Absinthe Madness Strikes in Bay Area

Absinthe has been around for centuries and was the drink of choice among artists and authors like Picasso, van Gogh and Hemingway. Artistic minded people often claimed that consuming absinthe gave them inspiration and opened their minds to new thoughts.

By Joel Williams
Published: January, 2008 

The effects of absinthe have been described as creating the same cheery and uninhibited feelings of alcohol, while also allowing the drinker to remain strangely cogent with a certain creative energy.

These effects have been attributed to a naturally occurring chemical called thujone, found in wormwood, which is one of the ingredients used in producing absinthe. Thujone may cause neurons in the brain to fire more easily; however, modern studies have found that the very low amounts of thujone found in absinthe are not sufficient to have any significant effects on humans. Nonetheless, a worldwide prohibition movement against absinthe and its supposed psychoactive effects reached a fever pitch in 1905 when a Swiss man murdered his pregnant wife and two children in a drunken rage after consuming large amounts of wine and hard liquor, including a small amount of absinthe. Absinthe was banned in the United States and many European countries. In hindsight, many think that absinthe was targeted because of its association with the bohemian lifestyle, which left it on the fringes of society.

In the United States, the good news is that the almost century-old ban was lifted earlier this year. Lance Winters, a former brewer who is now the distiller at St. George Spirits in Alameda, has been experimenting for 11 years with absinthe recipes that he thought he would never be able to bring to market. That all changed with the lifting of the ban, and in December, St. George Spirits became the first U.S. manufacturer since 1912 to receive approval from the government to sell absinthe. St. George Spirits Absinthe Verte starts with fine brandy that is infused with star anise, mint, wormwood, lemon balm, hyssop, meadowsweet, basil, fennel, tarragon and stinging nettles. It then undergoes another distillation which gives it its high 60 percent alcohol content (120 Proof).

Recently, I was invited to the distillery, which is located in a hangar at the old Naval Air Station, for a pre-release press tasting about a week before the product hit the market. First, I was asked if I wanted to try it straight, which of course I did, and I quickly learned why you probably won’t see people lining up at bars to do absinthe shots. The distinctive licorice aroma that comes from the anise and the burn from the extremely high alcohol content caused the overall flavor to be quite unpleasant to me.

I wondered when they were going to whip out the fruity mixer that would make this concoction drinkable, but I noticed that the only other thing on the bar was a pitcher of ice water, which puzzled me. However, I soon discovered that with only about one part ice water to three parts absinthe, the infamous liquor takes on a completely new character. The liquid turned cloudy, and a separate layer formed on top.

I tried it again, thinking that a little bit of water surely couldn’t change the flavor dramatically. As it turns out, I was dead wrong. The addition of water causes the essential oils from the herbal ingredients to come out of solution, which explained the layer that had formed on top. The new potion revealed the flavor of anise, this time complimented with some citrus and faint menthol notes that I felt more than tasted. For some reason, the high alcohol harshness just seemed to vanish, and after a few more sips I could feel a bit of a numbing sensation in my mouth.

And now for the question on everyone’s mind: Did I have a cosmic experience or hallucinogenic epiphany after drinking it? In a word, no, but I will say that I did feel a little bit of a different buzz than you get with other alcoholic beverages. I felt more engaged with those around me, and possibly more attentive. I fully realize that this was probably psychosomatic, after listening to all of the folklore surrounding this legendary spirit, but that doesn’t change what I felt. Bottom line, it was a very interesting experience and I look forward to sharing it with others. However, at $75 for a 750 ml bottle, I will be choosing whom to share it with wisely!