I appreciate learning about Absinthe, and this was a great history of this spirit. Lance makes superb spirits. Integrity and quality! Thanks so much for this! Absinthe is fascinating, and so delicious, when sipping, slowly!! It's powerful!
It's great that he touched on the hallucinogenic/psychoactive properties that have been attributed to absinthe by artists like Picasso and Van Gogh when he's a shoe-in for a Van Gogh look-alike, red hat and all.
After a recommendation from a friend I purchased St George Absinthe. Going into the store I was sticker shocked on the price of some of the brands. Way to high for my liquor allowance. But, just tried it now and enjoyed it very much!
Nice to see a man who values, and promotes authenticity-genuine experience can only be appreciated with dedication to understanding what you are doing-this goes for Absinthe as much as music. Art, or Life.
Excellent presentation, Mr. Winters! I'm very glad that SG Distillery is making "traditional" absinthe right here in the Bay Area. Your absinthe is simply great, but I know that it's been criticized by those who find your recipe somehow "not exactly original" compared to the Pernod Swiss/French stuff.
What a great video and a great product. To think this brewery has been in my backyard this whole time and I never new. Sounds like it is time to take a field trip.
My personal absinthe hangover was different just like the intoxication. It is what I imagine a weak dose of exstasy would be ( never done drugs.) All I know is that when I woke up I just wallowed around on my bed and the cool sheets felt so cool and smooth., Wonderful stuff.
In Mykonos, I was taught to pour water into my shot of oozo. It was delicious and the colour turned from clear to opalescent. That accompanied my breakfast of a small piece of bread and cheese, then I was off to the beach via boat! (I love Lance's absinthe-colored scarf.) Since I live in SF, I need to visit him!!!
I stumbled on this video while drinking YOUR brand which I bought heading home on the OR coast at a liquor store on the CA / OR Border the day before yesterday. I have had all of Ted Breaux's and yours has so much more character, depth and unfolding characters. I will buy yours from now on when I am not making my own! Taking a LOT of discipline to not guzzle this bottle down!
at one ounce of absinthe to two and a half to three ounces of water is a good mixture. one glass of this mix, will give you an idea of what absinthe is capable of. but also you'll need a quality absinthe. cheaply made absinthe's rely solely on the alcohol alone and the herbs are secondary. go with the best on the market. i haven't tried St. George, though im sure its good. i've found Jade Liqueurs out of France is great choice.
I loved how he discusses the myths as well as the realities of Absenthe. Thanks for the video. On October 31st, I will drink Absinthe for the first time. Possibly St. George
we grow wormwood about 50 plants and i use it for all types of things, it is amazing to cure fungal infections, such as athlete's foot or toe fungus, inner leg rashes, parasites esp skin ones are killed by wormwood infusions (boiled for 1hr in water)... and we also did absinthe with some of it but it wasnt really for me, friends loved it tho
I love the idea of being young in la belle epoque. Walking the rue's in the light of the old street lamps. Sit down in a parisian cafe, outside on a summer midnight, with the moon and the stars shining down from above. Order a glass of absinthe, and write on y novel, till the break of dawn
Awesome piece. Lance seems like a really cool guy. Just a couple things: 1- Early absinthe wasn't overly bitter. You had some brands that were, just like now, but the better ones weren't any more bitter than the quality brands of today. 2- Mansinthe is indeed a product that cashes in on hype, but it's decent non-the-less. I wonder what the blanche will be like?
Absinthe is when I was 5. Sitting in an evergeen bush outside of my grandmothers house in the country in mid fall. The smell of falling leaves and the sappy bush. Facing her old house, generations of memory. On the side of the house is an amber porch light, with a hand blown glass globe filled with dead moths and the screws rusted in place. The light is falling behind the red trees and the shadows are almost at my feet. I am home. And no one can have this but me.
very good vid,ive read in a few very old periodicals of medicine and in a rare handful of other places the two reasons peopleused the sugar cube was one you mentioned ,and the other was the use of laudanum on the sugar cube to reduce the opuims bitterness as well. and was also where the true green fairy part would come into play(hallucigenically) also .it makes sense .but ,im no distiller or doctor or opuim user ,so i wouldnt know these things for sure .
Since "absinthe" nowadays is a magic word that sells any crap for any price (with the right marketing, of course), a high price doesn't automatically reflect any level of quality. Food dye, in turn, always reflects low quality absinthe or imitations. You should choose you absinthe exclusively based on independent professional reviews (like those on Wormwood Society's web page). There's no other way to tell in advance if a brand is worth its price.
great video i see your passion, im new to this but i like the taste. i distill my own moonshine and im producing at an average multiple gallon run of 160 proof. but i want to venture into this too. thanks for this video.
