Absinthe Revival on the way

I remember the first time I had absinthe very clearly. Wait, let me correct that. The first time I remember having absinthe is very clear:

Sitting in a bar in South Africa a large bartender with dreadlocks responded to my query for a good strong cocktail with "I'll make you my personal invention, a flaming goblin." He then proceeded to pour a shot of absinthe and a few dashes of a dark but aromatic high proof liqueur into a shot glass, light it on fire and toss it back - just to show me how it worked. Four or five hours and twice as many Flaming Goblins later, I had a new favorite bar in Jo'Burg.

A few years ago, when the laws in the US changed to make absinthe legal again (see this comprehensive Salon article), I investigated getting a bottle. But with prices what they are, I have no desire to buy a 60$ bottle lacking thujone.

In the end though, I think good absinthe is on the way soon. This week France finally lifted the last part of the 100 year ban and allowed Absinthe to be called Absinthe again. A dash of absinthe figures prominently in many historical cocktails, and for good reason. While a cup (even properly prepared) of absinthe can be difficult to approach, the depth and finish it can add to a carefully crafted cocktail is invaluable.


Redface Tip:
Check your local liquor store - I've only ever found this in one particular store in NJ - but if you are lucky enough it might be locally available. I know I pay $22-$24 for it.

Also, check out FKR's article on the Return of the Green Fairy

Your Inner Monkey

There are many sayings about people and drinking - From Homer Simpson to Winston Churchill, most of the world's movers and shakers have had something memorable to say about alcohol.  I have always held the loosely defined belief that there is a good reason that alcohol has been around as long as it has - it serves a significant purpose. 

Your inner monkey - that guy inside you that so many people are afraid of - if you take the time to find out what kind of liquor makes you tick, well, he appreciates it.

Anyway, take the time to realize that the inner you expresses itself in many ways, but never so purely as when you drink alone.  Notice yourself in company, and if you're anything like me, you tend to keep the same overall qualities, but cater your language, posture, diction, and general behavior to the social norms to the company at hand.  This makes it hard sometimes to slow down long enough for a personal tuneup,  Well.  Take that time.

One whiskey at a time,
Redface

MADD Science

Now, I'm no Frank Kelly Rich, but I do get bothered by misleading and often false posters and health messages in schools.  Call me whatever name you choose, but I'm not from the school of thought that believes teaching a kid "Beer = Death" is productive.

Following a brief logic here, if you teach a kid five facts about alcohol, and two of them are "beer kills" and "drinking makes you have unprotected sex," you'll only be harming them.  While both of those statements are nominally true- since you can kill yourself by drinking too much beer, and you will be more likely to have sex when that social lubricant takes away your inhibitions.  However, any kid, no matter how smart or dumb, will figure out by the second or third time they drink, that neither of these things are true every time.  This might lead them to question or ignore all of what they've been taught about drinking.

Now, if you don't agree with that (or couldn't follow), that's fine.  Moving on to the reason I'm talking about this today: I'm no scientist, but I can read.  The article outlining this study never mentions whether there is a causal relationship, only that there is a correlation.  Simply put, there is no stated causal link between seeing a movie with drinking and drinking.  And that's MADD science, not real science.