In Feb. and March of this year the good folks at the Absinthe Review Netwok conducted an online survey of  US absinthe drinkers. There were several catagories including: How do you drink absinthe, where do you drink it, favorite US available brands, and favorite worldwide brands. 204 US absintheurs responded and I was generously given permission to summarize the results. I think you’ll find them interesting.

The average absinthe drinker has tried 5.3 US brands with 11% having tried 11 or more brands and as many as 19 brands

The average drinker buys 14 bottles/year, with 46% buying 1 or more bottles/month

93% drink absinthe at home or with friends, but only 29% drinking absinthe at bars or restaurants.

How Do You Drink Absinthe?

71% with water (and optional sugar cube)

32% with water AND ice (that’s where I fit in)

17% in a cocktail

9% as a shot

5% with a flaming sugar cube (this shouldn’t be done)

Top Domestic Brands

1 – Kubler

2 – La Clandestine

3 – Duplais and Lucid tied

Only 1 out of 55 chose La Fee Parisienne or Pernod as their favorites

The bottom 2 are (not surprisingly) Grand Absente and Le Tourment Vert

Top Brands Worldwide

1 – Jade’s PF 1901 (no surprise there)

2 – Kubler

3 – La Clandestine

4 – Jade’s Edouard

5 – Lucid

I hope you have found this as interesting as I did. The full results and analysis of the results can be seen at www.Absinthe-Review.net . It’s  a great site – check it out

This is my most prized piece in my absinthe memorabilia collection. When absinthe was banned in France in 1915  Pernod Fils (the best and most well known of absinthes) moved their production to Tarragona, Spain where they continued producing until the early 1960’s.

This bottle is one of that vintage of Pernod Fils. As you can see it is a remarkable state of preservation. The label is almost perfect and the fill level is about 1/2 inch above the glass seal. The fill level is the best I’ve seen in any vintage absinthe. The Oxygenee website recently offered some of the same bottles for sale. Check out their website and compare the condtion of theirs to mine.

I´d love to see some more pictures of vintage absinthe bottles, whether they’re full or not. So if you have one, please post a picture of it for all to see.

Sommelier Paola Embry brings her own special touch to Crush Lounge, which offers a separate, but just as inspiring ambience and fare complimented by an impressive wine list ranging affordably through most of the world varietals – a list that has earned the “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator Magazine for nine consecutive years.

Before or after dinner, slip away to a sensuous setting and forget everything else. Sip a glass of absinthe and munch on a charcuterie and cheese platter or truffle fries.

Crush Lounge and Patio is the place to be seen for cocktail parties, with indoor seating for up to 25 guests and up to 50 guests comfortably on cozy outdoor banquettes.

Explore the possibilities behind the curtain…

The April issue of Gourmet has a good two page article on absinthe. It briefly touches on the history and goes into thujone levels. It’s also humerous and worth a look!