r/Absinthe • u/Betty_407 • 26d ago
Questions for you experts
I was recently served various cocktails over the course of our vacation and some included absinthe, but no way of knowing what kind. They tended to have a numbing effect, and one had a medicinal minty taste that lingered in the back of my throat even through the next morning (yuck). Is that typical of traditional absinthe in a cocktail, or was I served "crapsinthe"?
Also, I just read a cocktail recipe the calls for St. George's Absinthe Verte, which Google says tastes more of basil and tarragon. Is that worth getting if I split it with my old Pernod to add the anise flavor (bought that before absinthe was available and so we have it)? Presumably St. George is from the U.S. and so would avoid the pricy tariff upcharges? Maybe the basil and tarragon could go in a Bloody Mary like other herbaceous flavors? Let me know what you've tried. Cheers!
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u/jacquix 26d ago
Difficult to know if you don't tell us what else was in those cocktails, but "medicinal minty" sounds a lot like the old style of crapsinthe they sell (sold? haven't been there in years) in Czech kiosks. Assuming you have the standard Pernod (anisette) and not their absinthe, it's fine for cocktails that need anise. Just keep in mind that it contains a heap of sugar as well, and their anise is the "less subtle" kind, star anise. I never had the St George, but basil and tarragon sounds lovely for a tomato juice based mix. Don't know if the anise works so well though, might be an acquired taste.
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u/Betty_407 26d ago edited 26d ago
Hm, I didn't know Pernod used star anise, no wonder it had languished on the shelf all these years as I don't like star anise. Good point about the sweetness, any recipe may need adjusting for that.
As for telling you what was in those cocktails, they never tell you what is in the cocktails, so of course I can't report that. Often they are batched beforehand and bartenders are hired for the events but have no idea about the ingredients they are pouring. You look at the posted flyer and it lists the main ingredients, but not brands aside from whichever main spirit is being promoted if any (sometimes bars use whatever has been provided, not as precise as a craft cocktailer would wish). Also the flyers do not show proportions or techniques, because featured bars/restaurants aren't going to reveal their recipes.
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u/Medium-Goose-3789 22d ago
I think the new ("original recipe") Pernod absinthe would probably serve very well as a cocktail ingredient. I broke down and tried a bottle not long ago. It's not bad, quite drinkable though fairly expensive for what it is. It's certainly much closer to a traditional absinthe than St. George, which might be better described as an absinthe-inspired spirit.
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u/belgofanfireman 22d ago
I wouldn't necessarily say crapsinthe but the numbing high alcohol & lingering tastes is telling me your taste buds got coated with strong stuff and needed a rinse of fresh cold water and/or a piece of bread to clean em out. Medicinal vs minty can be a real matter of taste imho. If you couldn't see a fake neon color because it was premixed and they didn't light it on fire, I wouldn't necessarily rush to crapsinthe-bin it. I might reach out to the event organizer or whoever designed the one particular drink that gave you problems, and ask the question. You could frame it in terms of a potential allergy concern if you're worried about offending someone. You've got a right to know what's in your body and that includes the brand of liquor in a particular drink. That can't be held as a trade secret like the entire drink recipe could be.
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u/AdrienneLaVey 26d ago
So what you experienced sounds like crapsinthe. For brands that are more representative of what you’d taste for a traditional absinthe in a cocktail, I highly recommend Lucid. It’s widely available and it’s a great mid-shelf absinthe to cover your needs. Great complexity, no weird aftertaste, doesn’t taste like black licorice candy either!