Once banned, absinthe is back (at an ABC store near you)

By Greg Gaudio

VIRGINIA BEACH

For 95 years, Americans wanting a taste of absinthe had to sneak it in from Europe or Mexico – and risk getting the high-proof herbal liquor confiscated by U.S. Customs.

In May 2007, government officials lifted the ban on the drink once blamed for causing hallucinations and psychosis. A year later, Virginia’s Alcoholic Beverage Control Board approved one brand for sale in the state.

Since June, Kubler Swiss Absinthe Superieure has been appearing on shelves at select ABC stores, including 13 in Hampton Roads. A 1 -liter bottle, the only size available, costs $59.95.

ABC spokesman Philip Bogenberger said Kubler was presented to the agency ’s board earlier this year .

Absinthe is made from alcohol and distilled herbs, primarily grand wormwood and anise. While the French variety tends to be a pale green color, Swiss absinthe is typically made without the final coloring.

“It can have mild bitter notes, but generally speaking, it’s a sweet drink ,” said Al Markowitz, an absinthe enthusiast who lives in Norfolk.

“It just gives a mild alcohol buzz with more clarity and less physical impairment – at least in small doses.”

Absinthe hasn’t always been portrayed that way. In the late 19th century, pseudoscientists painted it as a highly toxic psychoactive drug. Temperance supporters succeeded in getting it outlawed.

By 1915, absinthe had been banned in a number of countries, including France, Switzerland and the United States . It remained legal in other places, such as Britain and Spain.

The current revival began in earnest in 1988, when the European Union relaxed its standards on thujone – the active chemical in wormwood. The United States followed in 2007 .

Today, thujone still is thought to produce secondary effects similar to marijuana or opium. Dr. Chris Holstege, a medical toxicologist with University of Virginia Health System, called that a myth. “My concern over the thujone is minimal,” he said. “The only thing I worry about with the public is that they’re not going to understand the high content of ethanol in it.”

Because most absinthes are 45 to 72 percent alcohol (Kubler is 53 percent), water usually is added before drinking.

The traditional ritual involves adding three parts iced water – drop by drop – to one part absinthe. This brings out the essential oils dissolved in the alcohol and causes the drink to louche – or turn a cloudy, opalescent white. The water is sometimes dripped over a sugar cube, which rests on a slotted spoon above the glass.

Though Holstege said absinthes for sale in the United States are safe, he cautioned against smuggling in brands that don’t meet U.S. standards. A n Internet buyer’s guide also warns against any brand using thujone levels as a selling point; it’s usually the mark of an inferior product.

Greg Gaudio, (757) 222-5125, greg.gaudio@pilotonline.com