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absinthe....i don't know where to post the question!

bethaniesmom

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bethaniesmom

bethaniesmom

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so, I know it is illegal to sell absinthe in the united states, but my daughter has a question...can you bring it back with you from Europe...don't know where to look...figured someone here could point me in the right direction!

 

Beverly

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OPSoccermom

OPSoccermom

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Actually, there are American-made brands of absinthe that you can purchase domestically. Try "googling". Not sure what they would do in customs if you bring it back from Europe as I believe the US "ban" on foreign absinthe may still be in place.

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HorrorFan

HorrorFan

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Absinthe that would be legal in the US would not contain wormwood, therefore is not really Absinthe. Having said that, I read somewhere that it is now (within the last month) legal in the US. Do a search.

Anyway, I drank it last year ( I live in Canada where it IS legal) and I had the WORST hangover I have ever experienced in my life. I felt poisoned for about two days. The real stuff is expensive too, about $80 a bottle or so, and it doesn't taste good.

Buy a bottle of cognac instead. You'll enjoy it a LOT more.

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sf2

sf2

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I'm an absinthe fan . . .you can buy it in St Maarten and I've had no problem bringing a few bottles back (then again - I haven't had customs open a sealed box from the liquor retailers). The ban is slowly being lifted, and as mentioned above - there's a brand called "Lucid" that's being sold in the US now. Haven't experienced it.

 

I've paid anywhere from $5 to around $50 with decent brands running around $20.

 

It's legal in Canada and can be shipped into the US, but is pricey

 

For the newbies - It's kinda like anisette or ouzo in taste and ideally is diluted with 4-5 parts water and sometime sugared to get rid of the bitter taste. Really not to be done in shots like I've seen some folk do :D

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velocity6

velocity6

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Absinthe is legal to own in the USA and to drink. It was illegal to sell and import. I guess this is changing in the last few months. The best absinthes are made in switzerland and most decent absinthes cost alot (more than $50 a bottle), cheaper ones are just high proof mouth wash. You can order absinthe online at www.alandia.de In Europe you can purchase absinthe in Germany. France and Spain too, but its much harder to find in these countries. You shouldnt have a problem bringing it back. Czech absinthes should be avoided.

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Merion_Mom

Merion_Mom

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Absinthe that would be legal in the US would not contain wormwood, therefore is not really Absinthe. Having said that, I read somewhere that it is now (within the last month) legal in the US. Do a search.

Anyway, I drank it last year ( I live in Canada where it IS legal) and I had the WORST hangover I have ever experienced in my life. I felt poisoned for about two days. The real stuff is expensive too, about $80 a bottle or so, and it doesn't taste good.

Buy a bottle of cognac instead. You'll enjoy it a LOT more.

 

Absinthe has been implicated in the disappearance of George Smith. ;)

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LBC77

LBC77

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American 'absinth' is ACTUALLY called absent, and what the name implies is correct.

it doesn't have key ingredient that are in-fact illegal in America.

i'll talk more later, i know ALOT about the topic

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pcur

pcur

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For the newbies - It's kinda like anisette or ouzo in taste and ideally is diluted with 4-5 parts water and sometime sugared to get rid of the bitter taste. Really not to be done in shots like I've seen some folk do :D

 

My oldest son learned this the hard way. I brought a bottle of ouzo home from my trip to Greece (that one is legal to bring in), and he and a friend imbibed one night. I didn't want it after I got it home.

 

They didn't know what it really was and BOTH of them were deathly ill all the next day. My son says he never made it off the floor of the bathroom next to the toilet the entire day. Nasty stuff.

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kevin1877

kevin1877

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American 'absinth' is ACTUALLY called absent, and what the name implies is correct.

it doesn't have key ingredient that are in-fact illegal in America.

i'll talk more later, i know ALOT about the topic

 

 

That is actually incorrect. Absente IS a non-wormwood absinth "knock off" but other brands such as Lucid are "American" absinth, Lucid DOES contain wormwood, just a very very small amount. Absinth is now legal in the US, just as long as it doesn't contain more than a certain % of wormwood. Legal Absinth is not available in every state, (same principal as grain) as alcohol laws are state regulated. If you go to Lucid's website you can see what states sell "real" absinth.

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LBC77

LBC77

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One of the main herbs in legitimate Absinthe is wormwood and its derivative essence thujone. Thujone is classified as a convulsant poison, NOT a drug, having a similar structure as T.H.C., the active chemical in cannabis. Both thujone and T.H.C. are terpenoids and have a similar molecular geometry and similar functional groups available for metabolism. Despite the fact that thujone is classified as a convulsant poison, many doctors and scientists consider thujone to be a powerful drug, and psychoactive in relatively low dosages. However, little is known about whether or not it causes cumulative damage to the nervous system.

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LBC77

LBC77

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The French word absinthe can refer either to the alcoholic beverage or, less commonly, to the actual wormwood plant (grande absinthe being Artemisia absinthium, and petite absinthe being Artemisia pontica). The Latin name artemisia comes from Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess of forests and hills. Absinthe is derived from the Latin absinthium, which in turn is a stylization of the Greek αψίνθιον (apsínthion), for wormwood.

 

Some claim that the word means “undrinkable” in Greek,[3] but it may instead be linked to the Persian root spand or aspand, or the variant esfand, which meant Peganum harmala, also called Syrian Rue though it is not an actual variety of rue, another famously bitter herb.

 

That Artemisia absinthium was commonly burned as a protective offering may suggest that its origins lie in the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root *spend, meaning “to perform a ritual” or “make an offering.” Whether the word was a borrowing from Persian into Greek, or from a common ancestor of both, is unclear.[4]

 

Variant spellings of absinthe are absinth, absynthe, and absenta. For its English pronunciation, see IPA: /ˈæbˌsinθ/; for the French, see IPA: [apˈsɛ̃ːt]. Absinth (without the “e”) is a spelling variant that is often seen in central Europe. Many Bohemian-style products use this spelling,[5] and it is often thought to be synonymous with Bohemian absinthe.

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