I tasted a diverse amount of new products yesterday but the one I had been waiting a while for was Lucid's Absinthe.
There is so much history behind this type of liquor that I was really excited to try it.
Absinthe is a distilled, and highly alcoholic (Lucid is 62%), anise-flavored spirit derived from a variety of herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb wormwood. Absinthe is typically of a natural green color but is also produced in both clear and artificially colored styles. It is often called “the Green Fairy.” Lucid's was a light olive color. Although it is sometimes mistakenly called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor. Absinthe is unusual among spirits in that it is bottled at a high proof but is normally diluted with water when it is drunk.
I always knew of absinthe as the drink of choice for such trend setters as Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley. I've also heard of its hallucinogenic properties. I always attributed this to the wormwood. In fact it comes from the Thujone in the wormwood. Thujone is the only chemical that could potentially cause a psychedelic effect but the drinker would die of alcohol poisioning way before they would get enough of this element of absinthe to do that. Which is why the halucinations are a myth. The mystique and danger element of absinthe is something that really sets it apart from other liquors so stories of such things are exaggerated to boost sales or to enhance the experience.
There is so much history behind this type of liquor that I was really excited to try it.
Absinthe is a distilled, and highly alcoholic (Lucid is 62%), anise-flavored spirit derived from a variety of herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb wormwood. Absinthe is typically of a natural green color but is also produced in both clear and artificially colored styles. It is often called “the Green Fairy.” Lucid's was a light olive color. Although it is sometimes mistakenly called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a liquor. Absinthe is unusual among spirits in that it is bottled at a high proof but is normally diluted with water when it is drunk.
I always knew of absinthe as the drink of choice for such trend setters as Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Aleister Crowley. I've also heard of its hallucinogenic properties. I always attributed this to the wormwood. In fact it comes from the Thujone in the wormwood. Thujone is the only chemical that could potentially cause a psychedelic effect but the drinker would die of alcohol poisioning way before they would get enough of this element of absinthe to do that. Which is why the halucinations are a myth. The mystique and danger element of absinthe is something that really sets it apart from other liquors so stories of such things are exaggerated to boost sales or to enhance the experience.
Lucid's natural coloring will breakdown with exposure to sunlight because of the chlorophyll. Absinthe is to be stored in a cool room temperature location without exposure to heat and light. Quality absinthe, when stored properly, can improve greatly with age.
The traditional French style of drinking absinthe as follows:
The traditional French style of drinking absinthe as follows:
- Pour 1oz of absinthe into a glass (traditional absinthe glasses has a 1oz section of the glass at the bottom).
- A slotted absinthe spoon is then placed over the glass.
- A single sugar cube is placed in the middle of the spoon.
- Pour 3ozs of water over the sugar cube and through the spoon.
- (I found that pausing after pouring 2ozs of water gives the sugar time to dissolve and then the remaining 1oz will melt the remaining sugar.
During this process, the components that are not soluble in water, mainly those from anise, fennel, and star anise, come out of solution and cloud the drink. The resulting milky opalescence is called the louche (which is French for "opaque" or "shady"). The addition of water is important, causing the herbs to "blossom" and bringing out many of the flavors originally overpowered by the anise.
Lucid is the first of what is currently 5 legally available absinthes in the United States. The important thing to look for if you are trying to find a true historically accurate absinthe is grande wormwood and not southern wormwood. The makeup is quite different and the latter is not a style of absinthe that anyone would consider "true", due to it's flavor and color.
Lucid is the first of what is currently 5 legally available absinthes in the United States. The important thing to look for if you are trying to find a true historically accurate absinthe is grande wormwood and not southern wormwood. The makeup is quite different and the latter is not a style of absinthe that anyone would consider "true", due to it's flavor and color.
From the reviews I've read, Lucid is poised to be a great starter absinthe because it appeals to American palates. It is sweeter and more anaise influenced then most European absinthes. Not as bright green as some and not as clear as others, Lucid is murky and very herbal looking. Lucid's site: http://www.drinklucid.com/
Absinthe and related products: http://www.originalabsinthe.com/absinthe-c-21.html
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