02.12.08 5:00 AM CST
• The Advisor
• Chip Rowe
In February we noted that absinthe is again available in the U.S., after having been banned in 1912 because of the supposed hallucinogenic effects of thujone, which is found in an essential absinthe herb called wormwood. We reported that Viridian Spirit got government approval to sell Lucid Absinthe Superieure, which is imported from France. However, two other European brands also received approval last year. More important, soon after the February issue went to press, the first American company, St. George Spirits Inc. of Alameda, California, after seven applications to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, finally got the okay to distribute its Absinthe Verte. Unfortunately St. George quickly sold every one of the 3,600 bottles in its initial run. However, you can visit the distillery’s site and ask to be notified by email when the next batch is ready to go, which could be any day now. These absinthes all still contain thujone but in such small amounts that the feds decided that no one would fly into space. The early reviews are that these new absinthes taste considerably better than what’s been brought into the country over the decades in suitcases.
RSS 2.0
Comments on this entry:
I had someone actually ship me a bottle of absinthe back from Europe when I was in high school. Since it was illegal for me to be drinking alcohol at that point, I figured I might as well go all the way with it. If you don't like the taste of licorice, beware...