Why the sudden absinthe craze?!
Answers: Is it because of Manson? I didn't think he was all that popular anymore. Or is there some other reason I am missing?
To clarify a few things, "Absente" whose slogan is "absinthe refined" is not absinthe, and has been on store shelves for decades...because it's not absinthe. Absinthe gets its name from artemesia absinthium (grand wormwod) and without it, it's not absinthe.
Second, while the US law that states that anything containing wormwood must be "thujone free," that criteria is based on a 10 ppm margin of error. Properly made absinthe (that does indeed contain a. absinthium) falls within this criteria. The absinthe sold in the US legally is genuine absinthe and not "absinthe lite" as many people like to claim.
Finally, the study by Dr. Arnold is flawed and has been debunked years ago. His research was based on theoretic information and the gross quantity of thujone in wormwood and the assumption that it all carried over into the final product. His theory was never tested. Later tests by T.A. Broux proved that the thujone does not carry over in the distillation process, thus the low level in the finished product. This has been confirmed by testing the historical absinthes from the time that Dr. Arnold supposedly quoted. There are still a good number of absinths (without the 'e' generally denotes Czech made) that claim "high thujone" in the numbers of 100ppm and higher. Since that's not possible with the traditional means of distillation, they've been adulterated with oils, extracts, and such to raise the amount to toxic levels, not to mention yielding a hideous flavor. Thujone is not, nor has ever been a hallucinogen, so it's a waste of time and money for something that will make you sick *and* taste nasty.
As it has such a "taboo factor" due to its criminalization in the past century, not to mention so much misinformation shrouding it, the recent re-legalizing of the drink has led to some fairly aggressive marketing by old and new producers...not unlike any other spirit. Since it had faded into obscurity and myth, people are now wondering what this mysterious spirit is that they're hearing about, and the questions abound. The problem is that too many people are still stuck in the old mindset that it's illegal, toxic, hallucinatory, fake, lite, whatever...all without the proper information. But that's the same large scale mindset that keeps any tabloid-type hype going.
Marilyn Manson, I didnt even know absinthe was still around in this day and age untill I seen him on the news. It was for whatever reason seriously promoted by media
I blame Mitch Hedberg.
People are finding it more available and like always it takes awhile for word to get around.
Where and in what circles is the " absinthe craze" taking place ? Being an old "fuddy duddy" I don't recall seeing or reading about this happening. Enlighten us !!
A case of what goes around comes around. Also, the fact that its steeped in folklore probably helps its image. Tastes VILE though.
it is allover this site i agree i think it is because the discovery channel did a show on it and since it is "tabbo" do to the fact it was off the market so long people think it is cool and the the fact that you can get high just ads to the mastic it is hard to find so it must be good
It is because some guy from New Orleans has invented a non thujone bearing "absinthe" and found a loophole in US law. The company behind it in New York is involved in a massive publicity campiagn and that is why you hear so much about it. Real absinthe contains thujone - absinthe sold in US liquor stores does not.
According to Dr Niels Arnold of the University of Kansas real absinthe as drunk in the 19th century had 260mg thujone and today the highest you can find is 100mg. There is one called 330 and that apparently has 330mg but it's private buyers only.
You can now purchase absente refined which is similar to the actual absinthe in the US.
I'm not sure when it was made available in stores but I would say it is one of the reason for this craze.
I have a bottle and can't wait to try it.
Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder!
First off, Absinthe is an evil drink. I don't like licorice anyway. But drank a load of absinthe in Switzerland this summer and had a bad experience. Absinthe is my cryptonite for my not getting sick power. I also argue that the wormwood in absinthe makes you hallucinate rumor is a myth. You get far to hammered to be able to hallucinate properly.
People are interested in absinthe mostly because it is rumoured to be hallucinogenic or will get ine exceptionally drunk. (Classic absinthe has a very high proof, so it will get one pretty drunk.)
Most Americans I know do not like the taste of absinthe or any absinthe substitutes. (I am currently drinking a cocktail containing Herbasint, an absinthe-like drink. I have only found one friend who like it.)
There is interest in absinthe because it is mysterious. That is all.
Well, it's a marketing thing. There's no original absinthe sold anywhere at any price. Just as you won't find original Coca Cola with cocaine in it.
Period.