MetaChat - Help, Green Fairies!

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06 November 2005

Help, Green Fairies! I'm trying to find the best route to procure some absinthe for my best friend's birthday in two weeks. Has anyone had the experience of having it shipped to the US (prices are ridiculous) without trouble? Any alternate routes available? Can you recommend some brands that don't cost gazillions and thus won't bust this fairy's ass? Merci beaucoup!

post by: moonbird at: 18:35 | 24 comments

Jade, Sabor, and La Fee Verte are supposed to be good brands. Jade is $100+, though.

A discussion on eGullet.

posted by kenko 06 November | 18:45

5 cups vodka

1/2 cup Scope mouthwash

5 drops Listerine.

2 drops Licorice flavouring.

dissolve in the liquid: 25-50 mcg LSD (for versimilitude).

Decant from a recycled Cremé de Menthe bottle. Make a fake label and scrub at it with a piece of steel wool until it appears distressed.

They'll never know unless you tell them. :D

ps.. I would never actually recommend anyone be given lsd.

posted by reflecked 06 November | 18:56

Rumors of absinthe's psychoactivity have been greatly exaggerated.

posted by kenko 06 November | 18:57

There are lots of sites out there about making your own. Also, you could peel off the label of an existing bottle and make your own, creating a wonderfully personal present.

posted by interrobang 06 November | 18:59

I should have previewed that. About the label, I mean, not the recipe.

posted by interrobang 06 November | 19:00

There are lots of sites out there about making your own.

Properly, though, you want a distillation, not an infusion, which will be rather involved, and make it doubly illegal.

posted by kenko 06 November | 19:27

Does anyone have a link to the article(s) about that New Orleans chemist that 'deciphered' absinthe?

From what I gathered the absinth made in the last 50 years or so (or pretty much post "ban") isn't actually the absinthe that was so popular so long ago.

Mainly, the new ones taste like utter rubbish compared to the traditional and mostly non-existent ones. (There have been bottles preserved here and there, which is how this chemist analyzed it and deciphered it.)

posted by loquacious 06 November | 19:30

Rumors of absinthe's psychoactivity have been greatly exaggerated.

While I certainly didn't see any green fairies, I did find absinthe to be quite a different feeling from regular old alcohol. There was no drunk feeling, but I was definitely in an altered state. It was really nice.

posted by agropyron 06 November | 19:34

Here you go, agropyron.

absinthe article.

posted by reflecked 06 November | 19:35

oops :D

Make that "loquacious". Sorry, agropyron.

posted by reflecked 06 November | 19:36

All the absinthe I've ever had (this is the imported "REAL STUFF MAN" yeah right) has led me to hangovers that last for 48 hours. You have been warned.

posted by WolfDaddy 06 November | 19:47

LOQ: mefi discussion

posted by dhruva 06 November | 20:29

WolfDaddy, part of that might just be because most absinthe is around 70% alcohol.

posted by kenko 06 November | 20:51

After two drinks of absinthe: "I can't believe this stuff is a hundred and porty froof!"

posted by agropyron 06 November | 20:53

MeFi had a discussion recently with suggestions of what to buy and where to buy it. I am too lazy to look it up, but it was quite recent, last coupla weeks anyways.

posted by eekacat 06 November | 21:06

woops, dhruva, I don't know how I missed your comment. I am a dumbass.

posted by eekacat 06 November | 21:06

kenko, everclear doesn't give me a hangover at all. What's *hic* your point? *hic* :-)

posted by WolfDaddy 06 November | 22:01

I've got a thujones.

posted by dhartung 06 November | 22:33

Oh man. Anyone want to watch my kid so I can try the absinthe?

posted by jrossi4r 06 November | 23:17

moonbird, amberglow is in Paris right now - maybe drop him a line?

posted by trondant 06 November | 23:40

buy swiss stuff - or french. avoid spanish and czech brands. I like Francois Guy and a swiss one that I picked up in val thorens. I can't recall the name... Francois Guy is available online.

posted by dabitch 07 November | 08:18

Pernod makes absinth as well, it's what my locval serves. that one is ok too. :)

posted by dabitch 07 November | 08:22

(sorry, never had it shipped to the us, but a pal bought me a bottle of Francois Guy online and had it shipped to denmark in a week or two.)

posted by dabitch 07 November | 08:26

I have an online friend that visited France recently. US customs made him give up his bottle of absinthe.

I found the Wired article interesting. I never really wanted to try absinthe but now I do.

posted by deborah 07 November | 16:03

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