Absinthe?

[Anonymous]

pardon my ignorance (larger and ale man myself) but what is absinthe? ive never heard of it! is it something like after shocks?


a very bemused cas,

 

[Anonymous]

absinthe

Here you go, Casio. FAQ page.

http://itsa.ucsf.edu/~mbagg/roughabsinthefaq.html

 

[Anonymous]

is it legal?

 

[JamesWhitehead]

It can be bought in the UK but represents an example of
clever marketing hype for what is essentially a strong, bitter
anise type liquor.

Typical drinkers? artists? well artists of a kind, I guess.

The most distinctive thing about it is the price. If seeking a very
similar thrill, I will come and pick your pockets while you drink a
Pernod tainted with ear-wax.

 

[FelixAntonius]

James, you have a wonderful way with words.

I think I'll stick to gin:cross eye

 

[carole]

Going off at a tangent, but while we're mentioning the overratedness of modern absinthe, why on earth do people pay thousands of pounds for a 200 year old bottle of wine??


Carole

 

[Anonymous]

because apparently wine gets better with age (un like me who will just get wrinkly )
cas,

 

[rynner2]

Just to prove that [Brummie accent]:
"I'm consid-er-ably richer than yow!"

(I think there's a limit to the maturing process - really old wines are undrinkable.)

 

[Anonymous]

your right they do start to taste like vinegar when they get too old but they are usualy tainted by the cork by then anyway but i also agree with the post saying its about the money being able to tell someone youve drank a bottle of wone worth 200 quid will obviously make you sound like youve got loads of money and some people are impressed by that

cas

 

[FelixAntonius]

And, if you paid two hundred quid for a bottle of wine, you ain't going to admit that it tasted like cats p**s, rather that it had; "a unique & individual bouquet", or some such waffle!!!!!

 

[NilesCalder]

because apparently wine gets better with age (un like me who will just get wrinkly )
cas,

I get better with age... primarilly because I've had more practice...

Niles

 

[Mr_Seaweedski]

Well, lets start by saying how do, and this is my first post on t'forum. But I'm just wondering about the whole absinthe thang. I got a bottle of allegedly "authentic" stuff for my birthday (yesterday...my parents computer discovered a mind of its own just to stop me doing this on the day I reckon!). It came with an absinthe spoon, and I've been told about the whole flaming sugarcube method, but the bottle came wth instructions stating it was so you can pour water over a sugar cube and let it disolve into a long refreshing (yet still very alchoholic) beverage. Does anyone have any stories regarding the drink, or about the links to Van Goch's ear removal incident? Also was it Matisse who painted the picture "The absinthe drinker", if not who be the artist? Ta!!

I know there isn't much of the fortean to this thread, but I stuck it in chat to be safe!!!

 

[James_H]

we-e-ell there's a lot of picture of absinthe, by people like degas and all. also, how do.

 

[marion]

How do too . Faggus can let you know all there is to know about absinthe I reckon , he seems to be the expert LOL .

 

[Anonymous]

Absinthe? Isn't that supposed to make the heart grow fonder?! Happy Birthday, you decadent creature.

 

[Anonymous]

be careful real absinthe is a neurotoxin and will kill your brain stem


cas

 

[James_H]

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml
Here be a link which may be interesting i guess

 

[Mr_Seaweedski]

Absinthe? Isn't that supposed to make the heart grow fonder?! Happy Birthday, you decadent creature.

Decadence is the way of the fu(few)ture. Them as knows, knows best, as my subconcious used to tell me! Regarding the painting I waffled about before, a friend had a very cheap print in the hallway of a rented house, it was (possibly) a lady of ill repute necking a large glass of the stuff in a french watering hole. I loved it! And the Absinthe I have now does the whole cloudy thing like Pernod(yes Pastis is the proper name, but Monsieur Pernod created it to fill the gap when absinthe was banned). Has anyone ever had more than one or two in an evening, cos I don't know if the wormwood in the modern ones is up to the stregnth of the old stuff, and likely to send ya loopy fruit like!! If you have had fun on it let me know. Ta

 

[James_H]

it's a chemical called thujone in the wormwood which does all the non alcoholic bits to you

 

[Anonymous]

I stopped for a beer in the Old Absinthe bar in New Orleans, and was sat next to a contraption I later discovered was an Absinthe fountain (no Absinthe in it, though).
Was Absinthe prevalent in the US too? I wouldn't have thought so with their near-puritan attitude towards alcohol.

