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Lucid Absinthe, made by Master Distiller Ted Breaux
One of the best perks I get with this job is that I get to speak with some amazing people who are the backbone of this industry I love so much. That is why I was thrilled to have the chance to interview the legendary Ted Breaux, Master Distiller of Lucid Absinthe.
I am a huge absinthe fan, but I am also an admitted novice. From the beginning, I knew I didn't want to ask the same generic questions that are always asked regarding absinthe. So when given this rare opportunity I turned to my friends over at the Wormwood Society for a little help with my questions.
Q. Can you tell me briefly about your story? How did you become interested in absinthe and what do you as an expert find enjoyable about it?
A. I was working as a research scientist in a laboratory in 1993, when a colleague made a passing comment about absinthe that caught my attention. Having seen the word “absinthe” in my hometown (New Orleans), but not knowing exactly what it was, when I asked my colleague for clarification, his response was, “you know, it was that green liquor that made people crazy”. I found that to be unbelievable, and there appeared to be no convenient informational resource to either confirm or deny that. It became a mission of mine to resolve it.
Q. How did that whole absinthe movement get started?
A. The resurgence in the interest of absinthe began in the mid 1990s, when certain Czech liquorists realized that tourists would pay handsome sums of money for any bottle of green/blue liquid that was labeled “absinth”. While this fueled the initial curiosity of many persons, the downside was the fact that whatever was in those bottles was closer to liquid drain cleaner than anything recognizable as absinthe. I found that to be incredibly disappointing, as did many. I didn’t care to see the tradition of absinthe hijacked in that fashion by profiteers who had no passion for the liquor. Fueled with determination, I set out to set things straight in the marketplace.
Q. What makes the difference between a truly good, traditional absinthe and a novelty, mass-market brand? How can an inexperienced consumer tell the difference?
A. The easiest way for the American consumer to differentiate products that are artisanally distilled from those that are industrial novelties is to have a close look at the label. The first red flag is to be on the lookout for anything labeled as a “liqueur”. If the word “liqueur” appears on the label, this indicates that it is bottled with sugar. Absinthe is a dry spirit, and is not and never was a sugary liqueur. The next thing is to look at the fine print on the backside of the label for the words, “FD&C blue, yellow, and/or red”, and/or the phrase “certified color”. Any bottle in which “FD&C” and/or “certified color” appears on the label is artificially colored, and therefore is not artisanal in nature. If one is getting a bottle of sugary, artificially colored product, then that calls the authenticity and value severely into question. Unfortunately, the industrial imitators are usually priced no different than the artisanal brands.
Where artisanally distilled products are concerned, it’s mostly a question of subjective taste and style.
Q. Do you think some of the new absinthes being made with non-traditional ingredients are as "legitimate" as more historically faithful recipes?
A. So long as the product is artisanally distilled as per original methods, there is some room for distiller creativity within the category. For example, those absinthes that are artisanally distilled in the U.S. generally take on a more ‘nouveau’ character that departs from the traditional theme. We see the same thing with U.S. gin. This type of expression and horizontal expansion is beneficial to categorical recognition and opens the possibility for new, interesting mixology.
Q. Is absinthe, like wine, best made in certain regions, or can you make it anywhere? Also, which ingredients are most responsible for the taste in your glass?
A. Certain herbs of specific European origin possess a distinct character that favors the most traditional styles of absinthe, and I see the best few brands in France and Switzerland continuing to represent the crème de la crème where the traditional theme is concerned. The main musical theme in the taste is carried by green anise, fennel, and absinthe (grande wormwood), with the harmonious background provided by accenting herbal notes and coloring botanicals.
Q. Are you planning on distilling here in the US. If so, when? If not, why not? What's coming next from you to the US?
A. I cannot do what I do from within the U.S., simply because the materials I need are non-existent there. Likewise, just as cognac, armagnac, champagne and calvados are traditionally French, absinthe is inherently of Franco-Swiss origin, and the tradition of absinthe is very much alive in its own birthplace.
There are good things coming from me to the U.S., but only after I wade through tremendous red tape and multiple headaches. Absinthe may be technically legal in the U.S., but the regulatory hassles associated with it are no picnic.
For more information on Ted Breaux visit here.
For More information on Lucid Absinthe visit here.
For more information on the Wormwood Society visit here.
Cheers!
drinkexaminer@gmail.com
Comments
Did you have anyone in authority check over this article before publishing it?
