The future of absinthe is clear

Up until last weekend, my memories of absinthe haven’t been good ones. Whether on account of the spirit itself or perhaps due to the swirling mists of time, these memories are, even today, nebulous and indistinct at best.

Perhaps the most un-memorable episode transpired when a friend came to visit one St Patrick’s Day, when I was living on Dublin’s Northside circa the turn of the Millennium.

“You’ve brought green liquor for the day that’s in it?” I enquired.

“Gimmie two tumblers and we’ll get a taste,” he replied.

I was in bed an hour later.

Then there was that impressionist fella of Starry Night fame, one Vincent Van Gogh who reputedly cut his lug off after imbibing the Green Fairy. “It’ll grow back, right,” I imagine him asking.

“’Fraid not, buddy”

Then there are the urban myths swirling around the legend of absinthe. Hallucinations? Paranoia? A muse for artistic tendencies? Myths, one and all.

Up until last Saturday afternoon, as I say, my appreciation of absinthe hasn’t been great, that is, not until I got my greedy hands on a bottle of Devil’s Botany London Absinthe.

‘Introducing a rebellious new style of absinthe handcrafted for the adventurous drinkers of today,’ the blurb on the website summed up.

“Sign me up“

Admittedly, I had been forced onto the website to see what rebellious and adventurous cocktails I might craft with my new bottle of Devil’s Botany as I had no idea about what to use as a mixer, apart from sparking water, which seems to work with everything.

I was also slightly – ever-so-slightly – disappointed that my Devil’s Botany wasn’t the jade of previous absinthes. Then I thought, “Perhaps this clarity is a good sign.”

Copper pot distilled with 14 botanicals, Devil’s Botany is flavoured with (among other things) green anise, fennel seeds, grand wormwood, peppermint, lemon balm and devil’s claw root.

“This is going to be epic,” I also said aloud and wondered if I should dig out some oils paints and an easel – if only to add a little je ne sais quoi to proceedings.

Instead, I fiddled with the seal until I gained access and I then I gave the spirit a hefty sniff with both barrels (nostrils).

“Floral and lively,” I remarked. It reminded me somewhat of the first scent of the Pastis I used to drink in Au Central in Corte, once upon a student time.

Then I returned to the website to see if there was any particular cocktail which might tickle my fancy. My face fell but I checked the fridge just in case. However my fears were confirmed: There was neither elderflower cordial nor passionfruit liqueur in stock (the two key components of a London Absinthe Spritz and a London Absinthe Highball respectively) – there wasn’t even a straggler Fruit Shoot hiding among the condiments.

“As nature intended, so,” I said, steeling my resolve.

Procuring a whiskey glass from the press, I un-corked the Devil’s Botany once more and poured half an inch into the glass – a mighty measure for a Saturday afternoon. I took another sniff: Springtime gardens and walks by the river.

I took a small sip, the spirit immediately warming my throat. I took another sip and breathed through my mouth. I held my hand up before my eyes. No tracers. I checked to see if my lug was still attached to my head. It was. I took another, bigger sip.

Later that evening, I added no further adulterations to my second glass of Devil’s Bontany other than an ice-cube, a dash of sparkling water and the merest drip of fresh lemon juice. Then I had another one.

CONCLUSION

I can only conclude that, on the basis of Saturday’s sojourn into the world of Devil’s Botany, absinthe is here to stay. More complex than gin (I could discern notes of peppermint and elderflower), more exciting that run-of-the-mill vodka (I wanted to move to the south of France and paint); the most positive thing I could say about Devil’s Botany was that it was (and is), paradoxically, both warming and refreshing, and it doesn’t really need any dilution other than an ice-cube.

If you’re reading this, Devil’s Botany Distillery, fair play to you. This stuff is a joy.

For cocktail inspiration or to buy a bottle, log onto www.devilsbotany.com