Absinthe Seattle

[JesseJB]

Im down for a meet.

Holy **** though absinthe is expensive. I'd like to purchase a bottle, spoons and glasses but then youre talking like $100 for all that.

But I can't think of any lounge worth doing it in...the Rosebud is okay but I'd still prefer someplace with the right ambiance like the Can Can but without the bachelorette parties.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Ended up at the Zig Zag, they have four Absinthes on the menu. They have Kubler, Lucid, one of the Pernod's, and St. George. They are all $12.50. I went for the Kubler Absinthe SupÃ

rieure, which is a blanche, or clear Absinthe - on the recommendation of the lovely server Tiffany, and it was pretty darn good. Nice sweet notes when louched. Good anise flavor, maybe some other botanicals I cant immediately place. Nice aroma. Good strong louche. No sugar necessary or offered. A small beaker of cold water, and a separate cup of ice. I like a place that knows how to serve a quality Absinthe.

Atmosphere was pretty good, evidently there was some sort of writers gathering there this evening. I have no idea. But the interior of the place is pretty nice, without being douchey. They have a few decent sized booths and about twelve tables. So relatively small, but comfortable. Great table service. The lovely Tiffany was excellent, and very helpful.

Murray, the head bartender, whom with I spoke with briefly on my way out, seems like an immediately likable, extremely knowledgeable guy. In fact, when I came home and looked for some pics, I realized that he is famous, or at least nationally known. I will probably be there semi-regularly on Thursday nights. It's relatively close to work, and I like it there. Parking is easiest under the viaduct near the Aquarium (free after six), Its on the second level of the Pike Street Hillclimb, on the left as you head up the stairs towards the market. Gotta dodge the bums sleeping at the bottom of the stairs on the way out, but they are passively snoring, and it sort of reminded me of Tokyo.

http://zigzagseattle.com/

 

[JesseJB]

I second the Zig Zag. Murray is a bartending god.

 

[patrill]

When I was in Spain, I got into Absenta a bit. I remember preferring Deva and not being to fond of Lasala.

 

[Huntsman]

I pulled up this thread to see which one you had, Slim. Didn't realize it was the Kubler -- I saw it Kubler locally at a bar, Friday, tasted, decided I had to cop, asked them where they got it, and stopped on the way home. Really quite nice.

 

[Milhouse]

I found a liquor store in Germany (I think it was Koln) that had all kinds of distilled spirits in big glass dewars, including absinthe. They filled a 375ml bottle for me.

I consumed the entire bottle and woke up about 12 hours later, still sitting in pretty much the same position. That was my only experience with absinthe. I highly recommend it.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Huntsman

Awesome. Looks like you are rollin a 2-1 absinthe to water ratio though. Maybe its because you are using a dripper though?

I am not that bold.

 

[Lel]

I once passed up an opportunity to try Absinthe... but we were in Europe, some girls in the hotel had gotten it, and I'm pretty sure they were just sipping out of it.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Originally Posted by Lel

I once passed up an opportunity to try Absinthe... but we were in Europe, some girls in the hotel had gotten it, and I'm pretty sure they were just sipping out of it.

Thats about all it takes... Especially if you are drinking it straight.

 

[Huntsman]

Disappeared for a few days.

Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim

Awesome. Looks like you are rollin a 2-1 absinthe to water ratio though. Maybe its because you are using a dripper though? I am not that bold.

Well, that shot was one out of a series of 30 or so -- I held down the shutter release and started to pour from above. This shot showed the nicest louche-in-progress, so I do drink it more dilute than that. I'm experimenting, I think it was 3:1 that night. I do tend to like it a little stiffer. I wonder if the flavor components that drop out of suspension are somehow more muted than when they are dissolved. I don't know. I used to drink Pernod straight though -- never liked that louched. ~ H