I am in need of some good advice. I will be throwing a soiree for some Absinthe green horns
and I have become more than a little fretful over the purchase of the right bottle. Mind you
the other Absinthe's will consist of Eichelberger 68, La Clandestine Original, Jade Nouvelle Orleans (for the cellar) and another bottle. I was thinking of maybe Leopold's, Marteau or Pacifique. Personally I like Pacifique for being local, despite it's weak louche. Even though I have heard there have been what I would describe as discrepancies from batch to batch.
So I am afraid to pick some up at the liquor store for fear of getting one of these unfortunate batches. The Pacifique I had seemed ok but now I don't know. I have yet to
try either Marteau or Leopold's. I want these newbs to get a good impression of what real Absinthe is like. I cant decide between Marteau, Leopold's or Pacifique. Those are my potential choices. Vieux Pontarlier maybe? I need some help.

That's an easy choice. Go local. Plus, both Marteau and Pacifique are more traditional than Leopold's, IMHO, and that sounds like what you're looking for.

I say Pacifique. Have you tried slower/different drip methods in regards to the louche?

I concur, though I would be a little less happy without at least one bottle of each in the ol' closet. I buy more Leopold's products than anything else, simply because I take a lot of pride in having such quality here in Colorado, and when I go to local liquor stores, their products are the ones I have had the most success with getting them to try/stock. I've been waiting to get my hands on another bottle of Pacifique, before my stash is depleted, and DUNY was supposed to have it back in stock on or around the 13th but has not updated their site.

I think most, if not all, of the weak louching Pacificique is gone from the state liquor stores by now.

I can affirm that I have made several purchases at:

#101 SEATTLE-4TH AVE SOUTH
2960 4TH AVE S STE 101
SEATTLE WA 98134
206-587-5687

and

#43 SEATTLE-WEST SEATTLE
4513 CALIFORNIA AVE SW
SEATTLE WA 98116
206-933-3416

over the past few months and have had nothing but the good stuff. I don't know if those stores are close to you but I can vouch for their Pacifique supply.

Marteau and Leopold's are both excellent choices too, if you must pick one of the three, you really can't go wrong.

I'm Mr. Persnickety when it comes to weak louching absinthe. I've never had an issue with Pacifique.

Pacifique, Marteau or Leopold? Count your lucky stars to have such fine choices! You should have all three in your bar.

Any or all of your local choices.

The three you mentioned are certainly worth having. Not every absinthe is going to be perfect to each individual.

Weird ain't it!

Pacifique, Marteau or Leopold are all great choices for local selection.

I'll second this.

Even up here in Bellingham, the latest batch is available, and I find the louche, mouthfeel, and flavor to be somewhat fuller (and livelier than even those of the earlier, pre-weak louching runs.

Local is best in this case. I'm all in for some more Pacifique then. Thanks guys.
As for the louche I have been using the carafe method and trying to get the drip/stream
as slow as I can. Although I have to hold it just right to get the drip I'm after. The "carafe"
I've been using is just a clear champagne bottle with one of those metal drink pourers on it.
The pourer is just one of the normal kinds they sell at QFC. Although I have been giving some
thought to trying some different kinds to find one with the best drip. If anyone knows one that
works good for this I'd be mighty obliged. Also what kind of water does everyone use for the louche?
Anyone partial to mineral, spring, distilled, glacier or (saints preserve us) tap water?
I have also heard of using a little rose water or orange blossom water to mix in with the ice water.
Apparently this is supposed to add an extra flowery note. Has anyone ever heard of or tried this?

Yes.



Depends on the quality of the tap water where you live. I wouldn't use the stuff coming out of my tap.



Not for me.

And you won't regret the decision to go with Pacifique.

Don't you mean mister anti-persnickety? Or are you persnickety about absinthes that are persnickety? Just what level of persnicketism are we dealing with here?

Whoa whoa whoa whoa... Yer gonna use these nice, fairly hard to come by brands on new drinkers? I say grab some lucid and obsello and let em go nuts, come back in a week with cash to throw down and teach them the finer aspects. Then again, that may be because I've only ever had a local selection of Obsello, Lucid, Kübler, and " absente", and anything else is beyond logical grasp cash wise.

Wanna be friends? I loooooooooooove absinthe parties =P

He puts on musicals, how persnickety can he possibly be?

I think Kübler is the best for noobs because it's less complicated than most. Good, but less complicated.

But I make them good. That's right, I can make a silk purse out of a cow's ear.
You're still pissy over that European swill you went ga-ga over that couldn't louche.

Good musicals.

Well, at least I'm assured that you're good at making oxymoronic statements....and that I'm more proficient at coaxing a louche than you are.

A louche should never have to be coaxed, at least not from good absinthe. That's like trying to coax sweetness from honey: if it's honey, it will be sweet. If it's absinthe, it will louche.

Musicals? Meh, I'm not mad for them. Most of them are so much fluff but there are a few good ones.

That which we call a louche by any other name.....

I live in Wallingford, so Marteau is quasi-local... if you can find it.

Super-icy cold water is the key. A slow, thin stream should work.


Seattle tap water is horrible, but if you put a carafe full in the fridge overnight the chlorine evaporates and it's pretty decent. Portland's water is sweet right out of the tap.

Rose water is pretty weird, a drop of orange flower water is nice, but I wouldn't introduce people to absinthe that way.

btw, what's up with the Hill's in your avatar?

I personally find the mere idea of "still life with Hill's" to be incredibly amusing.
However it was just my temp avatar until I could find something better.
Not half as amusing as still life with KOSG would be though. Just looking at
the bottle you'd be surprised it didn't come with a free spoon shaped like
Van Goghs ear.


I am truly looking forward to trying some. However the local selection is severely lacking.
The Liquor store closest to me is the one on Broadway in Capitol Hill. Pacifique, Lucid,
Pernod, Absente and LTV are my only choices. But the way I see it there is only one
correct choice. That is until there are some other worthwhile brands to choose from.


You can say that again.


I emphatically agree.
But it's intriguing enough that I just might give it a try with some middle tier stuff sometime.

Okay, if that's the case, then there has yet to be a single absinhe distilled at Emile Pernot.

Which makes no difference to me, since I don't have a stake in that particular enterprise.