Saturday May 10, 2014 Absenthe

Virginia is one of eighteen states to control the sale of distilled beverages!  There are over 300 state owned Alcohol Beverage Control ("ABC") stores and about 200 "agent of the State" locations who have been granted 10 year licenses to sell the hard stuff.  Beer and wine are more widely sold.  

After 5 years in Virginia, Stephen and I decided to

restock our adult beverage supply and take drinking up on a more frequent basis.  Keep in mind that the bottles we brought to Virginia were at least 6 years old before we got here, so increasing our intake

doesn't really amount to much.

Anyway... while walking through the ABC store, stocking up our shopping cart, we came across ABSENTHE!   I said to the lady working the store

 (a state employee), "I thought this stuff is illegal."  She smiled and told me about all the myths.  There is nothing hallucinogenic in absenthe, including the wormwood and thujone.  Boy, was I disappointed!  It is, however,

distilled with a very high alcohol level - 110 to 140 proof!  That cheered me up immensely and I decided to buy a small bottle and see what it was like to chase the fée verte (green fairy).

Ritual preparations are very important.   I didn't have the usual accouterment associated with the green fairy chase, so I improvised.  In lieu of a traditional absinthe glass, I used a Lalique glass with extraordinarily thin glass.  It's French and beyond comparison to a common absinthe glass.  For an absinthe spoon I used a fine mesh tea strainer which fit perfectly over the Lalique.  We already had sugar cubes and ice cold water.  To complete the accouterment I had a tiny silver spoon engraved "Hotel Pennsylvania, New York City", which mysteriously ended up in my parent's chattel.  

The procedure is as follows.  Pour an amount (any

amount will do) into your glass.  Pour ice cold water (3 X's the amount of absinthe) into a pitcher.  Sit and stare at the clear green liquid until you can't stand it any longer.  Straddle your absinthe spoon across the glass, resting it on the rim.  Add sugar cube to center of spoon.  Continue staring at clear undiluted absinthe until you can almost hear the

beating of green fairy wings.  Slowly, very slowly, pour water over sugar cube.  As water and sugar drip down, the magic begins.  The once clear green liquid starts to become milky opalescent, which the French call the louche.  The louche coincides with the release of essences giving off fragrant herbal aromas, called the bloom.  Stir and slowly sip.  Repeat as often as necessary until you see nothing but green fairies.