"when certain Czech liquorists realized that tourists would pay handsome sums of money...liquid drain cleaner... profiteers"
This is not only untrue it is something else as well. Do you know what that is, Kelly? Ask your senior editor.
Perhaps before publishing remarks like this you should do your homework. But it doesn't matter, eh? I mean who cares? Some little country in Europe, right?
It doesn't matter does it Kelly?
That absinth was created at the request of a very famous Czech theatre troupe? That they brought it to Prague, where it was enjoyed in bars BY LOCALS, and was then spotted by John Moore of Jesus and The Mary Chain who exported to the UK.
These fact do not matter to you, eh? Just spread some more mailicious and damaging remarks about the Czech Republic.
Let me guess, are you a Czech liquorist?
No, Nephrite, I am not. What I am this moring is very, very angry. This time I really have had enough of this kind of slur. It is a typical attack encouraged by the Wormwood Society against the Czechs with no basis in fact.
Any mention of Divadlo Sklep - Ing. Bohá?e from Slavonice? These are the facts about the return of absinthe in the Czech lands and not Breaux's racist allegations about "profiteers" "handsome sums of money" etc.
How dare you publish these kind of allegations?
Divadlo Sklep = Hill’s Absinth?
Do you homework Praha.
You're right though, absinth was created in Czech Republic. But absinthE was not.
Some never learn.
Pathetic
Praha,
the only damaging thing is marketing a vile tasting spirit that not even resemble absinthe as "true" absinth(e), and then convince so many people that absinthe sucks.
After this the FACT is that now no one really good absinthe is produced in your country, BUT there are some honest and passionated distillers that are doing their best to produce something really good, like Martin Zufanek from Zusy distillery. He's really on the right way, and you know why? Just because he decided to listen to knowledgable people instead of doing all himself. Learn from him and stop whining!
you guys are a bunch of boorish, whiny, know-it-all pricks.
can't you just take a good interview for what it is?
can't you appreciate the efforts put in by this man to at least attempt to create a great product?
can't you just leave your egos at the door?
22stars, we are responding to Praha here not Ted Breaux.
Stop with the name calling or I'll delete the comments. Everyone is entitled to his/her opinions.
Kelly, this is a good piece, and you shouldn't take this nonsense personally. This "Praha" character hits virtually every absinthe web story with the same propaganda campaign against the absinthe industry.
22stars: We respond to this sort of thing because Praha is indulging in a covert, guerrilla marketing campaign on behalf of a handful of Czech producers. He believes that by discrediting the real absinthe makers and experts it will help the failing Czech absinth industry. As if somehow that will convince the public that we don't know what we're talking about. Of COURSE absinthe is supposed to be turquoise!
Praha: Most (i.e. greatest quantity) of the "absinth" coming out of Czech is artificial. It's artificial color and artificial flavor in low-grade vodka. It is at best "imitation absinthe."
Before you try to refute this, ask yourself how you might feel about being the one to prompt an independent, detailed GC/MS analysis of the most well-known Czech brands to be published on the web. And I'm not just talking about thujone levels.
Your hysterical claim of racism is a sad commentary. I was unaware that Czechs considered themselves a separate "race." If you do personally, maybe we need to factor that into your arguments as well.
No one made remarks about the Czech Republic or the Czech people in general. The remarks were about products and the practical fact of origin.
If Czechs want to claim responsibility for the absinthe renaissance, they shouldn't complain when they're expected to do it responsibly.
Awesome interview, Kelly. The questions from the Wormwood Society where great. I'm glad to not see the "what is wormwood?" and "is this legal?" questions. This interview is a great resource for people that want to know about absinthe. It also helps people understand the due diligence put forth by Ted into producing this product. I look forward to hearing from other absinthe producers in this manner (as well as other types of spirits).
Cheers!
i accept the fault of not reading everything before commenting, i apologize.
i now see it was one person, not all of you.
excellent article Kelly, i can't wait to pick some up. i'm in the process of getting the Modern Marvels special that Ted was on as well.
I'll post that link to the Modern Marvels shortly.
What Praha does not understand is that if it is true, it is not slanderous.
The Czechs claim *their* versions of "absinth" as being from original French and Swiss recipes, and that is the furthest thing from the truth. This type of deceptive marketing can still be found for those very same Czech products.
For example, here (http://www.bernkastelvintners.com/czechfruko.html) we find an artificially colored Czech absinth that claims:
"Our Absinth is made according to the original Swiss recipe using a blend of 13 herbs the most important of which are wormwood, mint, aniseed and chamomile."
