Absinthe: What’s it all about?

Gary: Hello everybody and welcome to Wine Library TV, I am your host Gary Vaynerchuk and this my friends is the Thunder Show a.k.a. the internet’s most passionate wine program but today we take a little bit of a turn and a little bit of a different direction. I just think it came down to I didn’t want to deal with the emails anymore asking for an Absinthe show so here we are. We are clearly very lucky to have a very special guest to talk about a subject matter that I’m not as familiar with. I have had some experience but definitely don’t know the ins and outs as much as I do in the wine world or let’s say root beer or Jet’s football, so Brian I thank you so much for being on the show. Brian: My pleasure, thanks. Gary: Why don’t you tell the vayniacs who you are and what we’re going to do today. Brian: Great! My name is Brian Robinson, I am actually the review editor for the Wormwood Society, which is an Absinthe Education Organization. Gary: And where is that based at? Brian: The founder actually is out of Seattle, Washington the Worm Worldwide. Gary: Is he a Seahawks fan? Brian: That much I couldn’t tell you. Yeah, but we’re worldwide— Gary: You should know that Brian. Okay and how many people are part of the society? Brian: Several thousand but we have quite a few sort of active members, many of whom are actual producers of Absinthe who joined the Wormwood Society to get some critiques and some information on what sort of things they need to do to improve their brand. Gary: Sure. Brian: So we tried to stay as unbiased as possible to give people whatever advise they need. Gary: Now how many Absinthe brands are there in the US? Brian: Right now there are actively, there are 53 that are approved for sale in the United States. Gary: And it is not a check or pass Absinthe in the US right? Brian: Absolutely. Gary: To give everybody a little bit of history, you know that is probably interesting for you guys to hear. Brian: Absolutely, what Absinthe itself was band in the United States back in 1912 band in France and several other countries throughout the world following that. There was— Gary: Because it made people crazy? Brian: That is what the common misperception was, it was actually more due to pro business type sentiment. Gary: Activities. Brian: Yeah and the wine industry and the Cognac industry were losing a lot of customers to Absinthe so they really needed to find a way to get rid of it so they came up with some pseudoscientific studies and some stories and that sort of thing and got Absinthe band. In 2007— Gary: I am so disgusted with people that have to compete in that kind of manner so I am disgusted at you at wine industry 1912. Brian: Yeah in 2007, it was again relegalized in the United States. Gary: Why? Brian: Several people, interested parties, really were, they realized that Absinthe didn’t have those effects and they saw it as a great opportunity to reintroduce its both in the states and in Europe and worldwide. So they petition the government and after many thousands of dollars and many man hours, the government finally started to review the current scientific studies that showed that Absinthe wasn’t really harmful and they decided okay let’s let it in. Gary: How much bootlegging on Absinthe was going on in that period, in the US? Brian: That was one of the major arguments that the lawyers made to government, they were saying, “there is a lot of Absinthe coming into the states already because people could buy it online so they said, “Do you want a cut of this or not?” basically and— Gary: The government and its normal routine said, “Yes.” Brian: Exactly, exactly. Gary: Excellent, okay. Brian: So that is pretty Absinthe in a nutshell, the active component that people said made you go crazy is thujone. Gary: And what is that? Brian: Thujone is an active ingredient in Wormwood, which is one of the main parts of Absinthe but what they found through some recent scientific studies was that thujone really didn’t play an active role in any of those events I guess back in 1912 and earlier— Gary: And what are those events, I mean like legitimately killing themselves and going crazy. Brian: Right, they were— Gary: All those things you hear. Brian: Right and most of it was done by end-stage alcoholics who were drinking Absinthe straight and that sort of thing. And a lot of the side effects of what they called Absinthentism was actually just the DTs. Gary: Sure. Brian: These alcoholics who were going through alcohol withdrawal