Absinthe is now finally available in the United States for the first time since 1912.
The bottles have only just hit the (few) stores and (few) bars in New York.
The absinthe, manufactured and distributed by Lucid, sells for some $65.
And for those pondering about the critical issue, yes, the absinthe in question DOES contain wormwood.
Absinthe was banned in the United States in 1912, following rumors that its primary ingredient, grand wormwood, contained a psychosis-inducing hallucinogen called thujone. The distributor, Lucid, convinced the U.S. Alcohol-Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau that the preferred drink of such characters as Voltaire and other historical thinkers is just as safe as any other kind of alcohol on the market.
The Lucid Absinthe, sold in a 750 milliliter bottle, is an American reproduction of the Old World classic.
Sources:
Absinthe Arrives in New York, and We Start Drinking It Immediately
Absinthe Feels So Good When It Hits the U.S. Market
(Via Huffington Post)
Hi Jani! I was watching a metal countdown on VH1 Classic last year and they said even Marilyn Manson has his own brand of absinthe. I don’t drink alcohol anymore because I get headaches from even a few sips anymore, but I’m curious as to what it is like. Wow, banned since 1912! That’s the year my grandmother was born and of course the year Titanic sank.