Every so often, I get a bug up my arse and re-read books, or series of books. Over the holidays, I re-read most of Hemingway's novels & short stories (wish I had a few of the Fuente namesakes to go along with the reading sessions). As an ongoing effort to indulge myself in all things evil, I have been making drinks as described in his writings. I have had some great success with some of the gin drinks, but I am particularly intrigued by Absinthe. I've done a bit of research on this "banned" substance and found that you can still import it legally (perhaps). Has anyone tried it? Is it worth the $$$$ ?

I am trying to Absithain. Never had it biut heard it is verry wicked and was noty highly reccomended.

Dude, I don't know that you'd really want to try the awesome absinthe Hemingway had, it contained thujone, the aromatic hydrocarbon found in oil of wormwood, which can damage the central nervous system (an almost laughable threat to folks that consume tobacco and alcohol the way we do). You can still buy absinthe, but without the wormwood additive. I wouldn't mind trying the real deal once or twice for the experience, supposed to be wiggy stuff.

Yeah,

I read all about Thujone and some of the effects. It seems that it is very similar to THC. It also seems to Absinthe aficianados, that this is not the "active ingredient (although Van Gogh enjoyed the drink and we all know what he did). These guys insist that it is the balance of herbs in the drink that give it its calming properties. Maybe I'll fire up the old still this year and make some up for kicks!!

I think it was the lead in Van Gough's paint that made him gaga (they made their brush tips pointy by lipping them). I'm not exactly your herbal, yoga, bible-waving/vegan type, so a little wornwood therapy sounds intriguing, in due moderation.

I'm pretty sure that the real stuff is still available. A Russian friend tells me it can found in Russia, the Czech Republic, Spain and yes, the internet. The good stuff goes for about $150 per 5th. I'd like to try it too.

andytv - I've tried a few different types. None of which did much for me. It's very expensive, especially when you add in shipping. I'll never spend the money to buy a bottle of my own. My sister and her fiance enjoy it, though. They always have a bottle or two on hand.

Yes, indeed it is a nice little hallucinogen.
I was in Spain last summer for a couple of weeks, went with some friends...they'd known of it beforehand, and me, being the intelligent one looked it up online to see if it was legal there..it is..

There are many different brands/types..like cigars i suppose...anywhere from 5 euro bottles to 100 euro bottles..I saw both types in the same liquor store... we went halfways and got a ~45 euro fifth....looked to be authentic and whatnot, something more than mouthwash.

it glowed in the dark!

as for taste it is the absolutely worst tasting thing I've ever had. we had 160 proof and i could barely choke down a shot.
it sure did loosen me up, though 🙂

i miss that place...isoms and all, heh.

Had RyJ Cedro #1 and #2 over and over. GOOD cigars.

Yes, indeed it is a nice little hallucinogen.
I was in Spain last summer for a couple of weeks, went with some friends...they'd known of it beforehand, and me, being the intelligent one looked it up online to see if it was legal there..it is..

There are many different brands/types..like cigars i suppose...anywhere from 5 euro bottles to 100 euro bottles..I saw both types in the same liquor store... we went halfways and got a ~45 euro fifth....looked to be authentic and whatnot, something more than mouthwash.

it glowed in the dark!

as for taste it is the absolutely worst tasting thing I've ever had. we had 160 proof and i could barely choke down a shot.
it sure did loosen me up, though 🙂

i miss that place...isoms and all, heh.

Had RyJ Cedro #1 and #2 over and over. GOOD cigars.

Thujone has a molecular structure similar to THC, but the effects are nothing like THC at all. I've gotten drunk off of Absinthe before. I went in 1/4 with 3 other friend to try it out. Absinthe straight is some very nasty stuff, but if you do the whole ritual with the flaming sugar, it tastes quite nice. Absinthe does have a slightly different effect then just straight booze. It may have been in my head, but the drunkiness was accompanied by mild euphoria and a very interesting warming sensation that differs quiet a bit from the warmth of alcohol.

It was worth the price for the experience, but not something I'll stock in my bar regularly. And as a side note, thujone does not make you go insane or hallucinate. All of the famous Absinthe drinkers that showed symptoms were lifetime Absinthe drinkers, and thujone builds up in your system to achieve this affect. For this reason, thujone is only approved by the FDA in very small parts and is banned completely from spirited beverages. Worldwide, agencies are stared to follow suite, and it's pretty difficult to find Absinthe with more then 10mg/l thujone levels.

The only way to get the true Absinthe experience is too find a bottle of "pre-ban" Pernod Fils. However, and authentic bottle of this goes easily for thousands of dollars since it was made in around 1918. The closest you can get in buying German Absinthe, which allows up to 30mg/l thujone. However, even at these low levels, you will most likely die of alcohol poisoning before consuming a lethal dose of thujone. So, it is safe in moderation.

By the way, stay FAR away from the czech version of Absinthe. They are all crap! The best they have Sebor(sp?) and it's barely tolerable.

