207600 Wed Feb 11 17:11:57 -0800 2004 16 18 Manhattan 0 1105950 I heard there is a restaurant in NYC that serves absinthe. In fact, I think the place is called "l'absinthe" or something. Does this sound familiar to anyone? Wed Feb 11 17:11:57 -0800 2004 0 Carnivour 1 1105957 It's against federal law to sell real absinthe in the U.S. Wed Feb 11 17:29:17 -0800 2004 1105950 0 Detroit-NYC Al 2 1105966 Is "real" defined by the inclusion of wormwood? Wed Feb 11 18:10:05 -0800 2004 1105957 0 Carnivour 3 1105983 The FDA prohibits use of wormwood in any alcoholic beverages. There are absinthe-like drinks are available, but not true absinthe. Link: http://www.nywinetour.com Wed Feb 11 19:45:39 -0800 2004 1105966 0 FoodGrrl 4 1106002 yes and its irksome. its just like calling sparkling wine champagne and waygu steer beef kobe. very misleading vs the real thing. Wed Feb 11 22:11:30 -0800 2004 1105983 0 mrnyc 5 1106147 There are, of course, several NYC bars selling the real deal. But as I enjoy this stuff, and enjoy those bars that serve it, I certainly won't be divulging any names. But if you ever note hidden panels on bars being opened - try and find out what they have in there. And if they have Le Bleue from Switzerland - pay whatever they're charging. (Look to spend around $20-$30 a glass...) Thu Feb 12 16:53:23 -0800 2004 1106002 0 Lambretta76 6 1106148 I'm interested to talk to someone who's tried it. People say it's very dangerous. Is it really? Thu Feb 12 17:00:33 -0800 2004 1106147 0 carnivour 7 1106155 I have had it many times...in fact, I have bottles sent to me fairly often, as I like to keep a bit on hand at all times... Keep in mind, it is illegal to *sell* in the US, not illegal to own. It is no more dangerous than any other 70% liquor. The danger, and the reason it was banned, stem from the people that distill it at home and the hysteria that developed around the drink in the 1800s (much of it bolstered by producers of other alcoholic drinks, who saw Absinthe as taking away part of their market). As most of you know, Absinthe is distilled from wormwood, wormwood contains a chemical (thujone) that in large doses is lethal to humans. If not distilled properly, the amount of this chemical can reach toxic levels in the finished product. So, it is kinda dangerous to brew on your own...but when done right and the levels are controlled, there is no real danger in drinking it. keep in mind that many of the Absinthes produced today either have NO Thujone content or a content that is so low it will not produce any of the "effects" Absinthe became infamous for. However, there are few producers that make Absinthe with PROPER levels of thujone, that actually introduces you to the green fairy... zf Thu Feb 12 17:58:29 -0800 2004 1106148 0 zombiefranz 8 1106233 Could you e-mail me with the address of the company you order it from. The one I get it from has started jacking up the shipping costs significantly. (Almost $80 for two bottles...) Fri Feb 13 10:40:39 -0800 2004 1106155 0 Lambretta76 8 1106832 From my research a few years ago, I was fairly certain that just distilling it could never reach quantities that could be fatal. Thujone is almost identical in chemical structure to THC, the active hallucinogen in marijuana. Either one, to be fatal to humans, would have to be ingested in impossible quantities (it's been awhile since I saw these figures, but it was something like a few hundred pounds of raw vegetable matter in a few hours). What I do remember reading about was people who tried to make it at home with wormwood oils or essences, which can easily cause kidney failure I believe. I have tried brewing it on my own (just steeping wormwood in 100-proof vodka), with mixed results. This was in college, and the real danger came from the fact that we then were throwing back quite a bit of straight 100-proof vodka in a desperate ploy to lure that green fairy out of hiding. We got far too drunk to tell if the wormwood had any real effect. Which has typically been my problem with commercially produced absinthe as well. It's a fine line to walk when you are drinking 140-proof alcohol. That said, the absinthes that are generally available for mail order from Europe are the following: Sebor - from Czech, decent taste, low alcohol (45%), does not louche Hill - what many consider to be the authentic thing, from Czech, but is actually horrible. Looks like listerine, tastes hideous, and I believe it does not contain much thujone anyway. Don't remember if it louches properly, but I don't think it does. La Fee - the best I have found. Taste is good, proper alcohol content, louches properly. There are much better absinthes, Swiss Le Bleue commonly considered the pinnacle, but they are difficult to find, and quite expensive. Note: Louche is the term for the absinthe growing cloudy as cold water is added, like Ouzo does. Proper absinthe should grow cloudy, but many of the current imposters do not. Wed Feb 18 13:17:59 -0800 2004 1106155 0 ADB 1 1105975 L'Absinthe is a lovely French bistro on the UES. Very good food (though not cheap), and fairly authentic ambiance, down to the (occasionally) snooty service. I haven't been in a while, but my recollection is that they did not serve absinthe in any form. That may have changed, since I'm aware that some places ARE serving it these days, albeit in a watered down, legal form. I believe there was a discussion a while back on this board about it, which included the names of places that were serving it. You may want to do a search. Wed Feb 11 18:51:53 -0800 2004 1105950 0 JGS 1 1106006 there is a wonderful sardinian restaurant called assenzio, the italian for absinthe. apparently they offer whatever legal version there is complete with flaming sugar cubes. and if the drink doesn't live up to your expectations -the food should surpass them. Wed Feb 11 23:07:23 -0800 2004 1105950 0 djk 2 1106007 forgot to say location.....east 4th st between A and B... Wed Feb 11 23:08:45 -0800 2004 1106006 0 djk 1 1106075 If you can't find what you're looking for in a restaurant, it's fairly easy to order the real deal online. Shouldn't take more than half a minute on Google to find sellers. I recall La Fée being a highly-touted brand. Thu Feb 12 12:28:33 -0800 2004 1105950 0 j 1 1106180 I've heard that the current absinthe sold legally in the US has approximately the same amount of alcohol (about 60-70%). More than enough to send you on the alcohol high after even one drink. However, as previous posters point out, the true "green fairy" is difficult to get and impossible "above board". Thu Feb 12 22:46:00 -0800 2004 1105950 0 Jonathan Saw 1 1106215 Go to eabsinthe.com best place on the net Fri Feb 13 09:41:04 -0800 2004 1105950 0 daniel 1 1106935 There are suppliers on the internet. You can get Spanish, French and Swiss products. The price a couple of years ago was between 100 and 200 a bottle. The Swiss is the most expensive and is clear unlike La Fee which has the green colour added. Cheers. Wed Feb 18 20:56:03 -0800 2004 1105950 0 scratchline