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Published on February 24th, 2013 | by Greg

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AbsintheExplore: Celebrate The Oscars With The Green Fairy

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Tonight is the Academy Awards, and we’ll be dressing up for a little red carpet action. We’ve got ballots printed out and ready to tally, and a fun menu planned (Argochokes, anyone?) In the last few weeks, we’ve been trying to catch up on the nominees- and when you’re viewing films like Beasts of the Southern Wild or Silver Linings Playbook, it’s nice to have a stiff drink at the ready. Instead of boring drinks like wine or beer, we’ve been sipping a spirit that has a long history of being misunderstood.

Thanks to AbsintheExplore and RueVerte, we’ve been sampling three different styles of absinthe from three different makers- Libertine 68 Amer, Eichelberger, and Capricieuse. The lovely packaged box comes with the required accessory, the classic absinthe spoon, which we used in the traditional manner. You take a small cup and add a bit of absinthe, then cover with the special spoon. Place a sugar cube on top, and then slowly (drip by drip optimally) add very cold water until you’ve got about 3-5 parts of water for 1 part absinthe. The spirit comes at up to 90% alcohol (180 proof), so is typically diluted in this fashion for best results.

However, we actually found ourselves enjoying two of the three varieties straight- no water, no sugar, just a bracing anise-flavored kick. The tasters have been split on which variety is preferred- the Libertine was the most divisive and the strongest-flavored of them all, with strong notes of savoriness while the other two were more botanical. It also was easily recognizable thanks to a distinct caramel color (none of them were the bright green you might expect given the drinks’ Hollywood appearance, the others were slightly tinted but fairly clear).

Absinthe is completely legal now and despite what you might have heard, has no major psychoactive properties. The dangers of thujone and wormwood, which were only ever present in trace amounts, have been greatly exaggerated. For better or worse, we felt no ill effects while sipping on absinthe, beyond those of any other alcohol. AbsintheExplore is a great self-contained experience, perfect for beginners but offering varieties you’re unlikely to find at your local bar or liquor store. You can choose from one, three, or six tubes, and select from their wide array of possible options. Priced at $31.50 for the trio, it’s a great gift for the spirit aficionado.

 

Tags: absinthe, alcohol, review, spirit


About the Author

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Greg Greg dreamed up the idea for the Truly Network while living in Hawaii, which began with a single site called TrulyObscure. In 2010, when advertisers and readers were requesting coverage beyond the scope of that site, TrulyNet was launched, reaching a broader audience over a variety of niche sites. Formerly the head technology correspondent for the Des Moines Register at age 16, he has since lived and worked in five states and two countries, helping a list of organizations and companies that includes the United States Census Bureau, TripAdvisor, Events Photo Group, Berlitz, and Computer Geeks. He also served as the Content Strategy Manager for HearPlanet, a multi-platform app that has reached over a million users and has been featured in the New York Times, Hemispheres Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, Fox Business News, PC Magazine, and even Appleโ€™s own iPhone ads. Greg has written as a restaurant critic and feature journalist for a number of national and international publications, including City Weekend Magazine, Red Egg Magazine, the Newton Daily News, Capital Change Magazine, and an arm of China Daily, Beijing Weekend. In addition, he has served as a consulting editor for the Foreign Language Press of Beijing, as well as a writer and editor for the George Washington University Hatchet, the school newspaper of his alma mater. Originally from Iowa, Greg is currently living in the West Village of Manhattan.


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