The 7 Greatest Absinthes to Drink Now
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The history of absinthe is long and rich, and contains just enough mythology and controversy to keep things interesting. The Green Fairy, as it was once known, is typically a high-proof spirit that is flavored with botanicals, the most prominent of which are anise, fennel, and Artemisia absinthium—more commonly known as wormwood. While its roots can be traced back to Switzerland, absinthe was hugely popular in France in the early 20th century. Noted writers and artists were famously fans of this sweet, potent, licorice-flavored drink, including Hemingway, Rimbaud, and Baudelaire.
Absinthe gained a reputation as having dangerous hallucinogenic and psychoactive properties, although that has since been disproven (the likely culprit was just drinking way too much). Still, absinthe made with wormwood was banned in the U.S. from 1912 until 2007—officials cited the presence of the chemical thujone, which occurs naturally in wormwood, as being unsafe (current TTB guidelines allow up to 10ppm of thujone in absinthe).
Today, there are many different absinthe brands to try, including ones based on old French recipes and more modern versions produced by American craft distilleries. Here are the seven best absinthes to buy now.
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Tamworth Garden Sugar Plum Fairy
Image Credit: Tamworth Distilling Tamworth Distilling has made a name for itself over the years by releasing some very odd spirits, most notably whiskeys flavored with green crab, beaver sac oil, and venison. More recently the distillery released a new absinthe, and of course it also has a unique twist. This 100-proof spirit is flavored with wormwood and the usual botanical suspects, but it’s also blended with plum distillate and pine syrup to turn it into something unlike any other absinthe you’ve tried.
Buy Now: $95
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St. George Absinthe Verte
Image Credit: St. George Spirits St. George Spirits is a Bay Area craft distillery that has been around for over 40 years. It’s best known for making gin and single malt whiskey, but the team there has also come up with an excellent absinthe. Absinthe Verte was first released in 2007, and is made by infusing brandy with wormwood, anise, and fennel, distilling it, and then adding a range of botanicals to give it color and even more flavor.
Buy Now: $28
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Absinthe Vieux Pontarlier
Image Credit: Tempus Fugit This is a French absinthe that is rooted in history but modernized for today’s drinker. Wormwood and other botanicals are steeped in a base spirit made from Chardonnay grapes that was distilled in alembic copper stills in Pontarlier, France. The mission of Tempus Fugit, the brand behind this absinthe, is to produce spirits similar to those used in pre-Prohibition cocktails, and in that they’ve succeeded. Try this in a Sazerac, Death in the Afternoon, or any other drink you can think of.
Buy Now: $70
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Lucid Absinthe
Image Credit: Lucid Absinthe Lucid, which is imported by Oregon’s Hood River Distillers, was the first absinthe made with wormwood to be legally available in the U.S. after the ban was lifted in 2007. It’s distilled in France in old copper stills at the Combier Distillery, and there is no flavor or color added. Founder Ted Breaux also created the Jade portfolio of absinthes, including one made from two different kinds of wormwood and another that was reverse-engineered from a 1901 recipe.
Buy Now: $40
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Absente Absinthe
Image Credit: Raoul Beltrame This classic French absinthe is is made using a recipe that has been around for over a century, and at 110 proof it’s strong but not overpowering. The production of the spirit has been modernized in recent years, but the absinthe itself remains a stalwart in the category that works just as well sipped with some water and sugar or used in any cocktail.
Buy Now: $49
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Leopold Bros. Absinthe Verte
Image Credit: Leopold Bros. Leopold Bros. is a Colorado distillery that makes some excellent whiskey, but it also has a well-regarded absinthe in its expansive portfolio. Absinthe Verte is made from a Pisco base spirit imported from Chile. A range of botanicals are added to this grape distillate, including wormwood, anise, and fennel. Its pale green color is the natural result of steeping lemon balm and hyssop in the spirit, and it’s bottled at a bracing 130 proof.
Buy Now: $85
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Kübler Absinthe
Image Credit: Kübler Absinthe Kübler Absinthe comes from Switzerland, where it is made by fourth-generation master distiller Yves Kübler. The recipe for this expression dates back to the mid-1800s, and it contains nine botanicals including wormwood. According to the brand, Yves Kübler was instrumental in lifting the ban on absinthe—first in Switzerland and then in the U.S.—making this the first Swiss absinthe to be available here as of 2007.
Buy Now: $45
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FAQ
Image Credit: Daniel Karmann/picture alliance via Getty Images What is absinthe?
Absinthe is made by infusing a high-proof base spirit, often distilled from grapes or grain, with botanicals to give it color and flavor. The key ingredients in absinthe are anise, fennel, and—most importantly—wormwood. While some absinthes have added color or sugar, traditionally made expressions leave these out. The flavor of absinthe leads with strong anise or licorice notes against an herbal and floral background.
How should you drink absinthe?
There are several ways to drink absinthe. The classic method is the absinthe drip, which involves placing a slotted spoon holding a sugar cube over a glass of the spirit and pouring cold water over it. This sweetens and dilutes the absinthe, which is typically bottled well over 100 proof, and turns the liquid cloudy. Absinthe is also a key component of some classic cocktails, including the Sazerac, Death in the Afternoon, and Absinthe Frappe.
How did we choose the absinthes on this list?
We considered different factors when picking these absinthes, with the emphasis being on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting absinthe involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel, and finish. The bottles on this list represent the best absinthes based on all of these factors, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online.
Why should you trust us?
Jonah Flicker has been writing about whiskey and other spirits for nearly a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and the New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, and his work has appeared in many national other lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, CNN, USA Today and more.
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
Flicker is currently Robb Report’s whiskey critic, writing a weekly review of the most newsworthy releases around. He is a freelance writer covering the spirits industry whose work has appeared in…
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Source: Robb Report