having seizures and that sort. Gary: Right you should beer and vodka and gin. Brian: And gin and everything, absolutely. Gary: Root beer. Brian: Exactly. Gary: Spiked. Okay. Brian: So one of the common misperceptions is that the brands that are currently available in the United States actually have less Wormwood in them, in fact almost all the brands that are in the states right now use the same amount of Wormwood in it as they did back during—. So that is definitely a common misperception, there is a legal limit on the amount of Thujone that can be in a bottle of Absinthe which is 10 parts per million getting a little bit too in depth there. Gary: Getting nerdy. Brian: Exactly very nerdy. Gary: We all need it too because when I think of a lot of people you know that are fascinated by them, I am fascinated I am listening because this is definitely a category I don’t know as much about so appreciate it. So go ahead. Brian: But in terms of some of the recent scientific studies they showed that most of the brands back during the—actually still fell below the EU limits and even the United States limits in terms of Thujone— Gary: What are the countries that are most known for Absinthe? Brian: France, Switzerland and to a lesser degree United States. Gary: Okay. Brian: New Orleans was a huge hotbed for Absinthe back in the day, absolutely. Gary: Of course. Brian: This brand actually is named after one of the streets in New Orleans and there is another brand coming out called Nouvelle which is French for New Orleans. Gary: Yeah. Brian: But predominantly France and Switzerland literally millions of people were drinking Absinthe everyday. Gary: And since the EU reinstated it around the same time or a little early. Brian: A little bit earlier. Gary: Right, it was like a four, I remember— Brian: Yeah four or five around that area. Gary: It was a little earlier I remember, what has happened in Europe because France this was on recaptured some hype or no? Brian: It is really kind of funny because a lot of the distilleries that are making some of the best absinthe are coming out of France and Switzerland, however, public sentiment of Absinthe in France for a lot of people is still that same propaganda. Gary: Negative. Brian: Yeah they were saying oh no that is not major. Gary: How about Germany? Is Germany consuming Absinthe? Brian: They are it is— Gary: I feel like my palate it feels like something that would do well there. Brian: They have a different sort of version of Absinthe that is more prominent in Eastern Europe, which is much more bitter. It is what is called Bohemian style Absinthe but there are several very good brands that come out of that area as well. Gary: Okay, now your organizations main agenda is? Brian: Main agenda is Absinthe education, making sure that we dispel a lot of those myths. We encourage people to go to the website and take a look at our FAQs. Gary: Let’s link that up Mott. Brian: Exactly. The FAQs and also the forum section where we have a lot of active members. Gary: Nerd talk. Brian: Definite Nerd talk. Gary: But fun. Brian: That is very fun yeah and as long as you come in there, you are well behaved, you will be well received and we will answer question that is worth answering. Gary: Because you know Chris moderates a form as well for us and you know he throws down sometimes, do you moderate the form? Brian: I am part of the moderating team, yes. Gary: We have a team now too. I feel excited for you, right Mott. Okay so let’s get into the brands and I we’ve got a little secret over here. Brian: Yes we do. Gary: Are you catching that on screen Mott, no don’t, I was excited. All right, let’s go, we are going to go this way so why don’t you give us the basis of the ingredients of that, so again, I want to really fill this with education so what do we have here let’s get the first brand? Brian: That is the Vieux Carre Absinthe which is done by the Philadelphia distilling company, the same people who make Glucogin. Gary: Yup. 56 bones suggested retail. Brian: Exactly. Gary: Right. Brian: You can get most of these in the same sort of place, same sort of websites drinkupnewyork.com and so on and so forth. All Absinthe’s really carry a lot of the same ingredients. Anise, wormwood, fennel. Gary: I love Anise. I mean if you don’t love anise you pretty much going to drink this, right. Brian: Right. There are some brands that will say, “Hey, we are an absinthe without the anise but they really— Gary: They’re not. Brian: Yeah, yeah. Gary: It is like