Absinthe, part II

A while back, I posted an article about the comeback of absinthe in the United States. Here is a follow-up article about a distiller in the US who is making absinthe, and about the expected unfolding of the re-emergence of the wormwood-infused drink. Most of the absinthe I've experienced sounds like the stuff smuggled from the Czech in a mouthwash bottle referrred to in the article, and I'm looking forward to drinking absinthe that isn't colored neon green and set on fire.

Absinthe

Absinthe is finding its way back into the United States, legally, and with the traditional old wormwood-containing recipes. For those of you who think that absinthe is hallucinogenic and exclusive, you can have your fun. I for one like some absinthe, but have never found it to be particularly hallucinogenic. I do, however, like this NYT op-ed about it, and its bohemian mystique. That is, after all, the greatest part about absinthe-it's links to great modernist artists, many of whom hold the status "favorite" in my book. Ensconced worshippers beware, it does debunk the theory that wormwood is such a powerful drug. Absinthe is great, but it's mostly just a super charged liquor, not a magical green-fairy producing substance. I think it was a natural predisposition to departing lucidity that produced those tales we hear, and not anything inherent in the liquor. But, like I said, it's still great stuff, and now we can get it stateside.