The Return Absinthe
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The Absinthe fountain and spoons are the traditional way to enjoy the spirit. he green fairy has landed. For the first time since its ban in 1912, absinthe is now legal T and available at your corner liquor store. Sure, we’ve all heard the stories: it causes hallucina- tions and psychotic behavior. It has prompted mur- der and caused Van Gogh to hack off his ear. Behind these myths is Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood, which releases a convulsant chemical, thujone, into the spirit. But you’ll likely pass out from alcohol poi- soning before thujone has you seeing fairies. Instead, “the reason for absinthe’s kick is not to do with the wormwood, it’s the alcohol content,” says Jared Gur- fein, president and CEO of Viridian Spirits, importer of Lucid absinthe. “The government had in its mind that thujone is a drug,” he says. But legends die hard. The beginning of absinthe’s resurrection was Ted Breaux, partner in Lucid, who bought vintage absinthe at auction. After testing the contents, specifically the levels ofthujone , he concluded that most had less than 10 parts per million. After some legal research and discussions with the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) by both Kubler and Lucid, a concession was made. The TTB would now allow bottles to say absinthe as long as the product was “thujone free.” According to the TTB, “thujone free” means ten parts per million or less. How much thujone is 10 parts per million? “That’s like me and you floating in a rowboat in the Pacific Ocean,” says Lyons Brown, CEO of Altamar Brands, importer of Kubler absinthe. Ultimately, “the challenge was not the formula, genuine absinthe naturally falls below 10 parts per million; it was the label,” adds Gurfein. Finally, in March and May 2007 the TTB approved Lucid and Kubler’s labels, respectively. Lucid ($60) was first to the market and sold 250 cases in four days solely through a local wholesaler in New York. Now Lucid is The Return available in 22 states and the volume of sales have exceeded Gur- fein’s expectations. At 62% abv, it’s “exactly what an absinthe of would have been 100 years ago,” he says. “Even the stills were from the 1800s and were created for absinthe.” Meanwhile, if you want an absinthe that Van Gogh literally could Absinthe have ordered in a Paris café, turn to Kubler ($50). Kubler follows the same recipe used in 1863 when the product was first created in Switzer- land. At 9 parts thujone per million, Kubler has always met the current After nearly a century, absinthe is government regulations. Since launching the brand stateside in Octo- ber 2007, Kubler has sold four containers, or 1,200 six bottle cases. “We legal in the U.S. are making it as fast as we can and selling about a container a month,” By David Rosario says Brown. “We expect to double our current rate this year.” Kubler and Lucid opened the door for other distilleries to enter the market. “It took Kubler a lot of time and energy to get the law changed and we’re grateful to them,” says St. George absinthe master distiller Lance Winters, who has been perfecting his absinthe recipe for 11 years. Currently, St. George ($75) is the only absinthe both distilled and available in the U.S. At 60% abv, Winters explains, “If Now that absinthe is legal, here are some new classics that mixologists are creating with the green fairy. THE BILLIONAIRE By Dushan Zaric at Employees Only, NYC 2 oz. Baker’s 107˚ Bourbon Whiskey 1 oz. Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice ¾ oz. Simple Syrup ¾ oz. Homemade Grenadine ¼ oz. Homemade Absinthe Bitters Put all ingredients into a mixing glass. Add ice and shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds. Strain into a chilled martini-cocktail glass and garnish with a lemon wheel. you want to have high amounts of essential in the gastronomical experience and not SWIss MIST oils dissolved into the product and don’t become the next Jagermeister.” Meehan, for By Jim Meehan, PDT, NYC want it to be cloudy, you have to keep the one, doesn’t think that will happen: “People alcohol content high.” And he notes that want to drink premium spirits and are will- 2 oz. Plymouth Gin the essential oils contribute dramatically to ing to pay for better products.” 3/4 oz. Lemon Juice 3/4 oz. Grapefruit Syrup the flavor profile. 1 Egg White The Real Thing 3 spritzes of Kubler Absinthe Demand Exceeds Supply Absinthe producers and barmen alike St. George has been stepping up produc- agree that most consumers won’t be fooled Add everything but the absinthe to a mixing tion ever since making a small batch last by the faux-absinthes on the market. Ab- glass. Shake without ice to emulsify the egg year. Another still was even brought over sinto Camargo ($32) adds color to make white. Add ice and shake and strain into a chilled coupe. Using an atomizer, spritz the from Germany: “Demand has exceeded its product “pop.” And you won’t find any absinthe over the surface of the drink. our ability to produce so we have an al- wormwood in this bottle. “My take on most infinitely steep curve; we won’t see the product is for it to be fun; it’s about a Grapefruit syrup: Using a microplane, long term demand until we have product party,” says Olie Berlic, CEO of importer zest the peel from one medium sized pink sitting in market.” According to Kamal Excaliber Enterprise. grapefruit - avoiding the pith - into one Mukjerjee, president of Internet retailer Then there is Green Moon vodka, an cup of simple syrup (1-1). One hour later, strain the syrup and store covered in the DrinkUpNewYork.com, “St. George is absinthe flavored vodka. Recognizing that refrigerator for up to one week. about to enter the market and we have 26 percent of all alcohol consumed is vod- been bombarded with inquiries. We sold ka, Green Moon is the product of market- STArrY NIGHT 60-75 cases in two months pre-sale.” ing and focus groups. “Research found that The call for Absinthe in the New Americans don’t like licorice and want a 2 1/2 oz. Van Gogh Dutch World is being heard in the Old, and pro- softer anise flavor,” says David Moskow- Chocolate Vodka ducers from all over Europe are answering. itz, president of Green Moon Spirits LLC. 1/2 oz. Lucid Mata Hari Absithe, from Austria, is based But with added coloring and sugars and no 1/2 oz. Simple Syrup on an old Viennese recipe dating back wormwood, technically, “these companies Crushed Chocolate Cookie on Rim from 1881. Mata Hari is actually classified are taking themselves out of the category In an iced filled shaker, add the vodka, as a “bitter spirit” due to its high thujone of absinthe,” says Lyons. Lucid and simple syrup. Shake thoroughly content, and it is one of the strongest legal Within the realm of true absinthes, and strain into the chocolate crumbed rim absinthes on the market. there are rumors of singer Marilyn Man- martini glass. Add the Chinese star anise. Meanwhile, bartenders couldn’t be hap- son bringing his Mansinthe to the U.S. BELLE EPOQUE pier with the return of absinthe. “It’s a staple market. Pernod Ricard USA is awaiting ingredient in cocktails,” says Jim Meehan, approval to bring its classic French ab- By Erik Adkins, Slanted Door, San Francisco, CA bar manager at New York’s PDT. “I’ve seen a sinthe stateside. But Winters says it’s the 1 ½ oz. Tanqueray 10 lot of people come in for drinks just because small artisan distillers to watch. “Absinthe ¾ of a Fresh Lime it has absinthe.” Last year at Employees is a category where you can differentiate ½ oz. Simple Syrup Only, a New York City restaurant/lounge, yourself; it’s the pinnacle for the distillers’ 1/8 oz. St. George Absinthe Verte over 450 classic drip absinthes were sold art form.” As Winters explains, “Every in- Put all ingredients into a mixing glass. along with thousands of absinthe cocktails. gredient has a loud voice and trying to get Add ice and shake. Strain into a martini- And despite the high alcohol content, bar them to all harmonize with one another cocktail glass. manager Dushan Zaric of Employees Only is difficult.” Once you do though, he says, in NYC hopes absinthe will “retain its place “It’s a thing of beauty.” n.