Pernod Absinthe Returns After 93 Years

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed)
Oct 20th 2008 at 2:02PM

Back in March my colleague Deidre Woollard wrote about the absinthe craze ushered in by the end of a longstanding ban against the supposedly dangerous spirit. The hype has died down somewhat, and while faddists move on to other obsessions leaving true enthusiasts to enjoy themselves, the original absinthe maker, Pernod, has finally re-introduced their famous original.

Pernod Absinthe (right) is a revival of Pernod Fils, arguably the most authentic absinthe ever produced with a recipe that's over 200 years old. The company stopped making it in 1915 when the French government banned absinthe, later coming out with a wormwood-free version. The original is a high-proof sprit distilled from Grand Wormwood, fennel and anise - exactly the same as consumed by the likes of Picasso, Van Gogh, Monet, and now, us.

Tags: Absinthe, France, Monet, Pernod, Picasso

Filed under: Spirits

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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 6)

Modicar Oct 26th 2008 8:34AM

Betty, you are wrong, the US repealled the ban in April this year. Yes real Absinthe containing real Grand Wormwood is legally availble in the US. I stock 3 varieties and have tried them all. Do your research before you make unsubstantiated claims.

JoAnn Oct 26th 2008 8:47AM

Becareful Van Gogh cut his ear off, it must be potent !

Gryffin Oct 26th 2008 9:36AM

Van Gogh had other issues and would likely have cut off his ear if he'd been drinking beer, gin, wine, whisky, or any other alcohol that lowers inhibitions and increases pain tolerance.

Seems historically speaking, it was the wine and cognac producers who created the "madness" myth to scare people away from the cheaper, more popular absinthe. Along the line of the US government's "Reefer Madness" film to scare kids away from marijuana...

jud Oct 26th 2008 9:26AM

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.

Joyce Oct 26th 2008 11:00AM

I wasn't expecting someone to be funny, everyone was very serious, and then I read your comment...Excellent!!! My first smile today!

Gryffin Oct 26th 2008 9:36AM

I'd picked some up in France before the US ban was lifted. It's quite enjoyable. Not sure if it's just psychological, or an actual effect, but it doesn't make me sleepy like cognac or whisky do. Never seen any green fairies...though immoderate use of any alcohol will cause problems. Just wish the bars here would stop making it a flaming drink and let me do the ritual. They're getting Swiss absinthe in, not the Hungarian, so no need to burn it to mask the bad flavor. http://www.oxygenee.com/absinthe-ritual.html

Robert Oct 26th 2008 9:44AM

I bought a bottle of Absinthe in Morristown,NJ last month at Kings. It is wonderful. When purchaseing absinth watch out for products made from "Southern Wormwood" It is not as potent. Oh. Drink it in your own home and don't drive afterward.

Jim Oct 26th 2008 9:38AM

Hey? Will a couple of shots of this stuff make my wife Horny!!!!!!?

Azy Oct 26th 2008 10:13AM

Jim, perhaps some flowers and a little foreplay rather than fifteen seconds of you racing a rabbit would make your wife "horny". Just a thought. ::grin::

Andi Oct 26th 2008 1:08PM

Maybe...if that's what it takes to make you attractive again!!!! :)

Janice Oct 26th 2008 9:42AM

I had absinthe in Amsterdam last year... 2 shots actually... didnt do a thing for me except catch my throat on fire !! lol.... I think its legend is bollocks !!

bettty Oct 26th 2008 10:03AM

The ingredient in absinthe that has made it illegal is thujone. The "repeal" of the FDA prohibition stated that now, a very small amount of thujone is permitted (10 ppm). The FDA ban is still in effect for any larger amounts for human consumption and still enforced by Customs. The “Absinthe” sold in most US retail liquor stores, or legally acquired via internet or catalogs for import in the United States is a “neutered” version that is “thujone free” (less than 10 ppm). There are foreign websites out there that will gladly sell you absinthe containing more thujone than is legal for U.S. import and should you try to import the “traditional” version, it will be seized. JUST TRYING TO SAVE WELL-INTENTIONED IMPORTERS SOME AGGRAVATION, that’s all.

yaaah69 Oct 26th 2008 11:08AM

I ordered a bottle from New York about 3 months ago it is now gone but I really gat a few buzzez out of it . The name is "Lucid" and it was the strongest Absinthe you can get in U. S. It is costly 75.00 sent Fed Ex the bottle alone was 58.00uut if you want a real jolt you have to order from France Google Absenthe and there are plenty of sites. But be careful as there are some real frauds lurking. The stronger the wormwood the more it will knock you on your a*s. The pleasure is in the procedure of making the drink. There is also a bar in San Francisco its on Grove St. actually a nice little French Restaurant , near civic center. The barkeep is a whize at making you the drink. You will enjoy it. I didnt see any little green Fairies but then the amount of Wormwood is not that much in the Lucid bottle. The drink I had art the bar shivered my timbers a bit.Enjoy. ciao

fubar Oct 26th 2008 12:25PM

I bought some a few months back at one of the state liquior stores. It even comes with a spoon to hold your sugar cube. Its strong stuff but tastes like nothing you have ever had in the way of alcohol. Its very good but like anything should only be consumed in moderation. When I was in the Marines and in Okinawa back in the 80"s they had a drink called "Purple Haze" which was supposedly made from an Opium base. It was neon purple and was really good. Wish they sold that here.

Penguinny Oct 26th 2008 11:42AM

Question is, I've never tried that b4, how bad is it? Worse than the rest of the aloholic berverages?

Nina Meyers Oct 26th 2008 11:57AM

Wormwood? What about Yellow No. 5? Yoiccks!

Joethe Plumber Oct 26th 2008 12:12PM

Solitude said...
Betty,
Obviously you did not read the article very in depth. It said the wormwood free version is available.
Which has been legal in U.S. since Oct. 2007.
A company has been making and selling in U.S. since then "Lucid". It is a low Thujone version that is approved world wide for sale and distribution.

Actually the artice misleads you to believe the original high potent stuff is now availabe and one guy claims to actually stock it.The US made it legal for the low grade stuff to be sold here in the US not the absinthe of the movies and the strong stuff availabe in some countries. That is why some that have tried it said it didn't do for them what they had heard.

Gerald Spencer Oct 26th 2008 12:03PM

Shandra said...
Absinthe is back and available in the US! I had some in a well known restaurant in Phoenix, last April. Gave me an awful stomach ache after a few sips! Certainly not the aphrodesiac it's legend claims
"Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder." I haven't heard of this, I thought the beverage was a "mellowing" agent, get laid back, like taking a bit too much Valium.

story Oct 26th 2008 12:07PM

Absinthe, is widely available now, my store has about 10 varieties of it, including one made in the US, in Lake Bluff IL, and they all contain wormwood, though there are two types , northern and southern, southern doesnt contain the hallucinagentic in it, and the northern one may be used, but it has been regulated to a small trace amount per, not sure the exact %. Most are anywhere from 90 proof to 120. So if you've never had any please try it, you may find a new treat. And please always drink responsiblaly, someone loves you, though I dont know why