Jay Pique wrote:

On Tue, 09 Nov 2004 17:39:48 -0600, bdubya
wrote:


My bartender has absinthe on the shelf. For a small fee, he'll add a
good dose of wormwood for authenticity. Wild.


Is drinking absinthe *really* different from, say,drinking grappa?
Is the buzz better? And what's this wormwood additive - is it real
wood? I'm confused.

JP
*******************
It's snowing here.

True absinthe is made with wormwood. It is banned in many countries
because of its toxicity... it will make you crazy. Absinthe is more in
the anise or licorice-tasting family. Like Pernod or Sambuca. Grappa
is distilled from a brew using wine must and is more like a cross
between brandy and moonshine. The only genuine absinthe I have tasted
was smuggled in from Poland. Good stuff, that, but then again, I used
to have a top-shelf Chartruese jones. Definitely an aquirred taste.

RAC