Absinthe: The Drink of the Bohemians

Absinthe is something I have never tried. Looking forward to it in the near future. I could certainly use the inspiration!

Had some absinthe the other day.. first time in my life.. a mate brought some over from Prague and hell, was that good!! absinthium 1892. Never drunk anything like it before. Not sure if its a drug as some people say, but it does something to you.. it's definitely not like other drinks. We finished the bottle by 3am (between 2 of us) and wished we had more. The funny thing was I had no hangover the next day.. but I still felt SOMETHING.. that thujone thing stays in your system or something?? but it felt good, really good. I'm going over to Czechia in three weeks and will bring litres back! Cheerz!

The high alcohol level in absinthe, in combination with the active herbal ingredients, make absinthe controversial.

Most folks agree that absinthe is unlike any other drink. The trip effect of drinking real absinthe is traditionally attributed to the thujon in wormwood. However, it is important to remember that wormwood is not the only herbal constituent that may be significant. Anethole which gives absinthe it's distinctive licorice flavour is found in fennel and star anise, and both are herbal constituents of real absinthe. The effect of anethole and thujone is the probable explanation of the absinthe effects.

I cannot account for the lack of hangover lol

You should also not drink absinthe to excess, one or two glasses at most is sufficient.

3:15. He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.

Inebriated with wormwood is "inebriavit me absinthio" and that seems to be a reference to drinking, but I thought that absinthe wasn't around in those days?

I just wanted to take a moment and thank the webmaster for creating such an excellent absinthe resource. I have only had time to read about half of the Green Fairy information so far, and I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying every absinthe alcohol article that I read.

I have personally been able to indulge on absinthe approximately ten times over the last two years, and I have to say that each occasion is even more enjoyable than the previous. In my opinion, the more involved you become in the rich culture and history of absinthe, the easier it is to become enchanted by the Green Fairy when you do have the opportunity to drink it.

(PS :: Absinthe Fever has one of the best designs I have seen! The feel of this web site really captures the essence of absinthe.)

After wanting to try absinthe for over a year, I finally got a chance to do so last night. Since I have visited and enjoyed this website quite a few times, I thought it was only fitting to stop by and recount my experiences with the Green Fairy.

I'm very happy to say that I was able to get authentic absinthe for my first experience. Even though most of my fellow Americans have to settle for less when they have absinthe in the USA, I was fortunate enough to meet a mutual friend with a very special absinthe connection (and that's all I'm going to say on that subject ;-)

Once I finally got the absinthe, myself and two of my close friends settled into my living room for what we both hoped to be a truly enjoyable evening. We dimmed the lighting to create a peaceful atmosphere and fired up some light jazz. We all poured ourselves a glass of the Green Fairy and lifted our glasses to toast.

Tasting absinthe for the first time was an very interesting experience. Although I had read plenty of people's descriptions of what it tasted like and knew what to expect, it is one of those things that you can't fully comprehend until your experience it for yourself. The flavor was quite complex and very enjoyable.

Once we finished our first glass, we all agreed that we had a pleasant but minor buzz about us. As we continued to drink the absinthe, the pleasant effects intensified, but without the usual (often unwanted) effects that come with drinking quite a bit of alcohol.

As the evening came to a close and my friends retired to my guest bedrooms, I sunk into my own bed with a smile on my face. As I slept, I remember my dreams being noticeably more vivid than usual.

I just brought back two bottles from St Maarten of this green drink. I have no idea how to prepare it.
Can someone give me some information?
Where do you purchase your absinthe online? Who are the reputable dealers?
I hate that I did not bring back more. It was only 14.99 per bottle, can you imagine that?
I am eager to try it

I'm travelling to Canada in the near future. Can I purchase Absinthe and legally bring it back home through customs? Thanks for the help...I LOVE this site!

I have been an avid Absinthe drinker for many years now and have to say living in the UK its quite easy to get hold of. There are now sites out there that actually sell most brands so you can work your way through their lists. I am not sure where they ship to (Seems like most places) but www.eabsinthe.com is a good site for variety. You can even vote on what is and is not a good absinthe. For me the Clandestine Charlotte or Lafee Parisian are top of my list. Let me know what other people have tried and rate.

Im from the states and there is a new absinthe product called Lucid and it supposedly developed by T. A Breaux. I was wondering if anyone has tried it and how does it compare to the real/original thing? I would like to know becuase i dont want to waste $60 if lucid is another American knockoff. Thanks.

I see that Lucid is finally out...in NY and NJ only. Is there a way to get it to California? Are they any ways to get authentic absenthe like Kubler or Lucid in California?
And yes, Lucid is the real thing. It's the French kind so it is green and stored in a dark bottle so it doesn't get exposed to light and lighten to amber color. Kubler is the other one that I know is "real" and it's a blue Swiss kind. But I just don't know how to get it to CA!!!

Nothing could be further from the truth. I'm afraid "lucid is another American knockoff" as salemram1 put it. You are just buying their propaganda, Kristin. Of course they claim it's "authentic" - how else would they sell it? By saying "sorry guys, it's not actually the real deal, but that's all the FDA will allow us to sell you"? Also, the US-version of Kubler is quite different from the stuff Kubler sells in Europe.

There is no authentic absinthe sold in the US and will not be anytime soon, period.