wine without the grapes. Brian: Exactly, you got it so but then the coloration herbs things like Melissa, coriander, petite wormwood, more commonly known as lemon balm. Gary: Sure. Brian: So this one actually has a lot of earthy tones to it from the fennel dew and a few other ingredients like that. Juniper. Gary: So these were all prepared, we have some exclusive footage, after the show ends a little four minute preparation video. Mott, were you excited, was it interesting. Mott: Awesome. Gary: You got into it. Brian: Because I was replacing over a little bit. Gary: Because he was trying to get sleepy. Tell us how we get to this color. Brian: This color basically it starts up clear like this then we add about an ounce to the bottom of the glass and fill it with typically three to five parts water and drip it over a spoon with some sugar. Get a little bit of balance of flavors with the sweetness from the sugar and anise and the bitterness from the wormwood. Gary: So how much of the actual? Brian: About one ounce for a glass. Gary: And so if you want to get hardcore you can do two ounces or— Brian: Absolutely, you can do two ounces. Gary: You can go straight to the face if you want. Brian: Absolutely, you could that will blow out your taste buds completely and you really not taste any of the new ounces but— Gary: What the person that blends is that a mixologist I mean is a term for the person that blends it? Brian: Basically, in terms of the preparation? Gary: Yes. Brian: Distologist. Gary: Distologist. Brian: Yeah most of the— Gary: Do you consider yourself a distologist? Brian: I do not prepare, I do not make any absinthe, I am just an unbiased review person so Gary: I see that seemed on the— Brian: Diplomatic, you better believe it, I have to be, I have to be. Gary: This is a swirl play at all because that you could see that I want swirl. Brian: Go ahead and swirl case is very similar to a wine. Gary: Oh man this is you know, I am a huge liquorish guy and things like that and they just this is going to appeal to my palate quite a bit. Brian: Absolutely that is what I was hoping. You will pick up a lot of that the earthiness. Gary: It is very herbaceous, yeah. Brian: Absolutely that is really fennel and the juniper coming through. Gary: Now this smells tremendous, I am all about it. Brian: I am glad to hear that. Gary: I have a nose that is clearly, you know, that liquorish thing that most people are going to associate this with. Sometimes you hear when I reviewed wine. I talk about real black liquorish. I get excited. So you know if you don’t like kind of style, I just don’t see anyway you could avoid not liking these if you don’t like it. Brian: Yup, that is what I tell people. I said if you don’t like liquorish you are not going to like Absinthe. Gary: But on the flip side, there is a lot more going on here than just that. Especially on that herbaceous kick, almost in weird way, almost like a little Ricola kind of thing going on. Brian: Absolutely, you’ve got it, a lot of the same sort herbs are in cough drops and that sort of thing. So you will taste that. Gary: Right, let’s give it a whirl, in a weird way, I really like this. Now this is a lot softer than I expected. Were you worried that maybe palate was rented for and you would say this is more a soft play than most people will go. Brian: Actually, this one has all of the normal attributes with the—the juniper really does sort of tie things together. So it is a little bit smoother than some Absinthes but what you will notice too is there a major difference between distilled wormwood and macerated wormwood, which has something to do with something a little bit lighter today. Gary: Okay, this is dangerous, I will be very honest with you. This very easy drinking to me, now I have done some in the past, I don’t know why this is a little smoother and a little cleaner, maybe it’s just good. You know, it is what I think of it. Someone is like drinking a good vodka compared to the plastic bottle of 9 dollars. So I have had very limited experience, I feel like I have the 9 dollar plastic. I mean I find this to be very good. Brian: And that is part of— Gary: But I— it s a little bit water down even for my palate, and so what I’m wondering and I think it is important to put out there, would you say this was more on the softer play like you made this softer than you would have let’s say if it is another hardcore Absinthe drinker. Brian: For me I don’t even use sugar. I have been drinking absinthe for over 15 years