Product Review: Lucid™ Absinthe Superieure

Prohibition is finally over!™

Jess and I have grown very fond of wine; well, anyway, we're drinking more.

During a recent routine wine-fetch at the local liquor store, I found something that took me completely by surprise. As I was checking out, I glanced at the bottles on the counter and one looked back. I picked it up and read the label: Lucid, Absinthe Superieure. Having no idea that absinthe was sold legally in the states, I got slightly giddy, given to the drink's quasi-mythological reputation. As I laughingly showed the bottle to Jess, who merely said "neat," the Russian man behind the counter said, "That is absinthe." I looked at him and he was grinning with a glint in his eye that could sell a dead mule. Caught so off-guard as I was by the discovery, I worldlessly fumbled out the door with my jug of bargain-priced California dry red wine, absinthe-less.

Intrigued by my surprise, I conducted some research that evening on Wikipedia. Apparently absinthe is still officially illegal to import. However, several brands, due to their low level of the chemical thujone, have been approved for sale. At less than 10 mg/kg of thujone and 62% alcohol per volume, Lucid™ is one of those brands.

The next day I went back to the liquor store and began browsing for absinthe. The proprietor was nowhere to be seen, however his wife was at the register, watching a local Russian station. I picked up a box with Van Gogh's famous self-portrait on the side and began faux-reading. I looked up and the proprietor had appeared in front of me, grinning as before. I told him I had no idea that absinthe was available state-side; he went blank for a second, shook his head, and regained his charm. He then told me that the stuff I was holding was no good (of course, to tell me this he merely made a grimace and curtly shook his head while pointing at the box I held) and that "this" was the real deal. "This" was Lucid. At 56 dollars per bottle, I hoped my thirst for its novelty would not prove completely impractical. I moved to check out and his wife yelled, "Only a little bit!" and held her pointer and thumb apart, in front of her face, about a half-inch. As I paid for my purchase, the entrepreneurial couple explained to me as best they could in english how to properly enjoy absinthe. All I gathered at the time was that I needed sugar cubes in the worst way, and that after I drank this liquid, everything would become..."lucid."

I breezed out the door and met up with Jess at C-Town. I told her we needed sugar cubes. "I'll explain later," I said. We escaped C-Town and made our way home.

One ounce of absinthe, a sugar cube on a slotted spoon, and five ounces of water dripped over the cube to dissolve the sugar and mix with the absinthe: this is how Lucid ought to be prepared. We followed these directions perfectly and a pleasant evening followed.

Positives (+)

- Its undiluted color is an alluring translucent green. When you add the water and sugar, it "looshes" and becomes a cloudy white. Very nice.

- I love the taste. The primary taste is that of anise, which is the taste that most people equate with black licorice. I'm a very big fan of black licorice, so this is probably the most positive positive.

- The inebriation is novel, though if it is unique to absinthe or merely related to the alcohol content I cannot say. I would say that it calms your perception and relaxes you without impairing your motor skills.

- One bottle goes a long way.

Negatives (-)

- One bottle is over 50 dollars.

- It's not available everywhere.

Jess and I were visited this weekend by Tyler and Liz, two dear friends, with whom we shared a second absinthe experience. All involved seemed to enjoy.

Verdict: If you strip the drink of its precocious non-conformist symbolism and its mythological reputation as a hallucinogen, it is a great alcoholic drink. It's fun to prepare, look at, sip, and slowly slip under its gentle (if measured) influence.

In this fallen world, rest assured that though you can't buy happiness, you can buy lucidity.