As I had mentioned earlier, absinthe is now back on the market in the United States.

But it’s important to note that as with any new product, there’s a bunch of crap and very little stuff worthy of your hard-earned greenbacks.

So here I present you with the first product review of the new breed of Absinthe: Lucid.

First, a little history: By the mid 1800s, Absinthe was a staple drink throughout Europe, known for it’s green color, clouding, and potency (most had an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 90%).But mounting cultural malaise found in it a scapegoat, and by the early 20th century, it had been banned throughout the world. It was alleged to cause dementia, psychosis and brain damage, and was blamed for some gruesome murders in Switzerland.The key culprit is the chemical Thujone, a byproduct of the distilling of Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), the key ingredient of Absinthe, and the plant from which it derives it’s name.

The bottom line is that Absinthe was blamed for a society on the decline, and was vilified in much the same way alcohol would be 40 years later. In fact, much of the ills attributed to the drink (tremors, hallucinations, dementia, irritability and violence) are actually just symptoms of acute alcoholism.

After the ban, some of the largest French producers shifted to a variation, made without the Wormwood, called Pastis. Essentially the same thing, it lacked the mythos of it’s originator, as well as the extra “edge” that the drink seem to have.

Lucid claims to be using the original authentic recipe from Switzerland’s Val-de-Travers. It’s got the color, and the smell or the real deal, and clouds in much the same way.

At 63% alcohol, it also packs a punch.Although conflicting information out there leads me to believe there isn’t actually any thujone in this stuff.

I poured myself a tall glass, sticking to the recommended 4:1 ratio (although forgoing the sugar altogether - overly sweet drinks are just gross). My first sip was very herbal and strong, with a hint of anise aftertaste, followed by a way flavor that was somewhat unpleasant.

Subsequent sips and combinations revealed that the waxiness seemed to be an inherent quality to this brand, and a serious bummer. A straight shot was actually more pleasant, flavor-wise, than it was diluted. And the burn sure feels nice…

As for the effects, my memories of absinthe were really as alcohol plus, almost like a clear-headed drunkenness, or a bit of a high. Lucid had the slightest tiniest hint of that, but was quickly overshadowed by a regular buzz.

That being said, enough of the stuff will put you in a state of severe fucked-up-ness, where you might decide to start poking people in the eye, give very bad advice, and end up praying at the porcelain throne for a good part of the night, as certain people found out the hard way…

So overall, it has many of the accouterments of real absinthe, but flavor-wise I’d much prefer a nice glass of Ricard or Pernod pastis. And at about $60 a 750ml bottle, you’re better off spending it on something else.

(No Ratings Yet)

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