now and my palate has been developed— Gary: You look 15. Brian: No, I have been around believe me but— Gary: How old are you? Brian: 32. Gary: I understand 17. Go ahead. Brian: But I was in Spain when I was doing it so you know we made drinking age a little bit different. Gary: It explain Texas. Brian: But yeah, this has a lot of it has to do with preparing to taste because some people will do three parts water and some people will do five parts water. Some people will do with sugar, some without. Gary: And what are you—if you are to drink or when you drink this at home now, where are you at now, three parts water, no sugar? Brian: Yeah, pretty much. Gary: That’s good right. Brian: Yeah, absolutely. Gary: And this five parts water, with sugar. Brian: This is about four, yeah with sugar. Gary: Okay. Brian: And a lot of times, the sugar will bring out some of the new ounces so I wanted to do it more than traditional methods as opposed toof what I am used to. Gary: I understand. Brian: But yeah. Gary: This is fantastic, it is great little drink, I can see a lot of people liking that. I mean that is very fan friendly to me. Brian: Absolutely. Gary: Anybody, who can get over the anise labor is in on this. Brian: That is just kind of what I was thinking. Gary: This really feels like you know, Zeema. Brian: Don’t even go that around. Gary: I am kidding, I’m kidding, I’m kidding, I had to go there. Brian: So. Gary: All right. No that is great. Its great that is very good actually. Brian: It is what I like to hear. Gary: I feel kind of, this is not bad is it? Brian: No. Gary: Okay. Mott keep the yapping give him stuff on that let me grab something go. Brian: Okay sure. So in terms of the different types of Absinthe, they all have again a lot of the same common ingredients but it is the proportions that are really going to make a difference in the different flavors. Gary: Can you give me a favor? Can you be a little bit straight? Brian: Hardcore. Gary: I am just curious of how that is great I am not going drink Brian: Shoot it down. Gary: It is still a great nose but you know what, I agree with you, I am shocked right now I was just see if I break it up but definitely the water and sugar did bring out more new ounces on the nose. Brian: Absolutely. Gary: I get far less here. Brian: Um-hmm. Well its ultra concentrated which is one of the reasons why we don’t normally recommend people shoot it straight or light her on fire because you are really going to blow out those taste buds. I mean all of that anise in there will numb your palate. Gary: I can drink this stuff. You see I am huge liquorish fan. Brian: Yeah, I am too. This is 60% all the Absinthes will normally range between 50, which is something like that and 72% so. Gary: This is 50% exactly and this is 50 bones and this is the one that we will just see in a magazine with ad in it which you were quoted in congratulations. Brian: Thank you. Gary: Obsello, now this is from where? Brian: That is from the kingdom of Spain. Gary: Spain. Brian: Yes, same guys who make Barcelona Gin made this one. Gary: And this is kind of more wildly distributed, isn’t it? Brian: I would say so? Gary: I have seen this brand more often. Brian: They have definitely made a huge marketing push in the United States and it is a very easy drinking Absinth too. Gary: Now this is a little bit more lime on the nose. Brian: You got it, yeah, it is a— Gary: I like the smell of a couple of things here. Brian: I thought you might, yeah this is from the lemon balm. You know a lot of lemon balm and coloration and that is where the citrusy sort of lime that comes coming. Gary: Absolutely much more and you know a little bit more you know, this I am getting the alcohol nose a little bit more. But to me I almost got scotchy kind of tequilaesc kind of like backend heat spirit play with this lemon thing. You know it kind of makes me think of tequila a little bit probably because of the lemon. Brian: The lemon right. Gary: You know the lime, you know what I mean. Brian: Um-hmm. Gary: Okay. Brian: Lot’s of difference flavors in this one compared to the other. Gary: Yeah. But I’m not sure if I think I like the first one better. Brian: This one the juniper over here really does tie a lot of things together. This one is a lot more sort of flavor direct in terms of the anise. Gary: It is funny you said that, you know it is great thing sorry I interrupted you, it does shoot right down, you know somebody who talk about wine being really focused on the middle. I don’t