If you want to retain the color certainly. Some makers want customers to be able to see that nice, attractive green color. Personally I would rather know that wonderful green color is going to stay that way though, so I prefer the dark bottles. This is my absolute only beef with the Delaware Phoenix absinthes. It's about as close to true peridot as you can find in a commercial absinthe, but it doesn't stay that way for long.
seriously, are people really that ignorant. This is very informative and more people should read before they comment.Absinthe is downright delicious, especially if you can get some of the better European brands.
Actually I loved Un Emile Verte 45 directly! That is the old version, and the Emiles are still close to my heart. But of course absinthe should taste like anise. Im drinking Wolf Absinthe at the moment, Its sweet from green anise and you clearly taste coriander and mint as well. I keep a very open mind as long as they louche and taste like, well absinthe. Im yet to try St George which I have high expectations on!
I'm really glad that your approach to adsinthe is pure, unfortunately the reputation is not. As you mentioned it the halucigen bit will prevail, keep on truckin.
From my research I've found that absinthe is legal here is because the wormwood used is a different type that is less potent from what was used ceturies ago in other countries. It was outlawed due to the effects it had on certain people (a murder was blamed on absinthe), and the color was green. The artists used a lot of green in their artwork.
@g3r0n1m033 Absinthe's basic ingredients are known as "The Trinity". Aniseed, Fennel, and Wormwood. Everything else is up to the distiller. In this case, St. George actually deviated from the traditional aniseed and went with the slightly different taste of star anise (which comes from China).
So, what was the brand he was referring to that "dumbed down" the flavor profile and anybody want to hazard a guess as to what he had to say about Manson's bit off-camera?
as far as actual absinthes go, lucid is pretty bottom-of-the-barrel. However, it's distinguished among most liquor store offerings in that, unlike king of spirits or le tourment vert, it IS actual absinthe. If you want to try absinthe but don't want to pay AS much, get lucid. If you want to try absinthe and want to shell out a chunk of money, I'd suggest ordering a bottle of Delaware Phoenix Meadow of Love, or PA Distillery's Vieux Carre.
Seems like a spirit that isn't bottled ready for consumption is way too difficult for some people to understand. It was never supposed to be enjoyed as a hard liquor. Doing that is mere ignorance or alcoholism - similar to "enjoying" a triple vodka. You can't really sense alcohol in a glass of properly prepared quality absinthe.
One glass of absinthe is strong like a glass of wine, maybe just a little bit stronger than wine. Absinthe is very tasty and mainly normal alcoholic drink. No madness, no hallucination.
in the USA: According to the FDA an amount of 10mg thujon per litre pure alcohol is legal. In the european union 35mg are legal. That is the difference between US Absinthes, for example like Lucid, St. Georges, Tournament Vert or the US Kubler version
Can someone compare the taste of a good absinthe with something more mainstream some of us may have tried? Whisky, rum, tequila? Or is it so unique that it can't be compared?
@197anthony, Well bro, I have drank 3-4 louched drinks, with the proper measurements, and it was good enough. I hear that sugar cubes are not recommended for a good Absinthe. I have some from Germany, and it was not what I expected, but that is understandable. Folks tend to say you will have hallucinations, but that's a misnomer. Remember this, you need 30ml or 1 liquid ounce of Absinthe, and add 6 parts of ice cold water to it. Btw, we have a VERY close name ha! Good drinking man, and have fun!
Absinthe was originally outlawed (in France at least) because it contained methanol, due to shitty distillation, and so, people who drank too much of it would become crazy and/or blind. But thankfully the ban was lifted and now the distillation restarted. =D
The cause of "absinthe murders" was that most Frenchman were chronic alcoholics at the time, and as such, sh*tfaced drunk every day. Copper suplhate and antimony obviously posed a health risk, but it was the insane amount of (cheap) alcohol that made many people crazy. In 1910, the average alcohol consumption in France was 10 standard drinks a day per capita (counting all men/women above age 15). One can't possibly imagine today how could they drink that all up.
I think when he says that smooth isn't a complement he wants to hear, he means that it's generic and doesn't say anything special about his absinthe. If you spend years perfecting a special dish and all someone can say about it is that it doesn't taste burnt wouldn't you be a bit offended?
It's a lot like writing a song, and then someone says, "oh, it's good." Or a bunch of third graders being asked by their teacher what they thought of a book they were supposed to read and they reply, "It was good." It is bullshit.
Actually I am a biochemist, but please email Dr. Murch. I should also note that my experience on absinthe was mostly alcohol free since I burned off the ethanol.
