The Glade 4.0

Highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th century with many famous artists and bohemian culture in general, Absinthe --a spirit distilled from anise and wormwood-- was of course despised by conservative types at the time, who blamed it for all sorts of social ills. It was banned in most countries by 1915. All their claims were later shown to be hogwash, and the bans were lifted in the 1990s.

I've always wanted to try it. Does anyone here drink it? I understand the experience is much like drinking concentrated, unsweetened sambuca (unless you add sugar and water, which is popular anyway). Does the thujone-chemical (from the wormwood) that it was originally banned for have any noticeable effect? Or is it just the high alcohol content that gives it its reputation?

_________________
Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

I made NF drink some at a party and he said he was "vibrating" (I have the entire drunken conversation on video...it's quite hilarious)...you should ask him about it.

_________________
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Jesus of Nazareth

I have not, although I have a friend in town who brews the "real" stuff. I figure I'll try some around this Mardi Gras, usually when his production is at its peak.

_________________
Darksiege: You are not a god damned vulcan homie.

I have had it a couple of times, once on the rocks, once prepared with sugar and ice water, to release the louche. A friend has the entire set-up, but has since moved down to LA. so unless I invest in the equipment I won't have it that way again soon.

The louche was more interesting, it has a heavy anise taste (licorice, but not too sweet) and only one among the five if us drinking (not me) claimed to feel any effect other than a slight alcohol effect.

That was my one drink that evening, so I doubt I experienced the connoisseurs effect.

_________________
The U. S. Constitution doesn't guarantee happiness, only the pursuit of it. You have to catch up with it yourself. B. Franklin

"A mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone." -- Tyrion Lannister, A Game of Thrones

I once tried some home-made "absinthe" but my experience was (hopefully) far from what it should have been.

I popped a sugar cube in my mouth, then took a swig from the bottle. The sugar cube, however, had been subjected to conditions which rendered it something more like a cinder block and it refused to dissolve. Meanwhile, the "absinthe" was busy laying waste to the inside of my mouth, so I gave up the "dissolve plan". I chomped on the sugar cube a few times to break it into chunks, then swallowed the whole mess as quickly as I could. I couldn't taste anything for the next 24 hours and spent a full 3 days scraping dead skin cells from the insides of my cheeks and lips.

I'm looking forward to trying the real thing, and have much less interest in home-made hooch than I once did.

_________________
Go back to zero, take a pill, and get well ~ Lemmy Kilmister

Huh, interesting experience, Shel. I had some store-bought stuff (from Spain, I believe), a couple of New Years ago. I didn't particularly notice anything different, really. At least, nothing that made me go, "wow, I want to move to Spain next to the distillery" or anything.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

Oh, yes. I forgot America hasn't completely legalized the stuff yet.

That's okay, here in Ontario, they have artificial limits on the maximum thujone content they'll sell. Need to go to British Columbia to get the stronger stuff.

_________________
Well Ali Baba had them forty thieves, Scheherezade had a thousand tales
But master you in luck 'cause up your sleeves you got a brand of magic never fails...
...Mister Aladdin, sir, What will your pleasure be?
Let me take your order, Jot it down -You ain't never had a friend like me
█ ♣ █

Not sure how it is in CA...but in the US you would need to import it to get real Absinthe with the higher levels of thujone.

Even then, though, I hear the effects are nothing special. In fact, in most cases the people drinking the stuff will get drunk way before they ever feel any effect from the thujone. (yes, even for the "good" absinthe)..and the people who do get a hallucinogenic effect from it, it is very mild and not worth bothering with.

If you're looking for a fun hallucinogen, I recommend small doses of psilocybe cubensis.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Same way here, it is some tasty stuff though.

_________________
Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

I've had it a couple of times with the ice water drip. It's okay. Tastes like black licorice. No hint of visions.

I have no desire to try anything hallucinogenic, but I enjoy the stories.

_________________
"Hysterical children shrieking about right-wing anything need to go sit in the corner and be quiet while the adults are talking."

It wasn't actually the fact that it was made from wormwood that got it banned in the first place. It was that distilleries sprung up making "absinthe" that were basically just grabbing whatever weeds they could cram into the still.

_________________

Then American Absinthe should be fine.

_________________
Darksiege
Traveller, Calé, Whisperer
Lead me not into temptation; for I know a shortcut

I was actually gonna order a bottle of the stuff until I found out it tastes like black licorice. Now I don't care enough to order it.

_________________
Ron Paul 2012

Apart from the taste, it won't do what you're hoping it will, anyway, Nev.

_________________
This cold and dark tormented hell
Is all I`ll ever know
So when you get to heaven
May the devil be the judge

I have no desire to try anything that tastes like black licorice, but I enjoy the stories.

That stuff give me gas... I totally sound like a riced out car.


You know... Absinthe makes the fart go honda?

how long did you work to try to make this fit?

I'm guessing it wasn't original... (funny though :p)

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=c ... t+go+honda

Not original... I came across it in a Spider Robinson book years ago and it tickled me. Funny thing is I've looked through this thread a few times and it only occurred to me today to subject you to it.

In general, Riov, the best/worst puns are the ones you don't have to work for. Much like the aforementioned flatulence, they sort of happen, leaving your friends looking at you in horrified wonder and rushing to flee the room.