Anyone who has tasted Swiss absinthe, old or new, knows this tastes nothing like it. Not only that, but this product is even ILLEGAL in Switzerland, as under Swiss law, nothing with artificial color qualifies as "absinthe".
So Praha, before you go crying about the bad reputation that Czech 'distillers' (assuming they even distill anything) have earned for themselves, you need to check your facts.
I was just wondering if anyone is interested in the actual truth about the absinthe renaissance in Central Europe? or just the usual Czech bashing by the usual internet thugs?
This very dirty remark about the first bottles being produced because "certain Czech liquorists realized that tourists would pay handsome sums of money" was most likely created by Gwydion Stone. For all I know Breaux may be repeating it in all innocence. Stone recently produced another bogus story about heroin preparation being the origin of the fire ritual.
Stone is not an expert on anything - and certainly nothing related to the Czech Republic; his only contribution to library catalogues here is "Talking Raven, Summer 1993, interview with S/M Pagan, Gwydion Stone" I am not even sure what that is.
The absinthe renaissance started in a pub in Slavonice. You can still visit the pub if you like. It was here that the Divadlo Sklep (a famous theatre group) drank the one bottle in existence
ordered from distiller Radomil Hill by Mr Bohace. Later Divadlo Sklep took some further bottles to Prague and it was sold to local bars and enjoyed by Czechs and also the American - Bohemian "arts" crowd that populated the city at the time.
John Moore of Jesus and The Mary Chain, The Idler, spotted it in such a bar and imported it to the United Kingdom. It caught on like wild fire.
President Havel served absinth to Hillary Clinton during a US Presidential visit to Prague. She drank it at the famous Cafe Slavia where the famous Viktor Oliva (1861-1928)absinthe painting (Piják absintu) hangs.
In 1999 The Czech Embassy in Washington held an event of "Czech prose, poetry, absinth, and cuisine, in celebration of a decade of civic and artistic freedom. Readings by Washington's Scena Theatre from the works of Havel, Hrabal, Hasek, Topol, to name but a few, flavored with first ever U.S. tasting of Czech absinth" They had similar events after that as well.
If you do not like the taste of wormwood don't drink Czech absinth. It is only a matter of personal taste. These allegations about money - which have a sinister historic ring in this part of Europe - are false and created by pure hate. When you repeat them you create false history and inflicit damage.
False history is a very dangerous and pernicious form of propoganda - The Protocols of the Elders of Zion being the most clear and explosive example from history.
Gwydion Stone must now stop making up history to suit his own personal hate agenda. I have explained the history of the modern absinth revival in Slavonice above. Those are the facts - ideas about money based conspiracies, heroin spoons, and other bile belong in the trash can.
Ted Breaux also *used* the article to make another bizzare and self-serving allegation about the non-existence of quality raw materials to make absinthe in the United States. This is utter rubbish as well.
Praha, Haven't we all seen these comments repeated before many times over? What's the point of beating a dead horse like here?
http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/oct/08/return-green-fair-making-cocktails-absinthe/
And? I see that Stone is trying to set himself up in competition with the TTB as an absinthe regulator, but that is another matter, Nephrite.
In case you have the attention span of a goldfish: the matter at hand is his traditional online pogrom against the Czechs. I took the time to explain why Kelly had been misled by this hatred. I explained the actual history of the absinthe revival in Central Europe which Breaux had misrepresented to her. What don't you understand?
Why are you raising another issue altogether? To cause mischief? It is true it seems that he has now started on certain competitor brands in the US. Your point is, Nephrite? No doubt some weak minded attempt to curry favour with one of these plastic American absinthe "gods"
Don't you have any comment or interest in the history?
The point is, seeing the same comments in multiple news articles, blogs and forum posts gets as boring as your insults.
I believe the central issue here is the historic definition of "real absinthe" and the formulas and processes used to prepare and absinthe that actually “smells and tastes good”. Would you prefer to debate David Nathan-Maister over Gwydion Stone on this?
The Czech Republic might do well in the absinthe market simply by taking a few notes on historic formulas and processes. Hope this helps!
http://www.feeverte.net/recipes.html
http://www.feeverte.net/bedel/
http://www.oxygenee.com/absinthe-buy/books5.html
Kelly,
I am writing a movie script that contains a scene where I have the heroine sharing Absinthe with the antagonist. Have you tried Absinthe? If so, what were the effects (if any) that would set it apart from any other drink? From everything I have read it appears as though it is a type of hallucinogen - true?
Thanks
Leon
"Gwydion Stone must now stop making up history to suit his own personal hate agenda."
