In light of my Aesthetic sentiments, I have resolved to procure a quantity of absinthe for myself. Now, apparently, it seems to be illegal to import true absinthe to the United States, however I have looked at number of websites of reputable sellers of the beverage from the United Kingdom, France, and other European countries, all of whom are all too willing to ship here. Does anyone have experience in this area who could elucidate the practical legal status of this enterprise? For instance, although the law seems to forbid it, are the restrictions regularly enforced or not?
Good luck burning your throat with that petrol derivative. I thought 50% vodka was bad enough with the fumes alone, but I didn’t have the guts to even try absinthe.
Some crazy #¤&#& friends of mine bought a bottle of 95% which quite literally took the tastebuds away… aand their minds afterwards. My back thanks with anger.
(Thread-relevant: My coffee didn’t reach the states. I think alcohol would have a slightly higher regard in the way of postal attention?)
I have articles in a “metal” magazine where it gives me a site to buy absinthe. Even though it’s illegal, but is it in Canada?
Absinthe-taste like crap works like magic…and sure to light a fire under your ass
is that a great slogan or what?
Absinthe is legal in Canada. It’s legal to own it, but it’s illegal to sell it with the hallucinogenic ingredients(wormwood).
As for your question, Sil, I checked erowid.org(a reliable site dedicated to psychoactives) and I found this http://www.erowid.org/ask/ask.cgi?ID=2693.
- It is illegal to sell thujone containing absinthe in the US for human consumption.
- It is illegal for someone outside the US to sell thujone containing absinthe to someone inside the US.
- It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing absinthe for personal use in the US.
- It is not illegal to purchase thujone containing absinthe for personal use from outside the United States
- Thujone containing absinthe can be seized by US customs (if it appears to be for human consumption).
Hope that helps. When I went to Europe in the summer I picked up a bottle of it in Spain for my buddies. Both of them drank it in two nights. I tried some, tasted very strong and even though I only had one drink I could feel it. If you do get it, enjoy.
Well then, I think I’m going to take a visit to that website.
With all this talk about alcohol I might as well get hammered.
If van Gogh hadn’t committed suicide, the Cirrhosis would’ve killed him. >_>
Seriously, that shit could work as paint thinner.
Ask Dragon Tear. >.>
Well, although the absinthe by itself has a very high alcohol by volume, it is customary to dilute it with water and sugar quite heavily before drinking.
I think the entire “thujone” controversy is based on flawed old-timey science from the early 20th century. Apprently, modern studies have determined that it has no psychoactive properties.
Your help is appreciated, all.
Where’s zepp to discuss absinthe when we need him?
Absinthe is sold freely here but shipping would be illegal, so no 
And yeah it’s diluted… drinking pure alcohol is usually lethal.
Well, of course absinthe itself isn’t pure alcohol; I mean that the bottled product is diluted further with water before consumption.
I am a pretty regular consumer of absinthe. I’ve tried over 10 different kinds of absinthe so i can give a bit of input.
First, you will not experience any hallucinating. At least, nothing like you would from abusing actual hallucinogenic drugs like acid of mushrooms. Wormwood (or thujone) IS a hallucinogenic, but it’s effects are almost completely neutralized by the presence of highly concentrated alcohol and the fact that even the strongest absinthes sold today have very low concentrations.
Second, the country you get your absinthe from will make a huge difference as to the taste and effect you feel. Importing from great britain will mean you are not getting “real” absinthe, but basically something made to taste the same but without any wormwood or with extremely small amounts. Wormwood drinks are still illegal in most countries, but some countries such as Spain, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic have made them legal. Each country has a limit on the concentration of wormwood you can have. I believe Czech is still the highest at 35 mg / L. Switzerland is where the drink was originally invented, and some people say absinthes from there still taste the best. Most people say that the Czech absinthes are not real, and it is true they use a slightly stronger, more intense mixture. I like it more than the “traditional” absinthes I’ve tried though. Swiss abinsthes taste a little too anise-y (anise has a very licorice like flavor) for me, and I prefer the harsher Czech kind. I haven’t tried enough Spanish absinthe to judge.
As for how to mix it, the common way is to mix 1 part abinsthe with 4/5 parts water. Do not serve on ice. The water should be poured slowly over a small cube of sugar and displaced evenly. Some people like to light the sugar on fire and pour over that, but I think it’s more of a bar trick than anything else. Be careful though, some absinthes these days already come pre-sugared, and you would not want to add more sugar to those. Personally, I’d just avoid buying them pre-sugared.
As for importing to the US, I’m not sure. I brought back two bottles with me once from Europe and had no problem whatsoever. As far as I know, you will not get arrested for buying it online, but it CAN be legally confiscated through customs, so be aware your money could go to waste.
Where in the U.S. do you live, Silhouette? I know a couple of old Roma who own a coffee shop in Denver and make absinthe (which tastes the same as the stuff a friend brought me back from Sweden, and, as Zep said, it had a strong anise flavour.) of their own, which they are sometimes willing to sell/give away. They were giving it free to anyone who walked in to the coffee shop and would take it, recently, since they decided people needed something to warm them up for walking through a fucking meter of snow. If you’re in the Denver area, you might be able to procure some from them. If not, I’m certain there are people like them across America. I believe it’s real, but I’m hardly an expert on absinthe. I’m fairly certain it has a decent wormwood concentration.
I live around Cleveland, OH.
That’s a little far to drive for absinthe and coffee made wonderful through Gypsy magic, I suppose. I’d look around your area, then, there’s bound to be something kind of like that, there. The central conceit of my belief system is that old Gypsy ladies are in every town in America, offering you and one of your friends, but no the other three, discounts on food and free tarot readings because they “love you” before they’ve even spoken to you. If there isn’t, I don’t know what I would believe in any longer.
Intersecting.
batbatbatbatbat
On the legal stuff, I don’t live where you live, so I wouldn’t know. I guess trust zepp on that one.
As for those of you who say it burns your throat, well you’re not supposed to drink it pure for the bottle or something anyway. oO Enjoy it. Appreciate it. Cherish it! And drink it with class, sugarcubes, water, and a nice absinthe spoon. I just got myself a pretty bottle from germany, wonderful quality, and it shall be celebrated.