However there is one French liquor that I've read a lot about and seen on National Geographic channel that, until recently, was banned from sale in the U.S.
Made with Wormwood, the French Wine industry launched a smear campaign against it in the early 1900's after they lost a lot of market to it following a grape blight. Saying that it was poisonous and caused hallucinations (sounds like fun to me), they successfully got most European countries, and the U.S., to ban its sale. The ban was lifted in the 1990s overseas, but just recently was lifted here in the states.
Due to its supposed deleterious effects, it garnered the nickname of The Green Fairy
Know what it is???
Absinthe!!
(Mouse not included)
By most reviews I've read, the Lucid brand, while made using traditional methods in antique distillery with authentic ingredients, is not the highest quality available, it is the best we have been able to find locally.
One of the Absinthe makers actually advertised on the bottle "Now with Wormwood". I'm not a professional Absinthe connoisseur, but I do at least know that its not real Absinthe if its not made with Wormwood. So we passed on that brand (marketing hype). Another brand listed yellow and blue dye added in its ingredients. Absinthe gets its green color naturally, so we passed on that brand as well.
Yeah, I know, this bottle design is pretty up with the hype as well...
One traditional method of preparation is to pour cold water over ice into a glass of Absinthe. This clouds the green liquor into a light green haze. Sugar can be substituted for the ice, but I will try the straight ice version water first.
I've never had this before, so I'm not sure what to expect. Although, on the Food Network's Zane Lamprey show 'Three Sheets', he found Absinthe to be one of the most horribly wretched drinks he'd ever tasted. Then again, he didn't like the liquored pit-viper blood of Taiwan either - go figure.
And now the taste test
Have your tried Ouzo (the Greek Liqueur)? Do you like licorice?
If you like either of these, you'll probably like Absinthe.
There is a Chinese herb based cough medicine made from licorice (it works very well), but because of that, it tastes like medicine to my wife. So she hates it, and had to wash her mouth out with water. Bummer.
Anyway, it tastes like Ouzo, but a bit 'fuzzier'. I think that's because of the water, as its not as oily as Ouzo. And after watering down the Absinthe, it probably has about the same alcohol content. You can really smell the licorice and the taste still lingers in my mouth, but its not harsh.
My ears are warm and my head is a bit sweaty. Probably some mild allergic reaction to it. But I haven't seen any green fairies, yet.
I think its a keeper.
It will be interesting to see what our friends and family think when we have them over for dinner and a taste.