I appreciate learning about Absinthe, and this was a great history of this spirit. Lance makes superb spirits. Integrity and quality! Thanks so much for this! Absinthe is fascinating, and so delicious, when sipping, slowly!! It's powerful!
It's great that he touched on the hallucinogenic/psychoactive properties that have been attributed to absinthe by artists like Picasso and Van Gogh when he's a shoe-in for a Van Gogh look-alike, red hat and all.
After a recommendation from a friend I purchased St George Absinthe.
Going into the store I was sticker shocked on the price of some of the brands.
Way to high for my liquor allowance. But, just tried it now and enjoyed it
very much!
"If you want to hallucinate, there are alot of other fabulous ways of doing that ;)"
This guy kicks ass.
I had a teacher that talked just like this guy. I fell asleep in his class all the time because his voice was so calming.
I like this guy, he's nice
Nice to see a man who values, and promotes authenticity-genuine experience can only be appreciated with dedication to understanding what you are doing-this goes for Absinthe as much as music. Art, or Life.
"Poetry in a glass." I'm stealing that, and not giving you any credit. Beautifully said, sir.
I like this guy. I saw another interview where he was talking about making gin and he was equally compelling.
Fascinating. He's so knowledgeable and I adore his passion.
Excellent presentation, Mr. Winters! I'm very glad that SG Distillery is making "traditional" absinthe right here in the Bay Area. Your absinthe is
simply great, but I know that it's been criticized by those who find your
recipe somehow "not exactly original" compared to the Pernod Swiss/French
stuff.
Im not even taking in what hes saying, I just weridly love his voice and could listen to it all day !
What a great video and a great product. To think this brewery has been in my backyard this whole time and I never new. Sounds like it is time to take a field trip.
This guys voice is so soothing lol
The "We are out of absinthe" sign at 1:04 must have been made with supernatural haste!
I LOVE this video.
My personal absinthe hangover was different just like the intoxication. It is what I imagine a weak dose of exstasy would be ( never done drugs.) All I know is that when I woke up I just wallowed around on my bed and the cool sheets felt so cool and smooth., Wonderful stuff.
In Mykonos, I was taught to pour water into my shot of oozo. It was delicious and the colour turned from clear to opalescent. That accompanied my breakfast of a small piece of bread and cheese, then I was off to the beach via boat! (I love Lance's absinthe-colored scarf.) Since I live in SF, I need to visit him!!!
Very informative and well presented. Terrific video.
You, my friend, are a champion and I also love your still.
I stumbled on this video while drinking YOUR brand which I bought heading home on the OR coast at a liquor store on the CA / OR Border the day before yesterday. I have had all of Ted Breaux's and yours has so much more character, depth and unfolding characters. I will buy yours from now on when I am not making my own! Taking a LOT of discipline to not guzzle this bottle down!
Love this video. Can't wait to get a hold of your product! I have high hopes for it!
Amazing video outstanding narration as well!
at one ounce of absinthe to two and a half to three ounces of water is a good mixture. one glass of this mix, will give you an idea of what absinthe is capable of. but also you'll need a quality absinthe. cheaply made absinthe's rely solely on the alcohol alone and the herbs are secondary. go with the best on the market. i haven't tried St. George, though im sure its good. i've found Jade Liqueurs out of France is great choice.
I loved how he discusses the myths as well as the realities of Absenthe. Thanks for the video. On October 31st, I will drink Absinthe for the first time. Possibly St. George
8:08. thanks, got my answer for sure. I've never tried it before
we grow wormwood about 50 plants and i use it for all types of things, it is amazing to cure fungal infections, such as athlete's foot or toe fungus, inner leg rashes, parasites esp skin ones are killed by wormwood infusions (boiled for 1hr in water)... and we also did absinthe with some of it but it wasnt really for me, friends loved it tho
cool guy and very passionate about his work
Awesome series, guys. You gotta do one about beer!
"Smooth...such a bullshit comment for a spirit!" Hahaaaa!!!
I love the idea of being young in la belle epoque. Walking the rue's in the light of the old street lamps. Sit down in a parisian cafe, outside on a summer midnight, with the moon and the stars shining down from above. Order a glass of absinthe, and write on y novel, till the break of dawn
Awesome piece. Lance seems like a really cool guy. Just a couple things:
1- Early absinthe wasn't overly bitter. You had some brands that were, just like now, but the better ones weren't any more bitter than the quality brands of today.
2- Mansinthe is indeed a product that cashes in on hype, but it's decent non-the-less.
I wonder what the blanche will be like?
