HERB - Absinthe

[Amy L. Hornburg Heilveil]

>Asinthe is illegal.  It was a French-manufactured alcoholic beverage that 
>contained, among other things, (was it wormwoood?  I forget) a potentially 
>lethal ingredient.  It is no longer commercially manufactured.

Absinthe is indeed illegal in the US.  It is still manufactured by one 
company with special dispensation in the UK.  This is the only place in the 
world still making it.  It is not cheap.  To bring it into the US is a huge 
fine.

It did have wormwood as a principal ingredient, and the proper way to drink 
it was, indeed by pouring it through sugar set on a slotted - or tea - 
spoon.  A good depiction of this is in the version of Dracula released a 
few years ago with Gary Oldman and Winnona Rider. Near the beginning of the 
movie, Wynnona Rider is having a drink of absinthe with Keanu Reeves and he 
serves it properly (the only thing he did right in that movie, talk about 
bad casting).

It is also considered the reason many 19th c artists had visions/great 
creative streaks and died young.

On a different note, could people please be sure to snip posts?  I recieve 
this list in digest form and so if you don't snip, I get to see the same 
messages over and over and over - as I am sure many others do.

Thanks,
Despina de la Brasov

----------
Find a purpose in life so big it will challenge every capacity to be at 
your best.
--David O. McKay
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: /pipermail/herbalist-ansteorra.org/attachments/20010404/4e2e7530/attachment.html