Of anniversaries and absinthe...

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:10 am

As described in this old thread, I have been fascinated with the drink absinthe, which was popular through the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but was made illegal in many countries (including the U.S.) during the early twentieth century.

Last year, it became legal to sell and purchase true historically-accurate absinthe in the United States.

Tomorrow is our anniversary; Shannon and I were married on October 10, 2000.

Yesterday evening she presented me with a bottle of Lucid Absinthe Superieure--a handsome gift!

So I have finally been able to satisfy years of curiosity.

I found the absinthe quite good--not quite what I was expecting, and yet oddly familiar. It's not bitter at all, prepared in a louche it has a subtle sweetness, and a floral, slightly herbal flavor, with an intense licorice aftertaste. It numbs the mouth slightly.

The old ritualistic way of preparing it as a louche is quite charming as well.

It is a very strong liquor, and though I gather somewhat more expensive then what I usually drink, it's likely to last me for quite some time.

Just had to share. It's not everyday you get to finally answer over a decade's worth of curiosity.

--James

Coffee · Post by **Coffee** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:14 am

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

djm · Post by **djm** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:20 am

Louche - of questionable taste or morality; decadent; not reputable or decent

djm

aderyn_du · Post by **aderyn_du** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:24 am

Happy Anniversary, James and Shannon! May your love only continue to grow and flourish... I raise a virtual glass in toast to you both!!

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:29 am

djm wrote:Louche - of questionable taste or morality; decadent; not reputable or decent

djm

Louche -- a ritual where the liquor absinthe is diluted into its drinkable form; also may refer to the cloudy liquid produced when ice water and absinthe are mixed.

For more information, just google, or see this page.

--James

dwest · Post by **dwest** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 11:51 am

The green fairy, you can get louche in Ouzo too. It's the Anise. We have wormwood planted next to the walk so you have to brush against it to get to the door, heavenly. Happy Anniversary

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:17 pm

aderyn_du wrote:Happy Anniversary, James and Shannon! May your love only continue to grow and flourish... I raise a virtual glass in toast to you both!!

"Here, here! and Hear! Hear!" (clink)

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:23 pm

Good absinthe is drinkable without dilution/sugar/grenadine etc.

gonzo914 · Post by **gonzo914** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:27 pm

Happy anniversary, and here's an absinthe recipe from Ernest Hemingway --

Death in the Afternoon --

Ernest Hemingway wrote:Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.

Sounds yummy and likely to make you clairvoyant.

peeplj · Post by **peeplj** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:41 pm

gonzo914 wrote:Happy anniversary, and here's an absinthe recipe from Ernest Hemingway --

Death in the Afternoon --
Ernest Hemingway wrote:Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.
Sounds yummy and likely to make you clairvoyant.

I wouldn't need to be clairvoyant to predict what would happen if I drank three to five of those!!!

monkey587 wrote:Good absinthe is drinkable without dilution/sugar/grenadine etc.

Well, you can just eat raw meat, too. But it'll never compare to a good steak.

--James

Coffee · Post by **Coffee** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 12:57 pm

Some things however are already perfect without further modification.
I'll take a peach over peach cobbler any day, for example.

monkey587 · Post by **monkey587** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 1:08 pm

peeplj wrote:
monkey587 wrote:Good absinthe is drinkable without dilution/sugar/grenadine etc.
Well, you can just eat raw meat, too. But it'll never compare to a good steak.

--James

Absinthe tastes better when you're a vegetarian, too

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 2:56 pm

Enjoy and Best Wishes. What did you get her?

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 4:17 pm

Oscar Wildes favourite drink towards the end..or so I heard.

I often wonder if the current version has any relationship to the old stuff.

By way of comparison, Poition is available in shops these days and I bought a bottle last time I was home. Waste of money.
Absolutely nothing like the real illegal stuff.

I was at a party in Dublin one time and everything was swinging along nicely.

Plenty of people singing and playing music and a great time was being had by all.
Somebody arrived in with a bottle of Poition, passed it around and ten minutes later the party was over..nobody could walk, never mind play.

Heavy stuff..and BTW..Happy Anniversary.

Slan,
D.

Walden · Post by **Walden** » Thu Oct 09, 2008 5:52 pm

peeplj wrote:Louche -- a ritual where the liquor absinthe is diluted into its drinkable form; also may refer to the cloudy liquid produced when ice water and absinthe are mixed.

"and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood" Rev. 8