Absinthe is when I was 5. Sitting in an evergeen bush outside of my grandmothers house in the country in mid fall. The smell of falling leaves and the sappy bush. Facing her old house, generations of memory. On the side of the house is an amber porch light, with a hand blown glass globe filled with dead moths and the screws rusted in place. The light is falling behind the red trees and the shadows are almost at my feet. I am home. And no one can have this but me.
very good vid,ive read in a few very old periodicals of medicine and in a rare handful of other places the two reasons peopleused the sugar cube was one you mentioned ,and the other was the use of laudanum on the sugar cube to reduce the opuims bitterness as well. and was also where the true green fairy part would come into play(hallucigenically) also .it makes sense .but ,im no distiller or doctor or opuim user ,so i wouldnt know these things for sure .
That dude is awesome...I hope to be able to visit his distillery one day.
i like this guy
Since "absinthe" nowadays is a magic word that sells any crap for any price (with the right marketing, of course), a high price doesn't automatically reflect any level of quality. Food dye, in turn, always reflects low quality absinthe or imitations.
You should choose you absinthe exclusively based on independent professional reviews (like those on Wormwood Society's web page). There's no other way to tell in advance if a brand is worth its price.
Ugh pretentious? Aren't you just being presumptuous? He's an enthusiast and he does what he loves. That should be commended not condemned
man i have some fond childhood memories of fangin' absinthe
5:40-5:56 What brand is he talking about?
lucid
Poetry in a glass-love it!
I came here thinking he was going to be an annoying hipster, I go away really wanting to try some decent absinthe. Well played!
*drinks hard liquor*
“This reminds me of when I was a kid.”
sounds like every chef
great video i see your passion, im new to this but i like the taste. i distill my own moonshine and im producing at an average multiple gallon run of 160 proof. but i want to venture into this too. thanks for this video.
What's the name of the absinth he shows at around 8.00, seems quite nice. Would like to find out where to get a quality like that ;)
@EoinTheInsomniac absinthe tastes like licorice i think thats how its spelt well that flavors in alot of candies
If you want to retain the color certainly. Some makers want customers to be able to see that nice, attractive green color. Personally I would rather know that wonderful green color is going to stay that way though, so I prefer the dark bottles. This is my absolute only beef with the Delaware Phoenix absinthes. It's about as close to true peridot as you can find in a commercial absinthe, but it doesn't stay that way for long.
Very informative and interesting! (:
this guy is cool and funny with his comments.... he's real!
seriously, are people really that ignorant. This is very informative and more people should read before they comment.Absinthe is downright delicious, especially if you can get some of the better European brands.
Can anyone tell me if LUCID is any good? What should I buy thats on the shelves these days? Thanx!
awesome vid, I love Absinthe
Why thank you, good sirrah, in assisting me with dealing with this riff raff and squabhobble.
Actually I loved Un Emile Verte 45 directly! That is the old version, and the Emiles are still close to my heart. But of course absinthe should taste like anise. Im drinking Wolf Absinthe at the moment, Its sweet from green anise and you clearly taste coriander and mint as well. I keep a very open mind as long as they louche and taste like, well absinthe. Im yet to try St George which I have high expectations on!
Ok, Correct is I immedyately loved Un Emile Verte 45! And the Emiles are great absinthes.
I would love to try an absinthe that smells like the woods around the East Bay. That would be heaven.
I'm really glad that your approach to adsinthe is pure, unfortunately the reputation is not. As you mentioned it the halucigen bit will prevail, keep on truckin.
From my research I've found that absinthe is legal here is because the wormwood used is a different type that is less potent from what was used ceturies ago in other countries. It was outlawed due to the effects it had on certain people (a murder was blamed on absinthe), and the color was green. The artists used a lot of green in their artwork.
@Ethanual haha I was trying to think of who this guy reminded me of and you hit the nail on the head
omg i love how this guy talk
@g3r0n1m033
Absinthe's basic ingredients are known as "The Trinity". Aniseed, Fennel, and Wormwood.
Everything else is up to the distiller. In this case, St. George actually deviated from the traditional aniseed and went with the slightly different taste of star anise (which comes from China).
Kubler.
That's a good absinthe. It's like drinking a dream you had as a child.
Indeed great stuff
Yup, like the guy said. Nothing like a sip of spirits to remind you of when you were a kid...
@furvert101 is st george any good??
This video was my first introduction to absinthe, so thank you for that. With that said Saint George absinthe is not my favorite, but it's alright
That's cause St George is piss and not even a proper absinthe , it's more of a bullshit tea trying to be an Absinthe. It's total shit.
