Welcome to Common Man Cocktails, I’m your host Derrick Schommer, I’m sorry I’m laughing because this is just crazy setup. What were going to do today, I was going to do the rum tasting but this was so much more interesting and it all came in all of this stuff was sent to me for reviews, so you know, it’s all my own opinion. Everything has been free so I’m not going to make one better than the other but I’m going to tell you a little bit about absinthe. And what we have is—and we’ve used all of this in the show so far, so that’s cool.
Before this runs out what I want to wanted to show you here is this called lashing, this is where were taking, in this case we have two separate styles. Were going to work with the, this is the lucent absinthe and this is the Vocarey absinthe, I think the front is here and this guys on the website, they just not lucent which is the process of bring out the oil which also in French is cloudy. So what were doing here is we’re making the absinth cloudy and this is what it looks like normally. And the goal here is to bring out some of this, these oils this herbs and this one were dripping it over a sugar cube that’s similar to this you cubes at the store.
This I got from AbsintheDevil.com where I get most of this stuff and what were doing is were dripping the freezing water over the sugar which is giving it a little sweet factor and its part of their tradition the vocarey I see just not doing so, so were not doing so. And that’s going to change the flavors but there are already completely different recipes as the La Fe which we have over here already done because my absinthe found normally has two drips in it. So I can only do two at a time that’s what you get when you buy let’s say $44.00 to $50.00 fountain you’re going to get something that’s going to have two spouts, you’re going to get some six and eight all crazy.
This things go up to $350.00 we have absinth spoons, one came free, this comes with the bottle of La Female strap to the side here and it’s kind of neat, it’s got like a little eye. And then I bought, well I got this as a review and buy them. I got this former review from AbsintheDevil.com the fountain, the pens, the spoons and this cool absinthe cups. They’re kind of concave cups, the glasses go for about $9.00 plus depending. It really absinth from this style is all about style, it’s not really about – functionality definitely, it’s all hands-off so this guy is pretty much done for now.
We got to drip a little more out of here, see if we can get a little in his, this one here, we got ice in the way in my fountain. Now I noticed the difference, one of the big differences is, since I am revieweing the fountain. The big difference in this fountain is if you notice where the little spouts are a little high so when you end up with this the water just kind sits here you can really use it you got to tip it.
The more costly one that you’ll notice the spouts are down there, more convenience. So what were going to do is just, finish this off kind of stir the sugar in there. And now you had a lush absinth. This is going to be a little stronger, because I’ve stopped them function of the show. So what you’re really want to do is you’re looking at about three parts to one ounce, so this is an ounce, so you’re going to typically put three parts water. Iced water, to really bring out the oils and if you—you can’t see them here but there’s very small micro particles floating around in here.
And this ones kind of a different color, you’ll notice this one is crazy Hulk mania green. I’m not exactly sure why they have that specific color and what it does is it brings out a greener, a greener profile if you will. So it’s like a super green and then you’ve got this more of a dark floral, not herbal green tea maybe. It’s darker and then you’ll notice a white cloudiness to the lucid and that’s pretty standard that’s what most reviewers have seen.
And that’s what they’re expecting. So a little about absinthe, I’ve gotten, I’ve posted a couple of absinthe episodes and some people have said look it’s not legal in the United States, it is legal in the United States. It was legalized I think 2007 and what you’ll notice is there’s only a few branch. And there’s growing as every year goes by they're putting out more brands. It was band in 1915 this was something that you just couldn’t have because there’s—the warm wood which is a type of—I thought it was a tree. But it’s not, it’s actually like a herbal leaf or a shrub, I guess or whatever herbs, what are they dish shrubs.
Shrubbery, it’s a shrubbery and inside of the warm wood there’s a thujone and that’s the chemical that people were said to hallucinate. Basically, they compare it to LST, they compare it to opium, they’re comparing a THC for those who marijuana smokers out there and doesn’t actually have that type of thing going on.
With enough thujone you would probably hallucinate but with enough alcohol you probably will going to die and the trick is 10 parts per million and so this ten parts per million Thujone and as considered Thujone free, so it covers the Food And Drug Administration that TGB because it is the tobacco alcohol tax people.
The government that says you can or cannot do something. They send samples of the government, they test it, they make sure its got adjusted the ten parts per million and if it does its big lies and imported in the United States and that actually is okay. It’s what the original recipes were kind of found it on. The original recipes which if you dig up in history, we have things that happen before pre-prohibition, absinthe have arrived that were stored away and basements maybe some granulose house had one and they took this absence that were made before probation, test them with today’s science and they found that holy with that it’s the same style recipe that were now legally able to bring it to the United States.
Somebody could drink absinth but they were already had liver damage, they are hallucinating probably from the amount of alcohol, there was a lot of alcoholics because of what happened is this became, especially absinth came down in price and it came down to the common man. I suppose you just the aristocrats. Everybody could get it especially in France and what you end up with is a lot of drunk people.
For instance this is a 136 proof, we light on fire—another thing you don’t like the stuff on fire just don’t do this. Now part of the original idea you don’t like the sugar no fire, don’t’ believe that its just done don’t’ do that and this is still up there, it’s a 60% alcohol, 120 proof, this is like a 123 close to 62% with a 124.
So it’s very high in alcohol so you can do something stupid its not beyond the realm so with that you’ve got all kinds of bad things that can happen it’s not going to kill you real, I think we could of start tasting and I’ll go through. Let’s start with this one and I’ll see if I could find some more information.
