Absinthe Drinking 101.. the Un Emile 68, Vert

Hello Class, todays lesson is in drinking Absinthe.. no don't worry if you drink absinthe you will not type / spell like I do..

I think the Un Emil 68 (green) will be best to start you off. Not too strong in the licorice department, very strong alcohol. Best with sugar, but still tasty without.

The sugar ritual: Take your slotted spoon and place over glass. Put a sugar cube on the spoon. Pour 1 oz. of the Green Fairy (La Fee Vert) over sugar cube into glass. Light sugar cube on fire (This is the modern Chek way... I don;t flambe' my sugar, because it is just for show.. but hell it's fun, so your choice) after 15 or so seconds, quench the fire if not already out, by pouring ice water over the cube into the glass..
(I have a friend who insists on flambe'ing his sugar.. I call him a Philistine for it.. :)

Here's the other fun part: very slowly drip water onto the cube, to dissolve it. When the absinthe turns cloudy (Louche) it is time to drink. Take your spoon if it has any remaining sugar cube, and stir the absinthe with it, to further dissolve the sugar. The amount of water you prefer, is totally up to you. As I drink absinthe, I will take breaks between to drink just ice water, but I like the drink strong.. so I drip just to the point that it starts to louche, the more water the more louche you get.. and every brand is slightly different, if you have more anise (Where the liquorice flavor comes from) your absinthe will louche sooner, it is the oil from the anise that causes the louche. But we're talking about the Un Emil 68 here...

Sip absinthe with a friend. As the thujon starts to take hold, you will find that "higher thought" comes easily. So prepare for "heady" conversation.

Caution: Absinthe, first acts like a mild stimulant. If you continue to drink you will feel more awake, but there comes a point when the alcohol will take over, and you will hit "The Wall". (When alcohol level gets to the point that you will need to lay down.. where ever you are, whatever you are doing.. you will lay down and chances are you will be unconscious before you hit the ground.. this has happened to me.. so I know.. felt just fine, enough energy to run a marathon, then BLAMMO! On floor sleeping.)
a 68 degree liquor has 68% alcohol, or is 136 proof. So each ounce is roughly equivalent to 1.5 drinks. If you can easily drink 6 drinks, then at 4 you are there... because of the stimulant effect it is easy to think you can drink it all night long.. but the wall is there.. at whatever alcohol level usually causes you to pass out.. well absinthe will do the same in spades!

Okay that's my absinthe talk for today..
I love this stuff as you can probably tell.. damn expensive habit, but well worth it!