Hello from NY!

[memento]

I'd like to say hello to all fellow absinthe fans. I've only gotten into absinthe in the past year or 2, but I'm a huge fan. I'm also a potential future producer. So for full disclosure I own a winery and I'm developing a recipe for a type of wine with similar herbs as absinthe. It's going to be my basis and test bed for herb blends (wormwood included) although I know that extraction of oils is very different in wines vs. spirits. In a few years I hope to be able to get licensing to distill with the intent to make a great absinthe.

[Zman (Marc Bernhard)]

Welcome!

[Gwydion Stone]

Howdy.  

"It's going to be my basis and test bed for herb blends (wormwood included)"

Have you ever tasted wormwood?

Watch this guy's face.  Malört is made with un-distilled wormwood.  That's pretty much what you'll get from wormwood-infused wine.  

[fingerpickinblue]

Welcome to the WS!

[TheLoucheyMonster!]

Hello and welcome!

[memento]

Thanks for the welcome!

 

I have indeed tested some of my wine infused with wormwood and my first time using it gave me pretty much the same reaction (except I kept it down). I used what I thought was a little but it was WAY too much. It's all a matter of degrees, so I cut the amount used by 75% and it was much better and very drinkable, but still too sharp. At least I know the approx. amounts to work with now. We are planting our own wormwood at the winery this year along with a few other herbs to use. It will be trial and error until I find the right method and herbs. I haven't tried to steep it yet, we just used a dry-hop method and let it soak for a month so time is also a factor. Maybe a day is good rather than a month and maybe it needs to be sweetened too. To me, this is the fun part!

[EvilAshLives]

Welcome memento!!

[Absomphe]

Greetings!

[Evan Camomile]

Welcome!

 

There are wormwood varieties other than absinthium that would be more suited to infusions. Try experimenting with those.

[memento]

Evan, thanks. I also have Roman wormwood that I have yet to play with but I understand that one to be less bitter and one of the common "vermouth" herbs. What other wormwoods would you recommend I try? This is going to be a long process to learn and get the right blend, so I'm open to all ideas.

[Evan Camomile]

There are quite a few species known as wormwood of one sort or another.

 

The various Mugworts, Sweet Sagewort, Southernwood, and the cousin of wormwood, Genipi I have seen used in cooking, herbalism, or alcohol.

 

If you go off the beaten path I'd research the plant, as is good practice when dealing with herbs in any function.

[Joe Legate]

Welcome to the forum.

[memento]

I'd love to go off the beaten path, but everything I produce is subject to the approval of the feds and I really don't know how free they are with adding herbs. I'll develop the flavor I like and hopefully it passes.

[PrivateRico]

Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!

[Bluewolf Pete]

Welcome!

[Joe Legate]

I'd love to go off the beaten path, but everything I produce is subject to the approval of the feds and I really don't know how free they are with adding herbs. I'll develop the flavor I like and hopefully it passes.

The Feds are pretty straight forward, well, in their own cute amusing way. If you haven't started here, it might help.

[memento]

"cute and amusing" indeed, both the FDA and TTB. I know the worst (best?) of the herbs I have right now would have to fall in the thujone-free category of <10ppm. Everything else so far is a typical food item and GRAS. For my wine I hope that I don't have to send in a sample to the TTB for analysis, but if I do then so be it. I will do what I have to do. I'm sure with the little bit I'm using and the fact that it's not distilled or macerated in a high alcohol environment, that it will be <10ppm.