 

[Beakmoo]

Also was it Matisse who painted the picture "The absinthe drinker", if not who be the artist? Ta!!

If it's the one of the sad looking woman in a cream dress, sitting behind a table next to a bearded man, then it was Degas.
And careful with your brain Seaweed, it's the only one you'll get, and if you fuck up your brain chemistry you will regret it for the rest of your life.

Beak "naturally dodgy brain chemistry" Boo

 

[Anonymous]

I had only four Absinthes in one night (plus a few other things)and was in a terrible state. Don't remember much, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Take it very easy.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not bitter

Is it just me, or does the astringent wormwood make the drink horribly bitter even with additional sugar?

I can't palate the stuff - it makes my gob water too much and tastes like dock leaves mixed with vodka (I imagine ).

Gimme a tequila slammer anyday!

 

[Anonymous]

I once drank half a bottle of absinthe , and collapsed around 3 in the afternoon and then slept for about 18 hours.
Didn't have any hallunciations, but the drunkness is like when you are 13 and you have you first bottle of strong white cider - wild exctiment and rowdiness soon followed by sleeplyness followed by total shutdown followed by extreme painful hangover.
My mate is fond of the stuff, and after a particular heavy night out on it, he fell asleep in the middle of a nightclub dance floor. People just started dancing around him.
Personally I think you are better off with a six pack of Stella and a bag of herb.

 

[Quetzelcoatl]

the original absenthe was danned in France then the rest of the world because, as someone above has pointed out, it contained some powerful toxins (read drug type chemicals) and did indeed drive heavy users blind and mad before we all learned an easier way from puritanical teachers.

todays version is corporate bottled alcohol and as safe as any spirit.

there are those who claim even the new sanitised version gets you ratted 'in a differnet way'.

the same is claimed for Tequela which has its origins in Peyote

but then I know people in Glasgow who claim a Tennents Special and a large dram in the same glass makes you see the reincarnation of Roy Castle

 

[TVgeek]

Van Gogh link

Not as bad as it USED to be apparently, but it still looks frightening!

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2000/03/03-22-2000a.html

TVgeek

 

[kiel_d]

Most modern Absinthe is just stong, green Pernod, but if you look hard enough on the rare drinks websites you can find a good eastern european bottle or two that will get you sufficiantly interested in the way of the demon green.

I love the stuff...but as my friends and i say its a very dark drink. I wouldn't recommend it on a first date, or in any situation that requires co-ordination or finesse.

There are many ways to drink it, straight shot (have a tumbler of water on stand-by), burning sugar cube (does more for the flavour, but not the burn) Diluted (approx 1-5) with water (good stuff goes pale and almost glowing) and finally in an antique absinthe glass (copies of these can be found in tha back of "lads" magazines such as FHM, Loaded). These are the main ways i do it and they all do the right thing by me.

The way i keep myself in check with amounts of absinthe drunk is to think that every glass brings you one step closer to liver failure/brain damage.....the real stuff is strong and its dangerous, but like all good experiences you've got to take the rough with the smooth.

If your after a good first timers bottle i'd go for STAROPLZENECKY.
Nice flavour and the bottle looks stunning.

--kiel--

 

[Mr_Seaweedski]

Originally posted by kiel


If your after a good first timers bottle i'd go for STAROPLZENECKY.
Nice flavour and the bottle looks stunning.

--kiel--

Nah mateTHAT is evil mouthwash, it takes the skin from your mouth (and stomach). The stuff I have (not touched it since my B-day) is much smoother. If ya want a first time snifter, go to TESCO and get a bottle of Sebor stuff, nice and dark colour, smooth taste and considerably less alchohol than most, at only 50%. Also it is under thirty quid, so better all round I'd say! Take care all you children of the green

 

[liveinabin]

I had absinthe in Prague earlier this year. But in my oppinion becarovca (I think thats how it's spelt, I can't ba arsed to get up and look at the bottle) is better. i brough some of tha back, but I thought proper 120% proof absinthe was illegal

 

[liveinabin]

I've got up now and had a look I mean Becherovka. It's 38% vol. It the Czech version of vodka. i don't know where I can get a bottle from in the UK