Praha, now you're going all Jerry Springer on us.
"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"
The irony here is just too much. "It has been proven to be a plagiarism, literary forgery, fraud and a hoax," to quote wikipedia, just like turquoise absinthe. Thank you for that.
You can repeat your shrill, paranoid rhetoric as many times as you like, that doesn't make it true.
I'm tired of your ridiculous red herrings about cultural bias and your cowardly personal attacks on my character and motives, let's get this straight:
I don't care WHERE it comes from, non-anise, turquoise-blue, artificially colored and flavored, minty, crazy bitter vodka is NOT absinthe.
I don't care WHO started the absinthe renaissance; it doesn't mean they knew anything about absinthe.
I'm not making up history, I'm commenting on a modern product and its relative merit (or lack thereof). You're making up history when you call that crap "absinthe."
Hey look, I'm sorry if the truth is turning out to be hard on your family's business, I really am. I realize that when your people "started the absinthe renaissance," they had no idea what absinthe was supposed to taste like, but we're not going to stand by and let people be misled ten years later.
Sure, early on it was probably an innocent mistake; who knew? But now there's no excuse. It's not like we haven't been telling you guys all along that that the stuff isn't absinthe. I personally offered to help you find a way forward and here you are now, urinating in my face and embarrassing your culture. You could have avoided this years ago, but you're too proud.
But not so proud that you'll use your real name.
Leon - Absinthe does not have hallucinogenic properties. That's a myth that's gone on for too long. It's effects are the same as any other form of liquor. What sets it apart is the preparation and flavor. It's also rather strong.
>"The Protocols of the Elders of Zion"
>The irony here is just too much. "It >has been proven to be a plagiarism, >literary forgery, fraud and a hoax," to >quote wikipedia, just like turquoise >absinthe. Thank you for that.
You are not the sharpest knife in the drawer, are you? The point was about false history and insane ideas about conspiracy. Pretty shabby to use it as yet another stab at brand of absinthe you dislike.
>I don't care WHO started the absinthe renaissance; it doesn't mean they knew anything about absinthe.
So why, in your attempts to denegrate Czech products, do you misrerpresent that history? You see here that journalists re-publish these. It is deeply offensive to suggest the motivation behind the re-birth of absinthe in the Czech lands was as you (and Breaux) claim. Americans who tell the world Czech history! I doubt you have ever even been here.
>Sure, early on it was probably an innocent mistake; who knew?
Oh right, so it was an "innocent mistake" now? So why do you publish remarks like this:
"The creation of "absinth" made from inferior alcohol and a huge marketing hoax was born in the newly capitalist, and under-regulated Czech Republic during the last two years of the last century, i.e. 1998, so they could sell fake, bright turquoise "absinth" to gullible tourists.
Part of that hoax was using the frat-party stunt of lighting the sugar on fire in the spoon to mimic heroin preparation"
You already said you don't know, so why do you say these outrageous and disgusting things? You do not like Czech absinthe? Fine, leave it at that. Many people do.
>Would you prefer to debate David Nathan-Maister over Gwydion Stone on this?
Nephrite, at least there is a man who takes a serious learned interest in the subject and is civilised. Nathan -Maister is worth listening to, Stone is not. The historic discoveries that have been made recently about Czech absint as distinct from Franco-Suisse (from 1925 or probabaly earlier) should probably be translated and shown to him.
Enough of this. It is a fine Autumn morning here and there are dogs to walk.
Is this really about Gwydion's attempts to denegrate Czech products or your obsession with Gwydion?
Fact is, most historic Czech absint(h) receive the kind of attention they deserve. St. Antoine being an exception of course.
http://www.feeverte.net/guide/country/czech_republic/
Czech
Im admittedly a novice,having tried Kubler,La Fee Parisienne,Clandestine,Trul and Zelena Muza(the latter is miserable,by the way), and Lucid.I was prepared to diss LUCID as well,but instead I find that I am enjoying it.I truly will remain a novice until I find an absinthe that meets all my needs.But Ted I find,is committed,and perhaps Swiss will provide everything I seek in an absinthe.
otter,
Absinthe's checkered past will show that some ancient distillers used copper as a colorant. This does interesting things to the brain.
I believe Praha's just hyper-sensitive about Ted's comments. There where crappy absinthe producers in most every country that made it. The dire conditions of eastern Europe forced people to do questionable things back then, too.
Praha, just get over it and move on. You have no grounds to bash Kelly for publishing an interview, especially if she is quoting her source. Obviously, no one here cares about your rants, so go and find the other eight people in the world that do.
