I want to order some Absinthe for new years but...

Lefty Robb · #1 12-20-2007, 01:35 AM

Yeah, were having a big party and I told everyone I really wanted to order some for it, but I have no clue where to begin or what to buy, theres swiss, French, Czech, Spanish, red, green, clear etc...I know its popular over there on the other side of the pond, so anyone have any experience?

theres also a few different websites like

http://www.absinth.com/
http://www.eabsinthe.com/
http://www.absinthe.bz/
http://www.absinthesupply.com/

The last 2 look almost identical, which to me is a bit sketchy. I would also like to deal in US prices.

HELP!!

reguv760 · #2 12-20-2007, 01:44 AM

last time I had absinthe, it was "smuggled" from Poland... can't remember the name [durh :P] but i know it was green.
otherwise, make sure you know someone who knows how to serve it, or get practicing

or... have one of your european friend's or any of your friend's who are visiting europe find ya a bottle and take it to ya before new years!

Reg

microdmitry · #3 12-20-2007, 01:44 AM

You can't buy (or import) proper Absinthe in the US. The chemical that is responsible for its hallucinogenic effects is prohibited in the US, so all absinthe sold here must be free of this chemical (thujone). It's as if they required Vodka to be free of alcohol.

Lefty Robb · #4 12-20-2007, 01:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

You can't buy (or import) proper Absinthe in the US. The chemical that is responsible for its hallucinogenic effects is prohibited in the US, so all absinthe sold here must be free of this chemical (thujone). It's as if they required Vodka to be free of alcohol.

strange then, these websites that sell thujone containing Absinthe says its not illegal to possess or import, just to sell in stores and bars, and they are willing to ship to the US.

http://www.absinthe.bz/store/absinthe-king-gold.html

microdmitry · #5 12-20-2007, 01:53 AM

Hmm, actually, I've just looked up http://thujone.info and they seem to suggest that in 2007 the US allowed up to 10mg/l of thujone in alcoholic beverages, which is coincidentally a EU standard. I wonder how that compares with absinthes from, say, fifty years ago.

Martyr Machine · #6 12-20-2007, 01:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

You can't buy (or import) proper Absinthe in the US. The chemical that is responsible for its hallucinogenic effects is prohibited in the US, so all absinthe sold here must be free of this chemical (thujone). It's as if they required Vodka to be free of alcohol.

Thujone is not a hallucinogen, nor is absinth. That is a myth.

Lefty Robb · #7 12-20-2007, 01:57 AM

and from Wiki

United States

Foods or beverages that contain Artemisia species, White Cedar, oak moss, tansy or Yarrow must be thujone-free.[13] Other herbs that contain thujone have no restrictions. For example, sage and sage oil (which can be 50%+ thujone) are on the Food and Drug Administration's list of substances generally recognized as safe.[14] Recently, the laws against absinthe have been relaxed in the U.S. as there is now a thujone-containing absinthe that can be legally imported

microdmitry · #8 12-20-2007, 03:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martyr Machine

Thujone is not a hallucinogen ... That is a myth.

That must be some powerful myth, since it's banned or limited in a lot of countries. It all depends on how much of it you take and for how long.

Lefty Robb · #9 12-20-2007, 03:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

That must be some powerful myth, since it's banned or limited in a lot of countries. It all depends on how much of it you take and for how long.

Its banning is 100% based on centuries old propaganda. There has been many, many full blown labs tests on it, and its harmless, you would die from alcohol poisoning long before it would start to affect you.. It being a hallucinogen is based off of poor quality distilling and harmful additives to make the liquor more green, which, back in the 1800's mean it would sell better.

anyways, back to the subject...

**GilkyBear** · #10 12-20-2007, 04:17 AM

Yeah, I just read about this a few weeks ago. Can't remember the name of the company, but it's in California and they have just been given the green light to produce it for sale in the states. The halluconigenic stuff is the Absinthe that is distilled in wormwood, which the stateside stuff will not be.

Davey · #11 12-20-2007, 04:28 AM

Just be careful if serving it with fire (correctly.)

My mate went on holiday to Turkey last year and after a few, thought it'd be a good idea to just ask for the bottle. Of course Absinthe is lethal stuff so he was wasted and dropped the bottle... not a big deal until you realise he was lighting it and set the whole bar on fire!

Martyr Machine · #12 12-20-2007, 04:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by microdmitry

That must be some powerful myth, since it's banned or limited in a lot of countries. It all depends on how much of it you take and for how long.

No, it's doesn't depend at all. It's not a hallucinogen. It's banned in some countries for the same reason many other drugs are: paranoid lobbyists.

Quote:

Just be careful if serving it with fire (correctly.)

Serving it "correctly" would involve diluting it with ice water and dissolving some sugar in it.

On topic: It's completely legal in Canada, though each province has it's own restrictions on thujone content (BC has none) You might try ordering some from here. Customs technically has the authority to cease it, but they rarely do.

**GilkyBear** · #13 12-20-2007, 04:45 AM

Here's a few links on what I was talking about...
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...O9FM.DTL&tsp=1
http://www.nbc11.com/news/14784216/detail.html
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.f...349664b771e28a

Good luck...

Davey · #14 12-20-2007, 04:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martyr Machine

No, it's doesn't depend at all. It's not a hallucinogen. It's banned in some countries for the same reason many other drugs are: paranoid lobbyists.

Serving it "correctly" would involve diluting it with ice water and dissolving some sugar in it.

On topic: It's completely legal in Canada, though each province has it's own restrictions on thujone content (BC has none) You might try ordering some from here. Customs technically has the authority to cease it, but they rarely do.

No, sorry I was thinking Sambuca.

And I'm a barman!