In this guest post, Ted Breaux, a native New Orleanian, renowned absinthe expert, master distiller and Master Distiller of the Lucid Absinthe brand, shares his insights on absinthe created in the U.S.
With another annual episode of Tales of the Cocktail now behind us, once again we gain a glimpse into what the future holds when we add mixologists, writers and spirits producers into a large blender and taste what spins out. Having been a part of that event since its launch in 2003, with each passing year, I see the trend lines increasingly pointing toward artisanally produced spirits, micro-distilleries, cocktails that feature wholesome ingredients, and spirituous products of sustainable agriculture.
When asked how the future of the category of absinthe ties into this picture, I always respond by noting that the future of the absinthe category in the U.S. is heavily dependent upon consumer education and the availability of truthfully advertised quality products. I oftentimes hear comments from U.S. consumers that assume that the European absinthe selection is somehow superior or more ‘authentic’ than the U.S. market. Having been intimately familiar with the European market for well over a decade, I can vouch that exactly the opposite is true. Whereas the U.S. market (with a few notable exceptions) offers a better percentage of distilled products of artisanal quality and craftsmanship, the modern European market has been hampered by a glut of what essentially amounts to artificially colored, flavored vodka and marketing tactics that aim to exploit consumer ignorance.
A common problem shared by the U.S. and E.U. alike is the fact that neither has enacted any legal guidelines for what qualifies as “absinthe”. When asked how the common consumer can better identify cheaply prepared ‘absinthes’ of industrial origin within the U.S. market, I always advise to scan the label for the disclosures “liqueur” and/or “FD&C” dyes or other indicators of artificial coloring. The former is significant because absinthe invariably being a dry spirit, the presence of sugar in the bottle sharply contradicts any claims of historical associations and likeness. The latter clearly reveals the use of artificial dyes to induce a false color, and further implies industrial preparation, neither of which amount to anything artisanally constructed nor deserving of a $60-70 price tag any more than would a bottle of diluted vodka, grape essence and red dye be deserving of the same price as a genuine claret. Speaking as a passionate craftsman who distills old-world spirits such as Lucid absinthe and the Jade absinthes strictly via traditional old-world methods, I find the practice of representing bottled dye as a product of old-world quality both misleading and troubling. These things being evident, the key to finding if the fairy is in the bottle largely lies in one’s ability to recognize the devil in the details. A little insight goes a long way toward more educated purchasing decisions, which ultimately drive greater demand that the liquid in the bottle lives up to the claims that surround it.
~Ted Breaux, Master Distiller