pick up as many nuances as I did in the first. Now I also have that in between but I don’t feel super because I took a very little in as you were saying because maybe I don’t want shoot my palate for the rest of the show. Brian: Right. Gary: I like it but I do prefer the first one a little bit more for my palate. Brian: This is very traditional sort of Spanish Absinthe style. Absinthe was never illegal in Spain and it has been deemed produced for ages but it is much more anise heavy and again, you do get. Gary: This is creamier too. Brian: Very much so yeah and that is a lot to do with the distillation process. Gary: It quotes my palate. Brian: It definitely does, yeah. This one is very milky compared to some of the others. Gary: It is kind of growing on me a little bit. I feel like if there is a version of this that has more nuances with this milkiness I am going to be really in. Brian: What you might even want to do then is further water it down a little bit because that will renounce some more, yeah. Gary: But then okay interesting. Brian: Just add a little bit of water. Gary: Yeah I understand. Brian: But again, it is all the taste but Absinthe some have different sweet spots. Gary: Are there like some hardcore ninja like Jedi type guys and gals that are really known for their distilling skills? Brian: Absolutely. Gary: Like you mean they were too. Brian: Ted Bro is one, he was— Gary: Ted Bro, I mean that is like the greatest name ever. Brian: So he has been distilling Absinthe for quite a while, he actually based his recipes on-so he basically took. Gary: Tell me about Bella, because you mentioned a couple of times I don’t have a reference point there for sure though or maybe— Brian: Bella, basically early 1900 in France the golden age basically of France. What Ted was he obtained a few bottles that were from that era. Gary: He bought them at like auction. Brian: There are a few who go out there who make their living on finding cellars that have absinthe from the early 1900. Gary: And where do they sell, websites? Brian: Yeah typically. Gary: it is like this whole underground thing right. Brian: Absolutely, you better believe it but— Gary: But before websites it was like total and you got this tuff like red canary. Brian: Yes. You got it, but he did some scientific analysis and broke down these vintage bottles and figured out. Gary: So he’s a science nerd? Brian: He is. He is a chemist. Gary: It is more like Dr. Ted Brow Brian: Yeah, if you meet you know what I’m talking about. But he broke those down to figure out what the constituent components were and then made his absinthe from that. So he has one called PF 1901 which is based on. Gary: It is a brand. Brian: Yeah, which is based on Pernod Fils from 1901. Gary: And what his brand. Brian: Depending on the brand, lucid is one of his sort of segregate brands, that is in the 50 to 60 dollar range. The Jade lines which are his more the reproductions or run around 100. Gary: Got it, okay let’s move on. We got a good pace going. Brian: Sounds good to me. Gary: What do we have here? Brian: This is Marteau which is distilled in Oregon by nostalgic spirits. Gary: 85 bones and this was bottled in October. MGS is Brian: Gwydion Stone is actually the guy who he founded the Wormwood Society but this is his brand as well. He has been doing the Wormwood Society for a little bit over years. Gary: So this is your boss? Brian: You know, I am actually, I am a financial adviser by trade, I just do this for fun. But he has actually stepped away from the Wormwood Society. Gary: I am sure a lot likefinancial adviser, what are you recommending to get these. Brian: I got call them because—he stepped away from the Wormwood Society one of that to be a little bit more of an unbiased resource. Gary: So that he can start on this. He got entrepreneurial. Brian: Yes very much so. Gary: All right lets give it a sniffy sniff. Now this has the biggest nose of the bunch. Brian: Absolutely. Gary: Now this smells almost like a Mexican Restaurant, I almost get like jalapeños in the nose. Brian: You get a lot of spiciness with this one, in a good way. You will see what I mean by the flavor too. Gary: Oh man this really, really does smell like cilantro meads like jalapeños pepper, I can get a lot of spiciness on this. Brian: He uses a lot of different herbs in some of the other ones too. He uses Horace root for example, which is for the iris. Gary: Yeah I really like this. Horace root, right. Brian: Um-hmm. Gary: Wow, this is great. Brian: It