Something that contains a lot more thujone than wormwood is the common herb sage...yet people do not report any psychoactive effects from consuming sage.

Through chemical analysis a lot of vintage, pre-ban absinthes have been tested and the results showed that most of them contained less than 10 ppm ( or 10 mg. per ltr. ) of thujone...so...an absinthe with that level of thujone is "authentic" absinthe just like the stuff Hemmingway, Rimbuad and Van Gough drank, which is good enough for me. There is some scientific speculation that the "absinthe effect" is more due to the stimulant effect of the anise(!) than the wormwood.

Now, a debate on the internet rages over this issue. On one side you will find my opinion which is backed up by actual science and on the other you will find a more emotional argument that thujone is some sort of drug. This side is mostly people who have bought high-thujone absinthe and swear it's better and from East Europeans who either sell or manufacture high-thujone, non-traditional "absinthes" and are making LOTS of money selling them to impressionable young people, mainly in the USA. They really seem to be upset about brands like Lucid and Kubbler being availabe in the USA. Now, as a non-biased observer it seems they are afraid that once people try good quality absinthe they won't be interested in paying 100+ dollars ( plus very high shipping) for foul tasting ( from the reviews I've read) swill from Eastern Europe. They are paniced about their bottom line and continue to perpetuate the myth ( as I see it) that 25 ppm more of thujone is somehow 'stronger" and "the only real stuff" you can get.

That's how I see it and for now. I can't see dropping over a hundred bucks on a bottle of absinthe just to see if 25 ppm more thujone is a better "buzz". I remain open minded ( like I said, I'm only a consumer, and a newbie at that...I don't have a dog in this fight) and if anyone out there wants to send me a bottle for testing...well...PM me! :cool:
 
klyth said:
I'll recommend my three favorites:

Suisse La Bleue Clandestine
FrancoSuisse
Abisinthe Amer

.
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Those are brands I would like to try...with the possible exception of the Amer.

I set up an account at Alandia last night and was about to place an order but stopped myself. Need more research.

Ever consider ordering from here?

http://www.absintheclassics.com/

Or this place that seems to be operated by Alandia specifically to sell in the US?

http://www.absinthe.fm/
 
klyth said:
I see how you're very speculative.
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Skeptical might be more like it. Like I said, I'm forming opinions from online research but trying to be objective. The jury is still out until I pour some of that good european stuff down my gullet. :)



klyth said:
I'm not sure where you're getting your numbers from. Ordering 3 bottles of Suisse La Bleue Clandestine (absolutely the best Absinthe I've ever had in my life, and quite pricey for Alandia - there are much cheaper ones) comes out to exactly 59 EUR, or $80 a bottle. That's including shipping.

http://www.alandia.de/absinthe/prod...nthe-ALANDIA-Suisse-La-Bleue-Clandestine.html

Lucid is typically around $70. Not that much of a difference.
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Paying 60 bucks for a bottle of Lucid here.... and my wife usually buys. ;)

However, based on your recommendation, and reviews I have read, Clandestine is now on the top of my "to try" lists.

Thanks for the advice. One again, I'm not trying to argue with you.
 
All I know is the last time i drank any it was imported stuff and had when I was already pretty blasted, and then topped with coke. No, not the caffeinated kind.

Then we went to the bar. :D
 
I did notice that when the USA lifted the ban on Absinthe (with strict guidelines), that's when the studies started coming out about how thujone doesn't matter. I chalked it up to propaganda at the time - trying to push USA absinthe on to-be absinthe drinkers. I didn't know that Lucid manufacturers had their hand in the study, however. I'm always wary about any "scientific studies," whatever they may be. Give me a bottle and I'll decide for myself. :)

Chuk - if you do try the Clandestine, you won't regret it. Simply amazing!
 
Thanks again guys. First off I am older now and not the "trippy" go Lucky Pup of the past. It just so happened that after reading this thread I noticed the store near my house was carrying Absinthe which sparked an interest. That said, being an old Lucky Dog I am not searching for a new way to explore my inner self but wanted to try something that I had not previously and why waste money on garbage? I know those comments were not directed toward me and is a cya for any other lurking young visitor, just wanted to let you know my position....

Thanks for the information I am hoping to buy a bottle for the Holidays
 
chuk hell said:
Those are brands I would like to try...with the possible exception of the Amer.

I set up an account at Alandia last night and was about to place an order but stopped myself. Need more research.

Ever consider ordering from here?

http://www.absintheclassics.com/

Or this place that seems to be operated by Alandia specifically to sell in the US?

http://www.absinthe.fm/
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I've been so impressed with alandia.de that I haven't done a lot of shopping around. But the .fm site (which does look like it's operated by alandia.de) looks promising - though they don't have nearly the selection that Alandia does! The free shipping can't be beat, but the prices seem higher than Alandia...

I might try ordering from them next time I've got a few hundred to blow :) But their Clandestine has a different label than the Alandia one... I hope it's the same...
 
I think the prices work out about the same when you do the math with the free shipping.

Hildisvíni- Welcome to the Hot Pepper.Com! Interesting that you show up so soon to refute my post! I hope you stick around and like to talk about hot peppers!

Anyway, my opinion was based on a long evening reading various posts on various absinthe forums and blogs ( with glass of verte in hand!) It's just how I see it. My opinion is subject to change and I welcome the opportunity to sample any absinthe that will change my mind. Like I said, I'm a newbie and not looking to argue this subject ad nauseum.
 
Was thrilled to find two more absinthes at the store today: Kubler 53 and Mata Hari. I had heard good things about Kubler and not so good things about Mata Hari but I bought a bottle of each against my better judgement.

I think the Kubler is very good if a little "plain". It's a real liquorice bomb..tons of anise with a little hint of wormwood and not much else. Really nice creamy mouth feel. Recommended.

Mata Hari pours a nice green color and louches up real nice but there's not much aroma until you stick your nose over it and it smells like a mix of minty Scope and Listerine and very strong alcohol...moonshine? Not recommended.
 
chuk hell said:
there's not much aroma until you stick your nose over it and it smells like a mix of minty Scope and Listerine and very strong alcohol...
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It almost sounds like somebody bottled a 'screaming nazi'....you know, rumplemintz and jager mixed 50/50.
 
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