So the La Fee first of, this is La Fee Verte, it means the green fairy, that’s what it’s used to be called Absinthe was the green fairy. So that’s kind of where you get the name and that’s probably where they played their branding off. And you’ll notice it’s really green very black jelly. So that at the beginning of the week I believe we did an absinthe episode with this and some very candy. Some people say that the color is faked. I don’t know I didn’t talk to anybody to see so, maybe it’s artificially colored. There’s nothing against that and I don’t think and there’s not a lot of regulation with absinthe just that thujone numbers.
So you could do a lot of tricky things. I’ll see if I could find out if its true but, it’s like sucking on a black jelly beanf you like black jelly beans, black liqueurs and that’s where you’re going with that.
The valkyrie is much more worm wood is got a bitterness to it very herbal. What you’re getting here is the little hint to black liquorish but not nearly as much. With the lucid, lucid has—it’s kind of a good mix between this two. It’s got some spearmint like a little minty, this got a little eucalyptus style play going to it. This is not as eucalyptusy but it does have some black liquorish. It kind of numbs you. It does have a nice bitterness to it not that—they called it a beautiful bitterness that’s the wormwood and the different herbs playing. So it’s got a little numbing bitterness to it with the black liquorish. This has sugar so you’re getting a little more sweet attack that is existing here.
This is much more herbal green tea sense taste, more bitter but not bitter in there off putting style, again you don’t like black liquorish or sambuca or anything like that, this might not be your deal You’re not a huge fan right?
Not really, kicking it back. I think I kind of like it which is why I did the episode. The other thing, this greenness, the way this occurs is you’re actually distilling all—you’re taking the herbs and you’re putting like all these different secret recipe herbs into this spirit and you’re letting it masquerade. You’re basically—it’s almost like that way you would do a mojito, right? You’re putting those mints in there and you’re crushing them up and you’re letting the juices, the oils escape without breaking up the pieces, same deal. That’s how you’re making the Absint and then when you distill it and the vapors rise. The oils stick to that vapor and then go along thru the ride and they land into your distilled spirit. But your distilled spirit that point will be clear typically or mainly clear or blanche, I think it’s what they call it, or blanche in French. If you’re French, you’re probably are already yelling at me so why do I have to care.
Then what they’ll do is they’ll add additional herbs to get that green factor, the aromas and different taste to it and the chlorophyll, of course from these green leaves would color the drink. They might be artificially colored as this has been rumored to be. Again not, and I don’t know. These, they say are not right on their website, they’ll say “no and they’re not, this are they natural color.” And you could see the differences in the recipes. It doesn’t necessarily mean one’s better that the other but they’re different. They’re also not a liquor because they’re not pre-sweetened. If it’s a real absinthe, it’s not going to have sweeteners and other craziness to it. It’s just going to have the herb the artemisia Absinthe I think the wormwood and that’s what you’ll get. You’re also going to see 50% to 75% alcohol by volume, kind of potent.
So, overall, don’t ever do what I’m doing here because this is extremely dangerous. I’ll pour some of these out. Can’t possibly drink all these and stay alive but I think the Valkyrie. Personalloy from like a, my own personal taste, I think this is the best sipping but it is going to be intense. It’s going to be rich. It’s going to have lime in different flavors to it, complexity but some of those flavors might be off-putting the certain people. I think it’s cool different flavors. This is a little more straight-forward but not completely liquorish which I think the Lafayette is a little more liquorish. I think the lose makes a good introduction.
This is also one of the first if I believe the first to arrive in the United States after they lifted the ban. And these guys are struggling hard, especially these guys to get into the United States, and France, and to different areas of Europe that had this ban and they started lifting them because they’ve, you know, that’s marketing, you want to be able to get in and sell your brand.
So there you go there. No alcohol by the way. You don’t taste any alcohol which is the scary part. You’re tasting a lot of the sweetness and the specifics with these both where you use with the sugar to lose them and that’s where another plan why it’s dangerous. It’s important to realize this stuff if not illegal. It’s actually pretty good. You’re going to look at about $60.00 per bottle and that seems to be about the going rate. You’re probably going to see them rise so if you really want to get in, then start working on ups and I think this is the perfect time because it is now starting to creep into the US and once more premium brands come in and they start trying to market themselves up with cool bottles and what not, I can see the prize easily going to $75.00, $80.00 because these ingredients that going to making the herbs are not cheap to purchase and you know that is the big component so you’ve got to find the cheaper brands, they’re using more faky fake.
So there you go, hopefully that gives you a little introduction. I’d you really want it, you get into these style of thing, I suggest you go absintdevil.com, you buy yourself, you know a fountain. Maybe you start to use, you just get a craft, get a couple cool glasses right? You definitely want to get at least one absinthe spoon which will come of this is you buy the Lafayette brand. Really get, experience if the first time if you can, if you into black liquorish or the N S taste, this I think is a good time to really be introduced to it. Go to wormwoodsociety.org if you want to read about all the legalities and some of the history behind it. They have, you know, different, a lot of great information on the brands so definitely check out wormwoodsociety.com, .org, sorry, wormwoodsociety.org. There you go, that is your Absinthe. This is what it looks like, here’s your fountain, if you have any questions, you can send them to me. I now some people who know Absinthe and I can get you the right answers that’s dschommer@everydaydrinkers.tv. I hope you enjoyed our tasting of Absinthe.
I’m your host Derrick Schommer, we’re teaching you how to drink.
Transcription by:
Scribe4you Transcription Services