Absinthe
SpaceEagle
Published
08/30/2011
One of my lawyer friends and one of my Australian friends told me about their experiences drinking Absinthe. Absinthe has been said to be a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. My lawyer friend seemed to be fond of experimenting with psychoactive drugs in her early days, so I asked her how psychoactive it was. She said that as long as you don't drink a whole bottle, you're not likely to go crazy and kill someone. You might have to understand her sense of humor to get the statement. Here's a quote from Wikipedia on it.
"Spurred by the temperance movement and the winemakers' associations, absinthe was publicly associated with violent crimes and social disorder.
My friend in Australia said that she has a special spoon to hold a sugar cube over which she slowly pours the Absinthe which she mixes with water. This is evidently the traditional way to drink Absinthe.
Partially due to the cost, I've never tried Absinthe. I'm really not much of a drinker at all. I have two glasses of wine now and then, but I prefer to remain as sober as possible. Considering the medications I take, it's probably not a good idea for me to be drinking anyway. Still, I'm curious about the taste if nothing else. From what they told me, it tastes similar to Ouzo, having a strong liquorice taste.
I HAVE had Ouzo. I had a Greek girlfriend who was very fond of it... perhaps TOO fond. Ouzo is said to be "a substitute for absinthe without the wormwood." Considering Absinthe is also considered a anise-flavoured spirit, I would assume that they taste similar with Absinthe having a stronger taste and effect.
Since I hate the taste of Ouzo when it's mixed with water, I would probably just pour the same amount of Absinthe and sip it straight as I did with Ouzo. Both, when mixed with water, turn sort of a cloudy white. Personally, I think mixing it with water would ruin the flavor as it did with Ouzo.
Sources:
Friends' testimony
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouzo
"Spurred by the temperance movement and the winemakers' associations, absinthe was publicly associated with violent crimes and social disorder.
A critic said that:[22]
Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis, and has killed thousands of French people. It makes a ferocious beast of man, a martyr of woman, and a degenerate of the infant, it disorganizes and ruins the family and menaces the future of the country."My friend in Australia said that she has a special spoon to hold a sugar cube over which she slowly pours the Absinthe which she mixes with water. This is evidently the traditional way to drink Absinthe.
Partially due to the cost, I've never tried Absinthe. I'm really not much of a drinker at all. I have two glasses of wine now and then, but I prefer to remain as sober as possible. Considering the medications I take, it's probably not a good idea for me to be drinking anyway. Still, I'm curious about the taste if nothing else. From what they told me, it tastes similar to Ouzo, having a strong liquorice taste.
I HAVE had Ouzo. I had a Greek girlfriend who was very fond of it... perhaps TOO fond. Ouzo is said to be "a substitute for absinthe without the wormwood." Considering Absinthe is also considered a anise-flavoured spirit, I would assume that they taste similar with Absinthe having a stronger taste and effect.
Since I hate the taste of Ouzo when it's mixed with water, I would probably just pour the same amount of Absinthe and sip it straight as I did with Ouzo. Both, when mixed with water, turn sort of a cloudy white. Personally, I think mixing it with water would ruin the flavor as it did with Ouzo.
Sources:
Friends' testimony
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouzo
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