Anyone tried Century absinthe? Seems a bit pricey, but all the reviews praise it.. so there must be something to it I guess. I don't want a low-thujene imitation.

Here is something from the Reason Magazine ( "Free minds and free markets" ). Just published Nov 12, 2007 (www.reason.com):

"Even as (they) emphasize Lucid's negligible thujone content, the drink's manufacturer tries to capitalize on absinthe's reputation as a forbidden potion with the slogan, "Prohibition is finally over!"

So there you have it. All hype, no substance. No (real) absinthe in America anytime soon guys. Shame on the FDA, and no, thanks, Ted - I don't care for your spiel. I get mine sent over from Europe.

I Import Absinthe into Canada from the Czech Republic. A club here wants me to throw an "Absinthe Party". I really dont know where to start, any suggestions would be great.

It's funny how everyone who hasn't tried it is supposedly an expert. My friends and I purchased a several of the extremely limited quantity lucid bottles in the Dallas area and have been enjoying them for more than a week. At $58-75 per bottle, it is pricey, but worth every cent. It is not the typical American junky absinthe knockoffs available for the past 7 or 8 years.

Day #1: 8pm - 2am I consumed approximately 1/3 bottle of lucid absinthe throughout the first evening. Drank in a traditional manner with suger cube and cold water. I was the happiest/friendliest drunk and retained a lot of my senses. Doesn't mean I could stand up, but whatever! I remember pretty much the entire night. (6 hours-ish)

Day #2: 10am Woke up smiling, without any form of a hangover, and immediately went into the kitchen to take a shot of lucid and pour another glass. :-)

Note: I have been drinking for 10 years and NEVER wanted a drink the next morning.

Day #2: Noon Evidentely I was bouncing (literally) around the house and drunk texting every person on the phone to tell them how good I was feeling.

Day #2: 3pm I woke up under a set of golf clubs. There's no explanation of the events that led to this, but I was so happy about it that it didn't matter. I immediately went into the kitchen (still no hangover)and poured another lucid absinthe drink. I went to the store (passenger!) and to a friends house and kept rubbing my feet on the carpet of the SUV and saying my legs feel SOOOO good. (I'm smiling right now)

Day #2: 8pm-4am Opened and finished the 2nd bottle of lucid. I only had 1/2. The events of the evening are a bit of a blur, but there are pictures of me passed out in the clothes dryer. Ummm... three different times. Guess I was doing laundry. My friends reported I was still a happy and somewhat coherent drunk, at least more than I am with beer or liquors.

(It's getting a little blurry at this point, but my friend is helping me remember)

Day #3: 8am-noon Woke up with NO HANGOVER and took three shots of lucid. Played Wii for about 4 hours. Was jumping up and down the entire time and giggling about how good I was feeling.

Day #3: 2pm Made a decision to not drink lucid for a while because I'm likely to never work/function again. I also noticed that everything was "moving". I don't think it was this magical fairy stuff people are talking about. I think my eyes/body were just exhausted. But then again...

Day #4 2am-8am I woke up at 2am screaming and thinking I was being eaten by my friend's Timberwolf, which was sleeping in the room with me. Eyes were defintely playing tricks on me. Everything was "wavy" and "moving" and the tree outside the window looked like the one on Poltergeist. Not cool. I also thought the front lawn was on fire, but it was a combination of street light and water sprinkler. I was seriously freaked out and tried to sleep for the next 6 hours, but had AT LEAST 6 different nightmares that I remember in detail. Not cool. I can't remember any dreams I've had in years, but maybe it was just from lack of sleep.

Day #4-7 Couldn't afford anymore lucid!!! It's sold out all over town anyways. Been reading all the BS stories on the internet and getting mad because people are speculating about lucid being fake. Buy a freakin bottle and try it. Seriously...

Day #7: (Right Now) My friend just bought 3 more bottles of lucid. I'm SO excited. This stuff is affecting my life. I haven't worked in days and am not really upset about it. Just want the next bottle! Yay!

David... good try! But you don't really think anybody believes you, don't you?
To my knowledge, there are only two absinthes in existence that contain anywhere near pre-ban levels of thujone (100+ mg): King of Spirits Gold and Century Absinthe. Neither of the two, nor any other genuine absinthe, will make it to the States anytime soon. For the real deal, you have to travel to Europe or have it shipped over. Yes, possession and importation for personal use is legal. You can see King of Spirits Gold here: www.originalabsinthe.com/absinthe-king-gold-p-56.html

Absinthe in my opinion is what alcohol is supposed to be.The taste the feel... nothing compares.I truly enjoy taking my time with this drink.I remember when I thought it made you trip and all that (you know what I mean) but the truth is much better.Absinthe is an experience not a drug.

Absinthe: The symbol of 'la vie boheme' for over a hundred years. More than a century on, the drink still retains its original appeal.

About absinthe

Erowid's absinthe pages cover just about any absinthe topic you can think of: basic facts, history, chemistry, the drink's legal status around the world, drinker's experiences... Also an interesting collection of paintings and posters.

What is absinthe?

What is the history of absinthe?

What is wormwood?

How about thujone?

What are the effects of absinthe?

Is absinthe an aphrodisiac?

Is absinthe a strong alcohol?