This post is not about a search engine, it is a gift to me from a search engine - Snooth - the wine search engine.  It was just posted on their blog, and was contributed by Alesha.  They wrote it because “Absinthe” is the keyword that I use to test search engines, and on occasion imbibe.  I also collect Absinthe paraphernalia.  Here’s Alesha:

I recently learned that absinthe, the alluring Swiss spirit of the Belle Epoque in Paris, known for its popularity with artists including Picasso, Oscar Wilde, and Vincent Van Gogh, had returned to the U.S. after a 95-year ban. Outlawed in 1912 because of its supposed hallucinogenic effects (which are reportedly untrue), absinthe is finally legal again.

Absinthe was originally banned because it contains wormwood and the chemical compound thujone, large amounts of which can cause people to hallucinate. According to a recent USA Today article, absinthe historian T.A. Breaux, who created Lucid (one of only four absinthe brands legal in the U.S.- the others are Green Moon and two from Kübler), says that neither Lucid, nor the other three brands contain a significant amount of thujone.

Lucky for me, New York City’s Waverly Inn offers an absinthe martini. I heard tales about sipping the forbidden liquor in Europe. At last I had a chance to ‘see’ for myself. Several nights ago, I ventured downtown to find out what this spirit could do for me.

I asked to see the dark, slender bottle of Lucid that the bartender poured into my drink. Its creepy celadon eyes seemed to be stalking me. Excited and nervous, I tried the drink. The verdict: quite intense (note to self: next time, sip don’t gulp). Powerful licorice flavor. Citrus balances it nicely. I finished it and sent the fairy on its way. I don’t think I’d be up for more than one absinthe cocktail- one’s enough.

The good (and bad) news: no hallucinations. Sorry guys!

There’s been a lot written on this subject lately…

For more info on absinthe see Dosenation, Gayot, and Fashion Week Daily.

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