A.k.a. “Portrait of Angel Fernández de Soto”-- sounds like Christie's can sell it. From The New York Times:
A federal judge refused yesterday to bar Christie’s in New York from auctioning a painting by Picasso that a German banker’s heir says was sold under duress in Nazi Germany.Hmmm... would nullifying that pre-war sale be a precedent for judging other dubious sales throughout history? What about treaties?
Coverage of the "Absinthiades" in Pontarlier-- absinthe paraphernalia meet up in Pontarlier, Switzerland and the absinthe blog where it was posted-- "The Wheat of Virgin Spaces," the Oxygenee blog.
Repotted, everything seems happy and healthy, waiting for a nice corner planter. With a windbreak on the balcony, I wonder what I could put out there that would do well in the cold.
2x wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Hyssop "Tutti Frutti" (???, Agasache cana?)
English Wedgewood thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasum) (not doing well),
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
From an Italian addiction blog comes news of a study finding no detremental health effects from absinthe drinking other than those encountered in common alcoholism. The study will be published in Bio Med Central and was led by Stephan A Padosch (Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg), Dirk W Lachenmeier (Chemisches und Veterinäruntersuchungsamt CVUA Karlsruhe) and Lars U Kroener (Institut für Rechtsmedizin der Universität zu Köln). Say that ten times fast.
From the blog (not the report):
Based on the current available evidence, thujone concentrations of both pre-ban and modern absinthes may not have been able to cause detrimental health effects other than those encountered in common alcoholism.Today, a questionable tendency of absinthe manufacturers can be ascertained that use the ancient theories of absinthism as a targeted marketing strategy to bring absinthe into the spheres of a legal drug-of-abuse. Misleading advertisements of aphrodisiac or psychotropic effects of absinthe try to re-establish absinthes former reputation.
In New Orleans recently, I wandered into a bar next to the cathedral, attracted by the large "WE HAVE ABSINTHE!" sign. When I asked what they had, I was poured a glass of Absente (ouch) in which a spoon was dipped and lit (double ouch) as I wheezed "wait". No point making a stink, and it was a delicious enough pastis, but I couldn't leave without explaing to the (very uninterested) bartender that it wasn't, in fact, absinthe.
Seems like folks get suckered a lot by "people in the know" who stand to gain from either deception or ignorance. It was interesting to read an article this morning about a bar in Orlando which appears as well to serve Absente as "absinthe," sans qualifiers or shame.
Appropriate (and timely) to see the new Absinthe Suckers tribe started by Alan.
L'absinthe restaurant in New York,
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco,
Absinthe Bar in Amsterdam,
Absinthe Cafe Resto Bar in Ottowa, Canada,
Absinthe Films "Full Spectrum Snowboarding"
Absinthe show at the Spiegeltent
It was only a matter of time-- Manson revealed in a Rolling Stone interview (covered
here) that "We hope to have it out in time for parents to give it to their children for Christmas."
Absinthe cocktail recipes at Liqueurs de France includes absinthe drip (traditional), panachée, sazerac (first cocktail ever?), and of course the absinthe frappé.
| Tasting Category | Country | Award | Winning Spirit | Producer |
| Absinthe 55% | France | Silver (best in class) | Doubs Premium Absinthe | TNB (Pty) Ltd |
| Absinthe 60% | France | Silver (best in class) | Amer aux plantes d'Absinthe Combier | Combier |
| Absinthe 68% | France | Silver (best in class) | Absinthe Nouvelle-Orleans 68% | Jade Liqueurs |
| Absinthe 72% | Switzerland | Gold (best in class) | Absinthe Duplais | Matter-Luginbühl |
| France | Silver | Absinthe Edouard 72% | Jade Liqueurs |
Old Absinthe House, New Orleans, LA
Gumbopages article about the history of absinthe in New Orleans, linking to the "Good to the Last Drip" cover story article (12/17/02) in the Gambit Weekly.
Gotta get me one/some...
Oxygenee's "The Absinthe Spoon" (or is it "Absinthe Frenchman Spoon"?!) has "Classic" and "Fée Verte" models, €150 (~$192) each:
eAbsinthe.com has a slightly different "classic" model for £99.95 (~$188):
La Maison d'Absinthe in New Orleans has the "Lady" and "#2" models for $160 (2-spigot) and $225 (4-spigot).
Everything Absinthe (eBay store) has a few "lady" and "classic" fountains for $145-$175.
Lovely shop in Paris has a (2nd edition) copy of Marie-Claude Delahaye's
"L'Absinthe : Histoire de la Fée verte".
What next-- a breakfast cereal?!
"Absinthe" at Spiegeltent (NYC): "Imagine Cirque du Soleil as channeled through “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and painted by George Gros."
Sweet party last night at Brickyard in Boston-- all of Ted Breaux' varieties, and a few others. To get enough, employees ordered max qty for weeks... and there's lots left. They're going to win awards for work they do on the 'sinthe; not sure if they understand that... First class party with glasses, spoons, and even two fountains. The Edouard clearly contains Artemisia pontica in the seasoning herbs-- damn that Ted Breaux!
MANY thanks to the hosts for their warm hospitality!
New Orleans Times-Picayune: "ABSINTHE MINDED" (July 21, 2006): some background before Ted Breaux' discussion and tasting in the Tales of the Cocktail festival.
Bavarian Breweries & Distilleries fabricates lovely units from this 25l alembic tester to large, industrial plants.
