I know there used to be an absinthe thread but I cant seem to find it
I was made aware of something today that I didnt know.....you can now buy absinthe in the US made with Grande Wormwood. Its call Lucid and according to their website:
http://drinklucid.com
Quote:
What is Lucid?
Lucid is the first genuine absinthe made with real Grande Wormwood to be legally available in the United States in over 95 years. Lucid is made with a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) as well as other fine European herbs.
What defines a 'genuine' absinthe?
In accordance with the views of absinthe experts in Europe and the U.S., a genuine absinthe is always distilled directly from a mixture of whole herbs in alcohol, which should be a neutral spirit of agricultural origin. It should never be cold mixed from industrial extracts or steam distilled essences or oils. To be true to tradition, the herbs must include Grande Wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), as well as European green anise and sweet fennel, and can include other culinary herbs. An authentic absinthe vert receives its traditional green color directly from the whole herbs, and should never be colored with artificial colorants or chemicals (e.g., FD&C dyes). Genuine absinthe should never contain sugar as bottled, so it should not be classified as a Liqueur. Finally, a quality, genuine French absinthe will always contain a higher concentration of alcohol to preserve its herbal content and natural green color, 60-72% being typical.
What is the difference between Grande Wormwood and Southernwood (or Southern Wormwood)?
Lucid contains a full measure of Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). By contrast, many other products with a claimed relationship to absinthe only contain Southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum – sometimes referred to as Southern Wormwood). Southernwood bears little resemblance to Grande Wormwood and has a completely different flavor and chemistry. Genuine absinthe, such as the absinthe made during the Belle Époque period in France, has always been made with Grande Wormwood as a key ingredient. In fact, the word “absinthe” itself is derived from the scientific name for Grande Wormwood – Artemisia absinthium.
How were you able to legally import Lucid into the US if Wormwood is illegal?
Wormwood is not illegal as long as the finished product meets U.S. standards for content. T.A. Breaux found that by adhering to the absinthe-making techniques used over a century ago, the result was not only a genuine, historically accurate product, but a product that also happens to meet U.S. requirements relating to alcoholic beverages, as would many of the highest quality absinthes from the 19th century.
Isn’t it true that you were required to reduce or eliminate some of the Grande Wormwood or some other ingredients in order to gain U.S. approval for Lucid?
Absolutely FALSE! Despite what some media outlets have incorrectly reported, Lucid contains a full measure – that is a historically accurate amount – of real, high quality grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). The resulting amount of thujone in Lucid is also comparable to many pre-ban absinthes. Lucid is completely authentic in every detail.
Does Lucid contain Thujone?
Yes. Lucid contains an amount of thujone that is comparable to many pre-ban absinthes, many of which would have passed modern U.S. regulations. Any product that comes to the U.S. containing Grande Wormwood must also meet those same requirements, which are similar to the requirements of many other countries. According to extensive research conducted by T.A. Breaux and others in the scientific community, the thujone content of vintage absinthe was actually much lower than has been commonly believed. Breaux and others acquired dozens of vintage bottles of absinthe from estate sales and auctions and applied modern chemical analysis actually testing the thujone content of these absinthes to reach this conclusion. This research has been well documented and the findings remain generally undisputed.
|
Now, many of you know I adore absinthe and Dave has always managed to find me a bottle when he travels overseas and magically gets it thru customs home to me lol. The best I've had so far is 180 proof and made in Bulgaria. I want to know if anyone that KNOWS absinthe has tried this stuff (evidently its been legal here since January 1 2008) and can tell me A. the cost and B. how it compares to what other countries can have (yes I know its distilled in France, but its distilled for US specifications as near as I can tell)