Absinthe

Item #180497
Lucid Absinthe Superieure 124
750ML BPC=6

Item #81460
Absente Liqueur w/Spoon & Glass
750ML BPC=6

Absinthe is back – and it’s cooler
(and more lawful) than ever!

In search of a misunderstood spirit with a long, checkered history? Look no further than absinthe.

Absinthe is distilled from wormwood, anise and fennel. It has an assertive liquorice flavor tempered, in the classical style, with drops of cold water that turn it into a milky, opalescent cocktail.

In the mid-19th century, absinthe became the premier drink of the avant-garde in Paris, where it was eventually banned. (In those days, grand wormwood, a key ingredient in the production of traditional absinthe, was believed to fuel hallucinations and wacky behaviors á la Britney Spears.) The United States followed suit with its own prohibition in the 1910s. However, the claims which instigated the bans have, upon closer inspection, turned out to be so much hooey. Absinthe distilled with grand wormwood became legal again in the U.S. in 2007.

Already on the cutting edge of the spirit’s resurgence, Southern Wine & Spirits offers two absinthe products to suit consumer taste and personal preference.

Absente, Absinthe Refined, is a modern version of the original Absinthe recipe. A dazzling emerald green, it's made of southern wormwood, also known as "petite absinthe," rather than grand wormwood, the misunderstood botanical that prompted all the regulatory commotion in the U.S. nearly a century ago.

New to the spirits portfolio is Lucid, Absinthe Supérieure. Lucid begins with a full measure of grand wormwood, green anise, sweet fennel, and other culinary herbs representative of European traditions and historical absinthe crafting from the Belle Époque period in France.

Distilled at the historical Combier Distillery in Samur, France, Lucid contains a strong floral aroma and a balanced finish that one can taste at the tip of the tongue as opposed to the sides or back. This makes Lucid appealing to a wide variety of palates.

Lucid is meant to be consumed in the French manner by pouring cold water into a traditional absinthe glass containing an ounce and a half of the spirit. The water is poured through a sugar cube that sits atop a perforated absinthe spoon resting across the rim of the glass.

Southern supplier Viridian Spirits worked with a top French designer to give the Lucid bottle a modern twist, while paying homage to absinthe’s rich heritage. The cat’s eyes on the bottle take inspiration from Le Chat Noir, a famous cabaret that opened in Montmartre, Paris in 1881.

To learn more about integrating absinthe into your retail or on-premise business, please contact Judy Donahoe at 510-477-5705.

Buy Now

Absinthe Margarita

2 oz absinthe
Sour mix
½ oz Gran Marnier or triple sec
Lime juice
Wedge of lime
Splash tequila

Just substitute absinthe for tequila. Salt the rim, fill glass with ice. Pour in the absinthe and sour mix. Splash in some tequila to mellow the smell and taste of the absinthe. Float the triple sec. Garnish with lime. Salud!

Cajun Mary

2 oz absinthe
Bloody Mary mix (spicy tomato juice)
Splash Tabasco sauce
Splash Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 jumbo shrimp

Fill cocktail glass with ice. Pour in absinthe and bloody Mary mix. Add the Worcestershire and Tabasco. Salt and pepper it. Garnish with the shrimp. For a great impression, use brown ice cubes made with Worcestershire dribbled into the water in an ice tray and frozen ahead of time.

Artemisia Cocktail Adapted from Amalia

2 oz Metaxa Five-Star Brandy
1 oz Calvados
½ oz Patron Citronge
½ oz absinthe
½ oz freshly squeezed lemon juice
Splash of simple syrup

Combine all the ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass.

Buy Now