Monday, June 8, 2009
Wormwood dilema
Wormwood is the key ingredient used for Absinth's unique bitter taste. Many suggest it's the source of the halucinagenic properties (along with dirty, lead/copper stills.)
That being said, there are two species of wormwood used in the process, Northern and Southern. Rumor has it that the Northern wormwood was used at the turn of the 20th century and is the original Green Fairy herb. Whether or not it's used in today's absinthes is yet to be discovered by this researcher. However, I've learned from a source that the Southern wormwood is used in absinthe's stilled for the U.S. It's disappointing, I know. But until this report is solid, I'll have to keep sampling. To that I say, "Cheers."
-- From My iPhone. (Yep, it can do this too.)
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2 comments:
FYI, you are incorrect about the use of 'Northern Wormwood'. According to my 15 years of studying original absinthe recipes, Northern wormwood (Artemisia campestris) was never used.
Absinthes produced during the Belle Epoque used a species of wormwood known as Grand Wormwood or Artemisia Absinthium.
Prior to 2007, when absinthe was again legalized for sale in the US, only one brand, Absente, was for sale. They skirted around the laws by using a different species, which you correctly identified as Southern Wormwood.
There are currently close to 60 brands approved for sale by the TTB. Most of these (excluding fake brands and some oil mixes) use Grand Wormwood in their distillation process.
Regards,
Brian Robinson
Review Editor
The Wormwood Society
www.wormwoodsociety.org
To update Brian's numbers:
51 approved.
31 available to some extent.
Full list here:
http://tinyurl.com/5zh9zb
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