If I am not a big black licorice fan, how is it that I am RAVING about ABSINTHIA’S organic ABSINTHE? Blame Burning Man! And Sue Hill’s mixology magic! And Absinthe Day today — the day 17 years ago when absinthe in the US was no longer banned!!

I began participating in Burning Man in 1992, and about 10 years later when I was pregnant I connected with Jennifer Baum aka Absinthia Vermut who started a group for women who were Burners and pregnant, then once we were moms, we joined a vibrant yahoo group for Burning Moms.  Today I’m friends with most of these original Burners and Burning Moms on Facebook. 

And not only am I still friends with Absinthia, but after tasting her products in 2019, I invested $1k in her absinthe and craft spirits company! I figured it was about time to write about them with Women’s History Month and Absinthe Day offering the perfect timing.

The woman now known as Absinthia first tasted Absinthe at a Cacophony Society party in 1996. By 1997, she was making her own absinthe, and ten years later, when absinthe became legal, she began building toward her dream of her own brand of absinthe. 

In 2017, Absinthia Bottled Spirits launched the first of three award-winning Absinthes:

• Blanche
  Clean, clear, the OG.
  Dedicated to the experienced, the adventurous.
  Wonderfully delicious with cold water & in a Corpse Reviver.
• Verte
  Rested to evoke the Green Fairy’s enticing peridot color.
  Elevate your Sazerac, New Orleans’ official drink.
  Laissez les bons temps rouler!
• Barrel Aged
  Rested four months, rye barreled.
  Perfection.
  Make your Bloody Mary’s & Negroni’s sing.

Recently she added a fourth Absinthe, Bleu, which has pea flower to make it such a pretty color.

 

Absinthia also has Craft Mixers which she created in collaboration with award-winning mixologist Jared Hirsch:

• Fairy Dust
  Awarded a Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition,
  a non-alcoholic alternative that captures the essence of Absinthe.
• Caged Heat
  Awarded Non-Alcoholic Mixer of the Year by Sunset Magazine.
  A fresh, consistent, spicy cocktail, taming ghost pepper’s
  temperament with tamarind & cardamom to create a wonderful kick.
• Cherry Bomb 
  A rich flavor blend perfect for a rum daiquiri or a classic Manhattan.
  With Absinthe, other spirits, or soda, Cherry Bomb is, quite frankly, The Bomb!

She’s also recently added a fourth, Crimson Smoke.

 

 

4 Absinthia Organic Absinthe  

• Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Blanche
• Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Barrel Aged
• Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Verte
• Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Bleue 
• purchased with an investor 25% off discount

 

Cocktails Made with Organic Absinthia Absinthe 

• 2 different Margaritas with Absinthia Superieure Blanc  
• Sauzarac with Absinthe (adapted from Absinthia’s recipes)
• Valentine’s Cocktail with absinthe  
• Sue’s Citrus Drive with Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Barrel Aged
• Cherry Bomb 

Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Blanche

ABV: 55%
SRP: $42

Appearance: Light and clear, looks like water in the glass

Aroma: Fresh fennel, sarsaparilla root, black licorice, lemon grass, rosemary in bloom, 

Palate: Strong and biting, one only needs a touch on the tongue, the flavor that is left on the palate is cool and refreshing, black vines licorice, light and delicate on the palate after the alcohol burn is gone, the burn is up front and what is left behind is a world of wonderful flavors, 

Cocktail:. Tart bright, beautifully balanced, the absinthe becomes the salad dressing of this drink tying all of the flavors together beautifully, this is a beautiful cocktail to either begin or end the evening.

Crimson Smoke and Absinthe Margarita

• 1 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz Absinthia Superieure Blanc 
• 1/2 oz Crimson Smoke
• 1/2 Gran Marnier
• juice of 1 blood orange
• juice of 1 lemon or lime

Bright tart, light and refreshing, not too sweet, nose has an interesting appeal on the nose, it does not taste like a strong drink, it is very balanced and enjoyable. 

Caged Heat and Absinthe Margarita 

• 1 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz Absinthia Supérieure Blanc
• 1/2 oz Caged Heat
• 1/2 oz Gran Marnier
• juice of 1 lemon or lime

This is a very complex cocktail, nicely balanced with the tamarind absinthe and the ghost pepper heat, interesting fruit mid palate a roundness.

Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Barrel Aged

ABV: 55%
SRP: $50

Appearance: Golden, brass, clear yet colorful, Pale gold like jewelry gold, a bit on the cloudy side

Aroma: Honey, fennel pollen, bee pollen, mead, cedar, feverfew, Butterscotch, fennel, vanilla, ponderosa pine, 

Palate: Black vines licorice, very smooth there isn’t as much of the bite of the blanche, the rich sweet black licorice flavor is from beginning to long lingering end. There is a bit of burn up front, but the lingering flavors reflect the experience of the aroma

Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Verte

ABV: 55%
SRP: $45

The more time you spend smelling it and tasting it, the more you have the experience it!

Appearance: ,Golden with. a hint of green, like a green flash at sunset

Aroma: Floral cleanliness, like a flowered soap, hard milled French soap, daffodil, narsiciss, captivating florals, honey pollen, 

Palate: fennel, chamomile, caraway, smoked rosemary on the grill, round and enveloping, 

Cocktails

Sauzarac with Absinthia (pictured above)

This was the most interesting old fashioned that I have ever had, I like how the absentee contrasts with the cherry and orange bringing out the flavors of each, the dried citrus adds a lovely intense flavor that adds to the lovely flavor of the cocktail. The old fashioned influenced cocktail is highlighted and enhanced by the addition of absinthe. This is the perfect cocktail for the end of an evening. 

Citrus Fairy Drive Cocktail 

• 2oz Wilder gin
• 1/4 oz Fairy Dust syrup,
• 1/4 oz absinthe, pour over ice, top with grapefruit sparkling water and stir. Garnish with dried citrus, rosemary and kumquats in sample syrup

 

Absinthia Absinthe Supérieure Bleue 

ABV: 55%
SRP: $55

Appearance: Crystal clear, pale sapphire blue, such a pretty color, touch of violet, the color of a hydrangea

Aroma: Iris, violet, butterscotch, lemon verbena, ginger, complex and engaging, 

Palate: Fresh fennel and baked anise seed, like a baked anise seed almond biscotti in a glass, rosemary.

Cherry Bomb Cocktail

• 2oz Seven Oxen Brandy,
• 1 oz cherry bombshell syrup,
• 1 oz lime juice,
• a splash of absinthe pour over ice,
• top with cherry seltzer water and stir.
• Garnish with Brandied cherries, lime and fennel frond