is definitely spicier but again in a good way for me. Gary: Yeah, almost like if you are talking about from a cough drop standpoint instead of like that over-the-counter like it taste like candy for everybody 299 cbs play. This like the real serious one usually like a smaller version and the flavor is so much more intense. This really does get Ricola on me. A lot whereas there new ounces before this kind of taste like it. Brian: Well one of things that absinthe started out as is a medicinal. Gary: Sure. Brian: And it is still actually well settle your stomach. Gary: That makes Mott very happy. Mott drink this stuff. Brian: This one is very floral that is also from the Horace, which has a lot of the same sort of flavors of violets so you get sort of that flowery nose to it. Gary: This is good. Brian: Yeah. Gary: This good, you know it is ironic though, I still think of the first one is my favorite. I want to go back to it, maybe I was just excited about it. Brian: The Marteau is based again on more of a bela poc style. The Vieux Carre they like to term there selves as Americanizers and this is sort of an Americanized of a bela poc style. Gary: You know its funny when you go back from that to that. You start seeing maybe the thinness in this or you know as much as complexity was there, this is has got so much intensity. Brian: Right and he prides himself on sort of wrapping all that into one small package, I guess. Gary: I mean this is very interesting, I mean this is definitely a beverage that I think like you know wine, rootbeer, I think this can get into rotation for me. I like it, I mean this has been a great experience. Mott the secret, I’m scared about this. Brian: You should be, no, I’m kidding. Gary: Tell me about this. Brian: This is a Wormwood bitters, I brought this really to demonstrate to you the difference between the flavor profile of a distilled wormwood and a macerated wormwood. Okay, these are all distilled wormwood exactly. Macerated wormwood has much more accurate sort of biting bitterness to it as opposed to sort of the smooth alpine type of bitterness that you get with distilled wormwood. So one of the things that you want to look for when your buying absinthe is make sure that you are getting a distilled product because it will have a completely different flavor profile then a macerated one. So that is your wormwood bitters. So it is not an Absinthe but it is a— Gary: It smells like soup. Brian: Yeah there is a lot of aromatics in there but the flavor. Gary: Right I mean this smells like a bathroom, like it really smells like a bathroom type. Brian: Yeah it is a liqueur that is just stuffed down in the shower is the way I kind of look at it. Gary: Yeah, I mean this is almost like Irish spray, you mean like interesting. I am like you know the soap. Brian: Now I have ordered that down a little bit to make sure you don’t get. Gary: This is ordered down a hair. Brian: A little bit, yeah about one to one there but you will see what I mean by the bitterness you get really in the back of the throat there with the let’s see, I am glad you don’t have more tasting after this one. Gary: I mean this is very soap like. Really quite a bit. Brian: Do you get that bitterness on the back there. Gary: Let me try it again. I am like, I mean I have had, here is the weird thing, when I go to France, we will drink. It will be a whole wine buying thing, I will buy lots of wine and they are happy with me and they are like bring out the stuff and it was like four in the morning and it looks like a bottle like this. I am like, “Gary, let me see your hair and your chest.” I am like, “no, you need more, you drink this and it is like that, you know I never really. You know I mean they could totally poison me. Luckily I usually know that I’m buying enough that the don’t want to get rid of me. Brian: Right, right. Gary: When I don’t buy them like I am going to pass it. Like look at that we still have okay bring out the bottle. But it is very rudy and green. It just feels like your drinking the earth. Brian: Absolutely. Gary: So this is more like that the nose. Brian: Absolutely, yeah that is basically taken tea bag of herbs and soaking it in alcohol. You see what I mean by sort of that twang there. Definitely a completely. Gary: Yeah right here. Orange, a little bit of orange twang on the back like orange peel on the back of the palate. Brian: And that is some of the other herbs that are in that Wormwood bitters but mainly the difference between the two again is-- Gary: And wormwood just we didn’t completely break that down. Brian: Wormwood is one of the basically an herb, it is just an herb. Gary: Okay, I just wanted. Brian: Almost a strawberry type, yeah we didn’t hit on that for anybody so it is not wormwood it is actual a plant. Gary: Oh that is interesting, I like it. Brian: It will sit in the back of your throat for ages. Gary: And these are really great after dinner drinks especially this was actually more my style. Brian: That would definitely be a little bit more on the after dinner type of style, yeah. Gary: Whereas this is yeah you are right and so what about this I mean you can buy this by the bar? Brian: Not yet that is one that is going through approval right now. It is sort of a prototype that one of the other liqueur manufacturers. Gary: This is kind of illegal. Brian: It is a prototype so it is not illegal but it is, I got some stuff here so this absinthe was predominantly drank as an aparte so you get the juices flown in the stomach and lift things work their magic while your eating. That one you probably build more after dinner. Gary: Yeah to allow you to like be able to go to sleep. Brian: You got it. Gary: This was great man Mott do you like this I am like so into this and remember at the end of this after he asks the question of the day you got four minutes. Did you talk while you were preparing it? Brian: Yes we explained the whole process, no fire, that is the one thing you need to remember, no fire. Gary: No, fire. Brian: Yeah. Gary: Thank you so much. Brian: My pleasure, thanks very much. Gary: Question of the day fire away. Brian: Question of the day. What country has the longest coastline? Gary: You with a little bit of me, we are changing the absinthe world. Mott: So France is going to show us a little bit about the preparation process about for this Absinthe to get in the condition where you are suppose to face it. Brian: Okay so technically to start with you want something water vessel like traditional absinthe like what we have here or water jug would work just fine. A lot of people who don’t want to spend their money on getting the absinthe accessories can just use ice water filled sport bottle, a lot of people do that too. The we have got your traditional absinthe spoon and a sugar few. You will put about an ounce worth of absinthe in your glass. Place a spoon on top of the glass. Sugar too on top of the spoon and then slowly start your drip which will then soak the sugar. The sugar will dissolve into the absinthe. The whole idea behind the sugar cube is to swing the drink a little bit because wormwood tends to be slightly bitter so this will help round out the flavors a little bit to make it a nice sweet upperte so that is your typically absinthe preparation. A lot of people are under assumption that you light the sugar cube on fire after it has been soaked with absinthe that is a popular misconception this is the traditional method that was being used during the – in France absinthe. Mott: And how long does this process usually take? Brian: You can get a good loosh, which is what you see here, the loosh is the term for when the absinth turns cloudy. You can get a good wine in a couple of minutes some of the more experienced absinthe or as I guess you would say and they like to make that five or seven minutes just the ritual of the preparation but you can get a good loosh in just a couple of minutes. Mott: Now we are not supposed to be doing any sort of a dance or any kind of rituals. Brian: We don’t rain dance or anything like that we got the snow and rain already so nobody can do that now but that is your typical preparation and do the spoons themselves var. Mott: And do the spoons themselves vary a little bit and there SUDS are a little bit different but at the same type of holds. Brian: Absolutely you got a little dozens of different types of spoons. The major feature is just that its wide enough to finish over time and that you got slots in there to be able to let the sugar dissolve and went to the absinthe. There are also things like grills, which basically just fit her with the top, it doesn’t look like a spoon it just looks like just a round piece of metal with slots on it and that works just as fine too. I tend to like the spoons a bit more because they are shaped as a spade so you can use it then to stir the absinthe when it is done to make sure all the sugar is dissolving there. Mott: Very cool and you were showing me something where the simple syrup a little earlier. Brian: Exa