A prototype absinthe, based upon the award-winning Duplais formula, has just become available on the Absinthe Distribution list. A "prototype" is another word for "experimental", where they let you try out some of the early batches of a new kind of absinthe. And this one is only 120 proof!

Foreign Correspondent reporter Jane Hutcheon's story on absinthe is a resounding success.  Very well done, with a great discussion of making absinthe with Ted Breaux, who seems to be everywhere in the absinthe world these days.  We particularly loved the visit to the Combier Distillery, where Breaux works his magic on the Jade Liquors line, as well as the Combier Blanchette.  Be sure also to check out the informative PDF article by Ian Hutton, one of the owners of the Liqueurs de France site, a recommended vendor of absinthe.

The ingredient that keeps absinthe off US shelves is dissected in a wonderful new article by Ari of the Wormwood Society. Thujone, claimed to have a similar structure to the hallucinogenic compound found in marijuana, is limited to 10mg in Europe and is why absinthe importation is not allowed by the FDA here in the US. Recent research has called into question the scientific basis for its exclusion, and this article does a good job of summarizing current thought.

In a story about how easy it is for underage drinkers to buy alcohol via the Internet, absinthe is prominently featured, probably because it is the only way to buy it currently. Killer quotes get the mainstream media all worked up into a froth, including ones like "trippy hallucination" and "discreet... plain packaging". And damaging web sites like some purveyors of "Czech-zinthe" who brag about the Feds not "lobbing stun grenades" through your window. Ugh. We'll never get reasonable coverage and a legal glass of absinthe at this rate.

According to Ken Jennings' Blog, did you know:

James K. Polk was actually an absinthe drinker who once drunkenly declared statehood for his own sideburns??

In case you don't remember, Ken Jennings is the world champion Jeopardy player, who 74 games in a row and $2.52 million on the show. So I'd guess he's probably not just making it up! And yes, his blog is a lot of fun to read.

A couple of interesting stories found on the web about some of absinthe's cousins. These are drinks that also taste like licorice (or, to be more specific, anise-flavors). Local favorites like ouzo (Greece), raki (Turkey), Sambuca (Italy) and Patxarán (Spain) all use anise as a flavoring and many can be watered down and "louched" just like absinthe.

This article, from the St. Petersburg (Fla) Times, has a very nice picture of a louched ouzo, a very pretty pearly white. The author describes the Greek culture" surrounding ouzo, some different brands, and how to drink it. Also included are some foods that go nicely with this pastis.

In The Spirit World, Brenda is Raki'n and Rollin' in Turkey. An even closer relative to absinthe than ouzo, raki goes way back and is often recommended by real absintheurs as a good baby step towards enjoying the much more complex emerald liquor of absinthe. And it has the added benefit of being available on most liquor store shelves! She also points out some good brands to try, as well as food to eat with it.

A play featuring two of the more colorful characters of the Decadent era and two of Belle Époque's biggest absinthe's imbibers, has opened in London. The tempetuous relationship between Paul Verlain, the most popular Decadent poet and Arthur Rimbaud, its enfant terrible, is the central story in Stewart Laing's "Slope". It is played in a custom-built stage shaped like a toilet bowl!