St. George Absinthe Verte (aka the Monkey Absinthe)

Earlier this week my precious bottle of St. George Absinthe Verte came. There it is on the right with the label which has the monkey playing the cowbell. I ordered two bottles but because of overwhelming demand I was lucky to get this one. The distillery and all of its distributors sold out the entire stock within 24 hours of release. Being from San Francisco, it is the first bottle to be legally distilled in America since prohibition. Although they are now making a second batch with a much larger run, that red stamp to the right of the monkey certifies mine being from the original series. What does that mean? Well, not much more than owning the first edition of anything. But bragging rights always rule.

I was a bit nervous about this absinthe as it has a reasonably low alcohol content (60%) and is prepared with Brandy instead of something more akin to moonshine. Those fears were unfounded. The louche is exceptional. It clouded up immediately to a color reminiscent of green pine rather than the typical bright green of jade absinthes.

That color is a bit weird, right? The taste is amazing. It is much sweeter than any other absinthe I have had and the licorice flavor is very subdued. The top notes are much more akin to vanilla and mint, with a hint of citrus. I am in love. I poured a glass, fired up the NI Akoustik Piano and started working on what may turn out to be a love song. Or a song about aliens. I'm still working that out, but the baroque piano lines were definitely a product of this intriguingly pine colored fairy. You can learn about the great work of these distillers here.

You may notice in the background of the photo the other absinthe currently de-regulated in America, Lucid. It is a little less delicate than other European absinthes, the anise is right up front, but it sure gives that loving absinthe feeling. We drank a bottle of it on new year's eve. Good times.

Got my ass kicked by a fairy......

The Green Fairy that is.......

Jon brought us back a few bottles of real Absinthe, wormwood, thujones and all.

It was a pretty fantastic evening, about 7 or 8 of us celebrating the return of Jon and Chris to America. Jon brought the Wii over, and we all had quite a blast.

Absinthe is a trip. Not literally, the hallucinogenic thing is a myth. However it is almost 70% alcohol, ie: 140 proof. It is practically licorice flavored moonshine.

The drunk is nothing I have experienced before. I was completely wasted, but my mind was 100% clear. So was my body. We were competing at Wii sports and everyone was doing quite well, despite the amount of alcohol in our systems. There was definitely a communal hive feeling. I guess that is why everything felt like a trip.

Everything was going well until we decided around 1:30 to hit the bars. The delicate balance of pretzels and absinthe in my system was working really well. I can only imagine if I had abstained from further alcoholic exploration where my night could have gone. I felt like a goddamned king and my confidence was through the roof.

However, three sips of beer and two drags from a cigarette I really should not have bummed outside changed everything. The room started spinning and all the drunk in my system changed from elegant to disastrous. I quickly said my goodbyes and rushed the first empty cab.

I woke up this morning at a quarter after ten and didn't like it. I woke up again at 12:45, popped Tylenol more for my aching neck and back and lay in bed watching a movie (Grandma's Boy, kinda funny but would never have watched it if I wasn't too hungover to find the remote) before I finally got myself motivated to do everything I need to get done today.

I am curious about everyone else's hangovers/experiences after I left. I wish we had a control case who only drank absinthe but everyone got beers at the bar, and Chris and Heidi mixed beer and absinthe all night.

Thank God I don't have plans to see the special friend for a few days. Right now I can barely look down without a world of pain. Is there a stretch you can do to prevent hurting yourself head banging? Does anyone know? I went full out at practice yesterday and I am in a world of pain. I have exercises to stretch my muscles and protect every part of my body from jumps, thrusts, lunges, even the repetitive stress of fretting a guitar. But every time I rock too hard my neck and upper back get FUCKED UP for about two days. What can I do?

Anyway. I'm off topic. Absinthe. I'm a fan. Jon is getting me a bottle of my own. I will see that fairy again and this time it is her ass that will be bloody and raw. mmmmmm bloody and raw..............

Alternate post title: Fairies Wear Boots (Why all the Sabbath on the brain lately?)