Manic Tipple
Posted
Thu, 02/05/09
I don't buy liquor that often, usually only for a few drinks on New Years Eve. I
happen to favor
Ryan's Irish
Cream, and typically ring in the new year by sipping the delicious mixture
and playing computer games offline.
A few days before the end of 2008, I went to the local liquor store to get a
bottle of
Ryan's Irish Cream. On the counter I noticed a boxed presentation of
Black Cat Absinthe.
I always thought absinthe was illegal but was told by the cashier that it went
legal about one year ago. I don't fancy a try of the brew, especially not at the
price of $22.50 for a small bottle (with complimentary ad glass).
According to
Wikipedia:
Absinthe
is traditionally a distilled, highly alcoholic (45%-75% ABV)
beverage. It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs,
including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia
absinthium, also called wormwood. Absinthe has a characteristic
natural green color but can also be colorless. It is often
called "the Green Fairy." Although it is sometimes mistakenly
called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and
is therefore classified as liquor. Absinthe is unusual among
spirits in that it is bottled at a high proof but is normally
diluted with water when it is consumed. Absinthe was portrayed
as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. The chemical "thujone,"
present in small quantities, was blamed for its alleged harmful
effects. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States
and in most European countries except the United Kingdom,
Sweden, Spain, Portugal, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Although absinthe was vilified, no evidence has shown it to be
any more dangerous than ordinary liquor. Its psychoactive
properties, apart from those of alcohol, had been much
exaggerated.
Maybe someday I'll give it a whirl.
Tags: Beverages
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