Close your eyes and take a good look

Absinthe is a hell of a drug, man.

Well, not really. That’s why it’s recently been legalized in the US for import and, in some places, sale. My folks will no longer have to smuggle them in from Prague.

Funny story, my dad stuffed a bottle into a pair of pants in his luggage. He knew the x-ray would spot it, so he cut off the “absinthe” part of the label and put it in a book. Unfortunately, the Bohemian supermarket brand was much worse quality than the expensive imports.

Regardless, me and my friends had a blast. If you’ve never tried absinthe then you should know that:

It tastes NASTY!!! IF you like the taste of anise seed, licorice, or Sambuca Romano liquor, then you’re all set. Otherwise you may want to go for the red absinthe, which doesn’t have anise seed.

Don’t do shots! Seriously, even if you consider yourself as having an iron stomach, you’ll probably still throw up. You mix about 1 part absinthe with 5 parts cold water, a spoonful of sugar (also an excellent short film.), and some fire. That’s right. FIRE. You have to light up the sugar. Once the sugar caramelizes and the water is mixed in, absinthe should louch from a clear green to a foamy, opaque light green. Now keep in mind that cheap absinthe doesn’t louch, as I found out first hand.

You won’t trip balls. I used to hear people talk about it like it was on par with acid or shrooms. Really, it’s all hype from people that never tried it. The effect is basically the same as a regular buzz, with a few differences. It makes you very energetic and giddy at first, like alcohol, only without the slurred speech, loss of balance and with a surprising clarity of thought. As soon as we got the drinks down, we proceeded into a 15 minute long philosophical discussion. After that, the thujone wears off and you just feel the alcohol effect.

Alcohol and thujone. These are the main active ingredients. Absinthe is typically between 140 and 180 proof, with a thujone content of 6 to 15 %. At higher thujone levels it can bring about mild visual effects, such as colors becoming more vivid and can appear to come out of the surface right at you. This must be why Van Gogh was such a fan of the “Green Fairy.” It certainly shows in his paintings.

So if you plan on trying it, here's a couple suggestions:
Pick a place without too much stimulation. For example, don't do it at a club or parade, etc. Because too much stimulus can cause you to blank out, just like on shrooms.
Don't mix with other drinks, alcoholic that is.
It's also more fun in a small group. You'll be amazed at the depth of the conversation.
This is not a liquor that should be abused by alcoholics.


If you're gonna do it, make sure to let me know of your experience. =)


Image source: Photo in Negative effect.