A couple of newspaper stories I've only recently come across which are still interesting reading. They date as far back as 2004, yet much of what they cover is apropos today.

This one, from Reason magazine, is a recap of absinthe's increase in popularity. The writer interviews Jad Adams, who has become something of a de-facto expert on the subject since the publication of his book, Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle. I'm reading it now and I can't say as I'm wildly impressed, although the quotes from him in various articles seem reasonable enough. The article also talks about how bad Czech "absinth" is, as well as bringing in the old quote from an absinthe connoisseur, who decries its legalization, and subsequent popularity, as if that detracts from the taste.

This article, from August of 2004, centers on Hiram, who is the proprietor of WormwoodSociety.org. He introduces the writer to absinthe and, again, talks about the bad Czech absinthe (which can be bought in Canada) and its illicit appeal. Both of those story lines can stop now, thank you very much. The article also talks about "HG" absinthe, or home-brewed stuff (the HG comes from the German word Hausgemacht). I'm not sure why home-brewed is so interesting. Perhaps because of its quasi-legality and current expense, but I'd probably stay far away from home-brewed absinthes.

Interesting quickie list of absinthe reviews from the mostly German site Absinthe-Guide.de. A very long list of absinthes are given one of 4 ratings - recommendable (sic), neutral, not recommendable and not rated yet. I have no idea of the quality of the reviews themselves, but they do like our favorite, Nouveau-Orleans and pretty much dislike all Czech brands, so the reviews seem inline with the general consensus. Let us know what you think of their reviews.

In a recent Wormwood Society forum post, Dr. Cocktail listed the following absinthes in order of "popularity" with the Wormwood Society forum members:

1. Edouard
2. Eichelberger Verte 68
3. Clandestine la Bleue
4. Verte Suisse
5. Nouvelle-Orléans
6. Kübler 53
7. La Ptite by rank and Montmartre by overall hits
8. Montmartre
9. Segarra 45 by rank, tied with Un Emile 68 by overall hits
10. François Guy

Here at Chez InAbsinthia, we've only tried the Nouvelle-Orléans on this list, but we will certainly be trying to taste our way through the rest. Note especially the high ranking Eichelberger, which is a very reasonably priced (for an absinthe) German-made absinthe, and the Montmartre, another value absinthe from Austria.

A good place to start if you are interested in jumping on the absinthe bandwagon (besides here at In Absinthia of course), is to check out the FAQ at Oxygénée's wonderful site, The Virtual Absinthe Museum. The FAQ lists all kinds of interesting facts, figures and history behind absinthe. This history is often mistold and mischaracterized and hasn't yet, I don't think, been done justice in the printed page. But Oxygénée does an excellent job of "just the facts, ma'am", as well as keeping the hyperbole (both pro and con) down to a minimum. In particular, I like this introduction to the entry on the history of absinthe:

Banned for almost a century until its recent revival, absinthe is something of a "living fossil", a coelacanth amongst drinks, able to magically transport us back to the glittering world of Paris and the Belle Epoque, a world of bohemian musicians and writers, of the Moulin Rouge and the cafes of Montmartre, a world of starving struggling artists and glittering courtesans.

The Devil's Picnic is a recent book by Taras Grescoe, a prolific travel writer from Montreal. In it, he visits various places to try out the forbidden, including the likes of unpasteurized cheese in France (illegal here in the US), bull testicles in Spain and, of course, the "notorious liquor", absinthe. He searches Switzerland for a "true" absinthe. You wouldn't have to search very hard any more, as it is legal to produce there! But I have the book on order and will review it here soon.

In a somewhat sensationalist article from the San Diego Union-Tribune, US officials are reported to be "surprised" at the resurgence of absinthe being found at a border checkpoint to Tijuana, Mexico. They've begun "training border inspectors to look for the liquor." and have stepped up efforts to confiscate it at the border. Aren't you glad we're being protected from this insidious drug by our ever-vigilant border patrol?

Of course, the article's author couldn't resist throwing around words like "hallucinations", "brain damage", and "bootleg", while recounting breathless snippets of stories like it causing Van Gogh to cut off his ear and absinthe's "drug-like effects". The writer doesn't do too bad a hash on the thumbnail sketch of absinthe's history, and its subsequent banning throughout most of Europe and in the US, although he can't resist talking about the forbidden allure of thujone, the wormwood-extract chemical said to give absinthe's its special qualities.

I can't believe that they actually make something they call absinthe right in Mexico. And I can't believe people actually try to drink it. It hearkens back to the height of the absinthe "craze" in France, where many dubious mixtures showed up on the market. I also like how an importer of Czech absinth (sic) sniffs at the quality of the Mexican absinthe:

He turns up his nose at the Mexican brands.
"It's awful quality. It's not absinthe," he said. "It's some concoction."

"some concoction" - pretty funny, considering as how many absintheurs consider Czech absinths with equal disdain. We here at InAbsinthia haven't tried one yet, but we do feel it is our duty to lay our palates on the line for you, and will certainly try one in the future. Hey, it is tough work, but someone has to do it. But remember the caveat shown on many automobile commercials - "Closed course with a professional driver".

I also got a chuckle out of the quote from a waiter, who says that after two or three, "you get real relaxed." I'll bet! Another one of our scheduled experiments will be to have more than two or three, to see if you really do get some sort of feeling without actually getting drunk. Hard to believe anything would trump the nearly 70% alcohol of your typical absinthe, but again, we're here to report to you and be "fair and balanced".

A particularly fascinating and tragic figure from the height of the Paris Bohemian era, Charles Cros was an inventor, mathematician, and poet. While his poetry mostly languishes in obscurity, he is well known for one poem written about absinthe.

With Flowers and With Woman

    With Flowers, and with Women,
    With Absinthe, and with this Fire,
    We can divert ourselves a while,
    Act out our part in some drama.

    Absinthe, on a winter evening,
    Lights up in green the sooty soul;
    And Flowers, on the beloved,
    Grow fragrant before the clear Fire.

    Later, kisses lose their charm
    Having lasted several seasons;
    And after mutual betrayals
    We part one day without a tear.

    We burn letters and bouquets.
    And fire takes our bower;
    And if sad life is salvaged
    Still there is Absinthe and its hiccups..

    The portraits are eaten by flames..
    Shrivelled fingers tremble..
    We die from sleeping long
    With Flowers, and with Women.