A couple of weeks ago we went to have dinner with our friends Adrian and Cindy. They had just been in London and had brought back a bottle of true Parisian Absinthe- with the wormwood. Of course, in the US, it is illegal to sell or serve Absinthe with wormwood because, you know, it's like a DRUG or something. Anyway, I have never liked the Absinthe I have tried in the US so I was excited to have the chance to try the real, smuggled stuff- since there are so many literary and historic mentions of the stuff. Plus, it's neon green! And comes in a cool bottle!



The most fun part about the experience is the preparation. You are supposed to warm a teaspoonful of sugar over a candle, not so it melts but just so it's hot. Then, you put some Absinthe in a glass. You hold the spoon with the warmed sugar over the glass and pour water over it. It sizzles and melts and the whole thing turns cloudy.


Ooh, magical!

Ah, but then there's the taste. Like Pastis, Sambuca, and every other anise-flavored liquor, Absinthe is not up my alley enjoyment-wise. But it was definitely a hands-on after-dinner experience, which added a lot of value!