February 29th, 2008 | 10:13
Absinthe is back. After being banned for nearly 100 years, the mythical licorice-flavored spirit is now legally sold in both the US and Europe and it’s your duty to see what all the fuss is about. But first, a history lesson. The legend that absinthe has hallucinogenic properties is false. In late 19th Century Paris, absinthe was very popular among the artists and bohemian culture. Social conservatives (i.e. Republicans) and the local wine industry (worried about losing market share to the up-and-coming absinthe) joined forces to promote a propaganda campaign against the green spirit and claimed that the wormwood shrub used to make it contained a chemical called Thujone which made humans delirious and “made a ferocious beast of a man, a martyr of a woman and a degenerate of an infant.” A few murders were blamed on it and petitions were quickly signed all over Europe to ban the drink.
The problem is, there’s not nearly enough Thujone in absinthe to make you go bonkers and there’s no scientific evidence that Thujone even has any affect on humans. But having said that, you don’t want to start shooting absinthe like it’s Happy Hour at Applebee’s. At 124 proof, Lucid has an alcohol content that can put you on your ass faster than you can say “I love to drink more than I love my family.” Mix it with a little water and sugar like they did back in the day. It’ll help you stay upright and it will make you look like you’re civilized gentleman. Go here to see how to drink it like Ernest Hemingway, Oscar Wilde and Vincent Van Gogh.
Lucid is the first traditional absinthe to be released in the US market since the 2007 ban was lifted. Pick up a bottle today for $60. Buy it here.
absinthe, lucid, spirits
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