3:53 "Its not hallucination though, if you want to hallucinate there are a lot of other fabulous ways of doing that"
So, what was the brand he was referring to that "dumbed down" the flavor profile and anybody want to hazard a guess as to what he had to say about Manson's bit off-camera?
Great video
"This is smooth, which is such a bullshit compliment for a spirit"
So goddamn true.
this video is so smooth
this dude is so awesome, i would love to sit and share a glass of said elixir, and talk about nonsense haha
as far as actual absinthes go, lucid is pretty bottom-of-the-barrel. However, it's distinguished among most liquor store offerings in that, unlike king of spirits or le tourment vert, it IS actual absinthe.
If you want to try absinthe but don't want to pay AS much, get lucid. If you want to try absinthe and want to shell out a chunk of money, I'd suggest ordering a bottle of Delaware Phoenix Meadow of Love, or PA Distillery's Vieux Carre.
Thanks St George for making decent Absinthe! So hard to find.
St George is piss tea more than an Absinthe.
@@hdtv00 Grace us with your recommendation, fine sir.
this guy is awesome
Seems like a spirit that isn't bottled ready for consumption is way too difficult for some people to understand. It was never supposed to be enjoyed as a hard liquor. Doing that is mere ignorance or alcoholism - similar to "enjoying" a triple vodka.
You can't really sense alcohol in a glass of properly prepared quality absinthe.
One glass of absinthe is strong like a glass of wine, maybe just a little bit stronger than wine. Absinthe is very tasty and mainly normal alcoholic drink. No madness, no hallucination.
this man is cool as fuck, I'd like to befriend him just to get to know more things about him. I want to try absinthe ASAP!!
in the USA: According to the FDA an amount of 10mg thujon per litre pure alcohol is legal. In the european union 35mg are legal. That is the difference between US Absinthes, for example like Lucid, St. Georges, Tournament Vert or the US Kubler version
As is turns out (and with regard to Absinthe in particular), yes.
Where can I by it in SoCal?
Can someone compare the taste of a good absinthe with something more mainstream some of us may have tried? Whisky, rum, tequila? Or is it so unique that it can't be compared?
I've never had absinthe on its own, but when I had it in a sazerac the anise was very noticeable-- it's like liquorice.
this guys is really cool
@mysticalclown Absinthe in shots = projectile hurl. Dilute it, definitely!
"Or because they think it's going to make them hallucinate and chop their ear off"
I SPAT OUT MY DRINK
I do not drink at all, and he made it sound lovely.
how many shot 25ml can a person drink?
Right on, that's the way I see it as well.
@197anthony, Well bro, I have drank 3-4 louched drinks, with the proper measurements, and it was good enough. I hear that sugar cubes are not recommended for a good Absinthe. I have some from Germany, and it was not what I expected, but that is understandable. Folks tend to say you will have hallucinations, but that's a misnomer. Remember this, you need 30ml or 1 liquid ounce of Absinthe, and add 6 parts of ice cold water to it. Btw, we have a VERY close name ha! Good drinking man, and have fun!
Absinthe was originally outlawed (in France at least) because it contained methanol, due to shitty distillation, and so, people who drank too much of it would become crazy and/or blind. But thankfully the ban was lifted and now the distillation restarted. =D
Can I see your sources?
The cause of "absinthe murders" was that most Frenchman were chronic alcoholics at the time, and as such, sh*tfaced drunk every day. Copper suplhate and antimony obviously posed a health risk, but it was the insane amount of (cheap) alcohol that made many people crazy. In 1910, the average alcohol consumption in France was 10 standard drinks a day per capita (counting all men/women above age 15). One can't possibly imagine today how could they drink that all up.
I think when he says that smooth isn't a complement he wants to hear, he means that it's generic and doesn't say anything special about his absinthe. If you spend years perfecting a special dish and all someone can say about it is that it doesn't taste burnt wouldn't you be a bit offended?
It's a lot like writing a song, and then someone says, "oh, it's good." Or a bunch of third graders being asked by their teacher what they thought of a book they were supposed to read and they reply, "It was good." It is bullshit.
when he was talking about the company that uses less anise he was talking about le tourment verte right?
That was the very last part of the video..?
@hitchcockm00
I was just coming down here to write more or less the same comment. I effing love this guy.
Actually I am a biochemist, but please email Dr. Murch.
I should also note that my experience on absinthe was mostly alcohol free since I burned off the ethanol.
You reminded me of buying absinthe.
I know what I'll be doing when I turn 21. In fact, when I retire, I can imagine myself opening a brewery. Women drink free on friday nights. ;p
this guy should do MAC conferences... this guy could sell anything... not kiddin