It is refined Absinthe, which is what I WOULD have tried if you could get it in the United States but I'm told you can't. I'm still researching; I'll let you know.
Plus it came with this:
And I love it when my booze comes with gifts.
Anyway, the box reads:
'During the heady days of late 19th century Paris, Absinthe was the trademark drink of artists like Degas, Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and Oscar Wilde.
Today, Absente, Absinthe Refined, evokes the glamour and mystical allure of "The Green Fairy."
Absente is the modern version of the original Absinthe recipe. The single difference is we replaced the notorious botanical Wormwood with a less bitter cousin, Southern Wormwood, also known as "petite absinthe." Absente is the first legal Absinthe available in America since 1912.'
It was strange, it tasted like licorice and fennel. And it's 110 proof (hoo boy!) I have always wanted to try Absinthe, and Mead but thats another story, but these things are hard to buy if you are an American (kinda says something right there doesn't it?) it has a substance called Thojone which is what makes Wormwood "notorious."
It does have this substance in it, just at the legally allowed limit in the States; which I researched and found out that it's not really all that much stronger if you buy it outside the U.S.
It's the process of making the drink that most people enjoy, the ritual of it.
You pour 2 ounces of Absente into a glass, then you place the Absinthe spoon over the glass with a sugar cube on it, then pour 3 ounces of cold water over the sugar cube until it dissolves, then stir with the Absinthe spoon.
It turns from a bright poison green color to a milky light green, it's quite pretty the effect. I can see why artists liked it and also why the process seemed so ritualistic. I am a little disappointed that it tastes like black licorice though. But the fact that it's nice and strong makes up for it.
Cheers!
