Absinthe No Longer

Now that absinthe is legally available for sale in the US, the green fairy has landed on cocktail menus in Boston. Bostonist went to a couple local bars recently to try out the storied liquor of artists and poets. First, we tried out a more-or-less classic absinthe preparation at Kingston Station. It’s an interactive cocktail, and very pretty—you pour a bottle of spring water over a sugar cube sitting on top of a slotted spoon. The sweetened water trickles through a glass filled with ice and drains into a second glass, which holds your shot of absinthe (Kingston Station uses Kübler brand). As the water hits the absinthe, it becomes opalescent. Preparing the drink is maybe more fun than drinking it—the anise flavor is intense, and it is so strong (even when watered down) that it actually numbed our throats a little. Some of us loved it (the types who buy Good & Plenty candy), while others thought you might as well use NyQuil as a mixer. It’s definitely not for everyone. A couple guys down the bar from us ordered absinthes, each took one sip, and promptly ordered backup beers.

But later, we tried a much more mild absinthe concoction at Lucca in the North End… a pour of absinthe with lemon juice, prosecco, and a twist, served in a champagne flute. “It’s the breathmint of cocktails,” our waiter told us, and very popular. It was definitely a more subtle spin on the spirit, and we enjoyed it, although we missed the theatrics of the spoon and sugar.

Lots of other bars have jumped on the absinthe bandwagon, as reported recently in the Globe. We’re looking forward to trying out some more variations on the green fairy. Photo of absinthe at Kingston Station by Lisa Scanlon