All of us here at Absinthe.FM would like to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas (or whatever holiday you celebrate) and a Happy New Year. We hope your holidays are very green, if you know what I mean 
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Absinthe Blog
This really cool antique absinthe decanter has a unique hour glass design. It’s been filled with green water so you can see the details better. The design is deceptive – the clear spaces between the outer tubes and the inner tube are solid glass, so it’s not as delicate as it appears. This heavy piece is a big 14 1/2 inches tall and holds an impressive liter and a half of absinthe.
Scientists at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester MN. are doing genetic engineering expiraments in an effort to develope an HIV vaccine. They combined some genes from a jellyfish with those of a cat (it’s true). The result is this glow in the dark kitty. The picture has not been re-touched, this is not a hoax, and there is no black light on the cat. It just glows. I guess you could call it La Feeline Verte. I WANT ONE! While this really has nothing to do with absinthe (except the color) I just thought it was so trippy I had to write about it. Oh, and by the way, they also come in neon-red (it’s true, I swear to God)
Here’s a neat little collectable. This is a half liter size Pernod Fils absinthe bottle from the good old days It’s in pretty good condition being that it’s 100+ years old. The way you can tell a pre-ban bottle from the later Taragonna bottles is in the label. Over the name there is an oval with a white cross in it, whereas the later bottles replaced the cross with the name Pernod. The only thing I don’t like about this bottle……it’s empty
I’ve been collecting antique absinthe memorabilia for a while now and have some glasses, spoons and other stuff, but have never seen one of these before. It’s an antique lighter that has an engraved advertisement for Premier Fils absinthe on one side. When I got it, it needed a thorough cleaning and was missing a few items. It lacked a flint, flint spring and wick. I canabalized and old Zippo lighter for the spring, which had to be cut down in size, and good friend Jeannie Van Buren was kind enough to supply a new Zippo wick and flint. In the second picture you can see that it is now in functional condition. If anyone out there has another absinthe advertising lighter please let me know.
In 2001 Playboy magazine sold an exclusive set of limited edition Zippo absinthe lighters. I managed to aquire a set a few years back and here they are. The picture is somewhat blurry, but you can still see how cool they are. A Czech absinthe company is now selling copies of the one on the right, but these are originals.
Last weekend my good friend, iconic artist and absintheur, Dave Sklar dropped by to join me for the Green Hour. He brought his nephew Ben, also an absintheur, here on vacation, along. Talking to Ben I came to find out he’s a vocalist and musician in a group with the interestingly unique, if somewhat hard to remember, name of Aruvius Thud. I asked him what type of music they played and he stated that it was kind of classical/folk. Well, last night I sat down with a very fine absinthe and gave them a listen. I must say that I was very impressed. Yes, there are elements of classical and folk music, but these guys have created a style and sound that is unique to themselves. I would describe their music as serenely beautiful, interestingly atmospheric, and at times a bit hauntingly melancholy. I can honestly say that I’ve never enjoyed three songs that I’ve never heard before as much as these. This is the perfect music to enjoy while imbibing the Green Fairy. The Seattle Washington based trio is comprised of Ben Sklarfowler (harp, guitar, bozouki, vocals), Jeff Brown (guitar, vocals), and Ryan Bak (bass, vocals, brown notes). The next time you’re having an absinthe and want to hear some great, original music go to:
and give the three songs there a listen. Dim the lights, light a few candles, mix yourself an absinthe, and enjoy the ethereal sounds of Aruvius Thud. I am confident you’ll love what you hear. And if you do, please go to their Facebook page and let them know. I’m sure they’d appreciate it. They will be releasing a CD in the future and I will post an update as to where and when you can get it. Cheers all
Last week the French Senate voted to lift the 96 year ban on absinthe. Does anybody, besides me, find it ironic that France has been producing very good absinthe since about 2000, but you couldn’t buy it or drink it there? It could only be produced for export. Funny that they thought absinthe was so bad that it had to be banned, but it was ok to make it and sell it to other countires.
The Psychedelic Fairy on facebook is a page with a main purpose to develope and share the Absinthe Culture and Art inspired by the Green Fairy in the 19th and 20th century and up to these days with a proper foundation. The topics are Myth, Culture, Art etc You can see pictures,videos, texts in the notes and many more, also you can post on the page according to the theme Absinthe and Art. All are welcome
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Psychedelic-Fairy/168464683207861?sk=wall&filter=2
Today is National Absinthe Day, the 4th anniversary of the legalization of absinthe in the US. This is indseed an auspicious occasion and deserves to be celebrated accordingly. So everyone, grab your glass, spoon and bottle and party hardy!