Man, I do WAY too much research on my hobbies!

genius!

Andy,
I am a Hemingway fanatic (I too read his stuff over the holidays...I just finished A Moveable Feast today) and am the same as you. Whenever I read his stuff, I want to do what he is doing. There are lots of drinks that I have wanted to try because of him, and I got to try one this Christmas....Grappa. It was awesome. After finishing the book today, I wanted to grab a bottle of white wine, some sausage and cheese and head to the river for a picnic. Unfortunately I had to go to work instead. As for getting Absinthe, good luck. I hear its pretty hard and expensive. I listen to the Don and Mike show out of Washington on the radio, and every once in awhile they will break it out and get crazy. Those are some of the funniest shows I have ever heard.

Here is a decent site about thujone (active ingredient in absinthe):

http://chemweb.calpoly.edu/chem/bailey/377/PapersSp2000/Ann/absinthe.html 

The glass imprinted with the molecular structure of thujone is cool. The chemical analysis is vague and leaves one wanting, but the mention of the chemical additives like cupric acetate, antimony tricholride, and aniline green, all added to make it look more green?! Man aniline is a carcinogen that inhibits DNA repair. So who knows if the thujones or the additives caused the neurotoxicity. I'm sticking with beer.

I've read about these additives also. They are used by modern "absinthe" makers to create color. Traditionally, the color was added after distillation by steeping wormwood leaves, with a few other herbs such as mint, hysop, etc (dependant on recipe). I found a site with some real 19th century recipes that I may try out. I found a site for bulk foods that you can buy wormwood, anise, etc. The only problem is that I'd have to distill a crapload of pure (180 proof or so)alchohol to use as a base before redistillation, and thats alot of corn and time.

Lukin,

We are kindred spirits. My personal refuge is an easy chair, a footrest, a cognac & a beer, a fine cigar, and E. Hemingway. How was the Grappa? I always wanted to try it until I found that it was made out of the leftover grape mass (seeds, stems, skins, a bit of pulp) after preparing them from winemaking. Where did you get it? Here in PA, our government controls our alcoholic beverage selection and it is difficult to get any sort of exotic or rare wine. I've been making wine/beer for years; maybe I'll try to find a recipe.

Heres one for you to try;

Green Isaac Special (more or less)
In a pint glass;

2 oz Gin (Gordons was papa's choice)
1 lime squeezed
a few dashes of angostura bitters
Fill with iced coconut water (not milk)

This was Tom Hudson's drink in "Islands in the Stream" and has become a favorite within my circle of friends. It is a little difficult to get "Aqua de Coco" unless you have a good oriental food store (Goya also makes it). Be advised that this coconut water comes with some sort of little white chunks that you DO NOT want to drink (unless youre bound up); pour it through a strainer.

Hey.....when you run out of coconut water; try a gin & tonic w/ bitters (some call it pink gin & tonic). This is what Tom Hudson was drinking when he and the bartender discussed painting the whirlpools/twisters (if you read Islands...).

I don't know if you would be interested in this, but I just read "Hemingway on Fishing" which is a collection of stories, articles, and novel excerpts pertaining to his love of fishing. I, for one, am a landlocked saltwater fishing nut so I really loved this book (amazon.com - used for $12).

I have heard that "Absinthe makes the hard one longer"

andytv: I want to encourage your experimentation, so a couple of your ingredients caught my eye.

Anise grows wild all over the north San Diego county area. Don't know if it's a native here (like sage) or an immigrant from long ago (like mustard and eucalyptus), but during its late summer bloom you can smell the licorice-like aroma everywhere you go. If you really want to try some home-made absinthe, I would be happy to gather up some anise and send it your way.

As for 180 proof, try Everclear. It's illegal here in Cal, but I remember seeing it in New Mexico. Might save you a lot of time in distilling your own.

Good luck and best regards,

Not sure if using Everclear will work. Here's an excerpt from the Absinthe FAQ:

****Can I make quality absinthe at home?****

Producing a quality absinthe requires distillation and experience. If you are fortunate enough to live where home distillation is legal, you can learn to produce quality absinthe.

Owning and operating a distiller, without a license, in many countries, including the United States, is illegal.

****Can I make absinthe by steeping common wormwood and anise in vodka?****

No.

****Can I make absinthe by adding an absinthe extract to grain alcohol?****

Yes. Our experience with this method did not produce the quality of absinthe that we enjoy.

The problem with everclear is that it is very very expensive, and I can't get it anyway in my area. I do have a still that I use to make ethanol for fuel. I'd have to check into local regs to see if I can use it for absinthe flavored fuel. You do need to distill to make it correctly, the "soak in alcohol kits" do not seem to work very well.

Anise: What I believe that I need are a few pound of anise seeds (flavor concentrated there). If I get serious, I may ask for some help!

From all I know about Absinthe, if it's not made with the wormwood extract it aint Absinthe.