I was surprised to see FedEx deliver a box of Absinthe this week from Denmark. Don’t misunderstand me. This isn’t a regular practice, but after hearing the stories about “the green fairy” and its affinity among 18th and 19th century creative class, I couldn’t rest until sharing it with friends.
I couldn’t help wonder if it would arrive at all. The stories were so convincing it sounds like real contraband issue. Absinthe is outlawed in the United States in its original recipe of wormwood distillation. It’s an occasional mention of various sub-culture lore and intrigued me most with its memory of Van Gogh and the Beat bohemians that wax romantic about the effect.
The websites and the e-commerce stores that sell Absinthe from European countries put up very few flags as I browsed for an online store to ship the bottles. After I while, I was convinced to buy a three pack sampler for the year and share it off and on with different friends. Besides, the shipping alone was roberry, but it was worth the experience.
This weekend, it was easy to choose the pale blue bottle of Absinthe Swiss La Bleue Clandestine. The label alone has a great gothic characture worth its weight in conversation. This Absinthe is floral and easy to drink. The customary sugar cube on a filtering spoon blends the absinthe and water together to form a milky white drink that tastes like licorce.
The Moulin Vert is a bit more harsh to drink and at 68% burns a nice blue flame across the drink before being served and packs a wallop of feeling into a couple of shooters.
Nevertheless, there are a few bottles in my cabinet now along with cognac and a few good bottles of wine, so the future holds even more interest.
Update…September 5th….no more Absinthe.