">Would you prefer to debate David Nathan-Maister over Gwydion Stone on this?
Nephrite, at least there is a man who takes a serious learned interest in the subject and is civilised. Nathan -Maister is worth listening to, Stone is not."
Wow, your tune has changed since you got bored with trashing him and decided to focus on me.
I've been perfectly civilized, even when you repeatedly impugn my integrity. It's you who keep dishing out the personal attacks and vile accusations.
Interestingly, David and I are in complete accord with respect to the Czech absinthe "tradition" and he apparently finds me worth listening to:
"Radomill Hill, an entrepreneurial Czech distiller, having inherited from his father a small distillery dating from the 1920’s, decided, with the return of a free market economy, to start producing absinthe. Hill claimed that he based his new product on an old family recipe, and that the distillery produced absinthe prior to the Communist occupation. Hill's "absinth" was aggressively marketed in the UK in conjunction with the so-called Bohemian absinthe ritual, which involves soaking the sugar cube with absinthe, and then setting it alight, before plunging the caramelised sugar into the glass - a necessity with Hills and many other Czech absinthes, which, since they contain little if any anise, don't louche. Initially this was claimed - absurdly - as an historically authentic alternative to the traditional French ritual (in reality it arose in Prague during the early 1990's). It's unfortunate that this travesty of the true absinthe ritual has been given widespread currency through it's depiction in popular films such as Baz Luhrman's "Moulin Rouge".
It was common practice in the early 20th century for jobbing distilleries to make a wide range of house-brand liqueurs for their local market and for use in cocktails. These were often only crude approximations of the real thing, usually made from purchased essences. So a distillery might have made a curacao, a creme de menthe, a kirschwasser, a "Chartreuse", an anisette, a "Grand Marnier" etc. It's possible that Hills did this, and that some kind of absinthe or absinthe substitute was included in their list. A price list from an Austrian distillery in the 1930's that includes "absynth" is known, and absinthe substitutes were produced in the US, the UK and in Denmark in the 1950's.
But no serious evidence of extensive pre-1990 Czech absinthe production has ever been produced - no pricelists, catalogues, labels, bottles, posters, invoices, nothing whatsoever. It seems reasonable to assume that if anything like this existed on any sort of scale, it would have turned up by now.
... Notwithstanding all this, sales of the blue-green Hills "absinth" took off in the early 1990's , especially in the UK, where an innovative publicity campaign soon made absinthe a must-have drink in trendy nightclubs and bars. Other manufacturers in Czechoslovakia and elsewhere soon followed suite, and today this style of "absinth" is made by many eastern European and German products. While some of these manufacturers present their products honestly, a regrettably high percentage sell their wares on the basis of dubious claims of drug like allure, or supposed aphrodisiac effects. For more information on Czech-style absinth, read The Wormwood Society's "What's Wrong With Czech-style Absinthe?", or visit Oxygenee's blog."
"Oh right, so it was an 'innocent mistake' now?"
I've always said that in the beginning it may have been from a misunderstanding. This is from the same article that Nathan-Maister references above:
"It's very possible that the originators of Czech-style absinthe, in all good faith, believed that wormwood was all it took to qualify a spirit as absinthe, and accordingly undertook to resurrect the Green Fairy—although she had always been alive and moderately well in Spain and the rural areas of Switzerland. "
"So why do you publish remarks like this:
'The creation of "absinth" made from inferior alcohol and a huge marketing hoax was born in the newly capitalist, and under-regulated Czech Republic during the last two years of the last century, i.e. 1998, so they could sell fake, bright turquoise "absinth" to gullible tourists.' "
Because it's true?
>Because it's true?
But I have told you that it is not true, Stone. I have taken the time to explain the history at length below.
Amazingly it would *appear* that you have also now decided to name those you accuse of a "marketing hoax" re: selling "fake, bright turquoise "absinth" to gullible tourists"
Publishing statements accusing people of perpetaring a "hoax", selling "fake" products using "inferior alcohol" and so forth, without any basis in fact, is called what? This from a man pushing America's first "luxury absinthe"!!!
The actual history (it is published in Czech) directly refutes your assertion of a "hoax"
You do undertstand that your statements do not only cause grave offence but also damage, do you?
I noted recently that you called one poster on your forum a "lying bastard" and then invoked your "1st Amendment rights" Is that how you see it?
"in all good faith" is D.N-M's caveat and perhaps the sign of a wiser head than yours. But that is just my opinion, what do I know...
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