This thread is not, as the name may indicate, about my experience on absinthe, but about my experience in the production of an absinthe that will satisfy the needs of you out there looking for a very exiting beverage. my first point of this thread is that the absinthe pro TF is an excellent flavoring essence to the point that it will most likely surpass anything you can make on your own without months of trial and error. but the TF part of the absinthe pro TF which I believe stands for thujone free will be of concern to those looking to find the green fairy. So for those adventurous individuals out there here is my personal recipe for an absinthe. First distill as high a proof and as pure a liquor as you can and dilute it down to 80 or 70 percent ,the strength depends on your tastes, you should carbon filter this if you don"t mind running high proof liquor through your carbon filter. Now take this liquor and add to it 2 table spoons of wormwood. wormwood is available at most herb shops, witch/occult shops or "candle" shops. Let this sit for 24 hours and then pour it through a coffee filter to get the plant mass out. This will produce a green liquid, to this you should add a bottle of the absinthe pro TF to give it the flavor that absinth is famous for, and to produce a bottle that, when drunk, will produce mental changes that should satisfy the needs of any absinthe adventurers out there. Also when diluted in the customary way with a sugar cube the louche will be as cloudy as milk with a beautiful neon green color. I find this absinth to be perfectly satisfying to my tastes but a note of warning though, this recipe will produce an incredibly bitter drink. Bitter to the point where some of you out there who do not like bitter things will be unable to stomach it. Also there is the wormwood schnapps which I have tried and found that a single bottle isn"t sufficient for my needs, any one out there though who has tried doubling or tripling the bottle please post with your results.

don't bother. i have read all the discussions relating to absinth both here and in the recipe section. zman will offer you nothing but his opinions - stated as facts, which in his mind prove we are all 'uninformed' idiots trying to pervert his ideal of absinth. he claims to be an expert and an acomplished absinth producer. he seems to frequent the discussions where people are asking for absinthe recipes and techniques, but his only contribution is to point out why anyone else's recipes are wrong. mr. mckinley's recipe may not suit everyone, but at least he's offering a starting point. i have to agree with kdunn in the recipe section when he insisted zman 'give up the recipe'. if you're not going to contribute, take your snobbery elsewhere.

Zman needn't give anyone his particular recipe. The historical recipes and protocols are clearly established in Duplais' Traité de la Fabrication des Liqueurs et de la Distillation des Alcools, here, www.oxygenee.com/absinthe-BOOKS4.html, among others. If you want to know what real absinthe is and how it was/is made, do some homework.

Zman is right, the above process is based on word of mouth guesses about what absinthe is and is entirely incorrect. The author can't really be blamed, as most people are unaware of how much accurate info about absinthe really is to be had. Absinthe is not terribly bitter; it's tastes more like ouzo. It is also not a drug and won't get you high.

There's a difference between snobbery and trying to help people understand the truth a frequently misunderstood drink. 'Snob' is a label frequently applied by people who don't want to be annoyed with standards or facts.

'don't bother. i have read all the discussions relating to absinth both here and in the recipe section.'

And somehow you manage to remain ignorant. Possibly losing the arrogant attitude might rectify that, but I doubt it.

For the record, I have found everything that Zman has said on all Absinthe related forums to be quite useful ,and accurate,, and I hate that LVF has taken my words [out of context] to fuel a hateful argument with someone who has pointed out some very correct FACTS. We [Zman and I - and now Hiram] actually make reference to the same historic recipes in our posts in the Recipe
Section. Although I pointed out an adequate source for recipes, the advice I gave on where to obtain quality and acurate herbs was poor at best. The Green Devil herb kits are CRAP! I also admit that I used the term 'top brands' too freely as more of a reference to sales rather than quality. I maintain that peoples' tastes in absinthe differ like they would in wine or whisky, but my response in the recipe section was ment to be 'tounge in cheek' to coax Zman to give me his recipe - Thanks by the way Zman - but I believe I may have worded it poorly, and if it in any way contributed to all this 'angry talk' I'm sorry. Specifically I'd like to thank Zman for his advice earlier on the correct fennel to use. This saved me from a potentially horrible mistake. I love that everyone has rallied around Zman. He is definately an asset to our 'education' in absinthe. LVF ,and frankly you Sonoman,, all the hateful attitudes are going to discourage people from asking questions and making contributions to this forum. Zman, I think you really know your stuff and thanks for the contributions. LVF does not speek for me.

-Keep and open mind!

I ask one last favor from you Zman. Do you have any advice on a reputable place ,on line, to get quality [correct]ingredients?

Thanks again Zman. I believe I will try to grow my own as you have suggested, but until they are ready, I'll check out the sources you provided.

I've seen references to aging absinthe in oak barrells. What do you think? Wouldn't that effect the flavor? Do you age yours?

Thanks again.