Expert: Paul Wagner - 12/5/2003

Question
Hi, I am interested in buying absinthe, but I don't know where to go.  I have found some internet sites that claim to sell it, but I'm not sure whether or not they are reliable.  I also want to buy the most authentic brand available with as much wormwood as possible in it, but I've heard that a lot of the brands don't even contain wormwood or they contain very little.  Do you know where I can go?  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Molly:

Absinthe has changed over the last 25 years--primarily because most countries realized that there is a way to make Absinthe without making it poisonous.  It's not even a question of how much wormwood, but what kind, how concentrated, and what chemicals are in the wormwood.

In my classes I use a regularly available commercial brand called Absenthe--it is delicious, and comes with all the paraphernalia and explanations you could ever want.


Paul Wagner