Part of absintheвЂ™s mystique is that it was illegal in the States until 2007, largely because of some spurious science that falsely blamed a chemical, thujone, for causing seizures in alcoholics (moral of the story: DonвЂ™t let a scientist who blames absinthe for moral decay run your study on absinthe). For something different, try a bottle of their Red Absinthe, which takes its color from hibiscus. They distill all their spirits from scratch, and their absinthe uses 11 different natural botanicals with a hint of mint. The distillers at ColoradoвЂ™s Golden Moon spent years combing old texts, sourcing rare herbs, and tasting vintage absinthe (somebodyвЂ™s got to do it) to arrive at the recipe and method for their absinthe, which combines the tested traditions of absinthe history with the best in new craft distilling.Дoc HersonвЂ™s Natural Spirits began in a basement in Harlem. Its six-month stint in the barrel mellows the flavors and brings a warm, whiskey-like finish to the spirit. LetherbeeвЂ™s absinthe stands out because it draws its color from American oak rather than herbs. Unlike many traditional absinthes, they recommend enjoying it without sugar.

Just like the French and the Americans, the Swiss lifted their century-long absinthe ban in the early 2000s, and Artemisia-Bugnon distilleries began producing this crystal-clear absinthe based on a 1935 recipe. This is what absinthe is meant to taste like. Tempus Fugit took five years to craft this award-winning absinthe recipe, using traditional absinthe stills in one of the last two remaining absinthe distilleries in Pontarlier, France, and using the facilityвЂ™s original, pre-ban logbook as a guide. This bottle uses hand-crafted stills purchased from Pernod, and its pale green product is peppery and warmly spicy. Jade Liqueurs is a company dedicated to fastidiously reproducing old-world recipes. But nobody loves tradition more than the French, and they brought back the original recipe in 2013, so you can party like itвЂ™s 1899. Originally created in Marseille in 1805, by 1901 France was consuming 36 million liters of absinthe every year, which led to a prohibition of their own. Pernod is the Belle Г‰poque tipple all absinthes are aiming to replicate. The color is so vibrant it may seem artificial, but itвЂ™s actually achieved by infusing the final product with lemon balm and hyssop.

This green-eyed beauty cleaves to absintheвЂ™s traditional roots, beginning with a base of Chilean pisco, a grape-based spirit to which they add fennel, anise seed, and grande wormwood. This antique-looking bottle is a great addition to any home bar, because, in addition to being delicious and authentic, it comes in a 200ml bottle, making it great for adding to cocktails a spoonful at a time without committing to lugging it between your next four apartments.Д¬opper & Kings Absinthe Blanche is another American addition to the category, doubling down on the spiritвЂ™s craft affiliation with a crystal clear version distilled from Muscat grapes that includes both absintheвЂ™s traditional botanicals and Copper & KingsвЂ™ own accents. lifted the ban on absinthe in 2007, bringing the nation its first legal absinthe. George Spirits arrived early to the party when the U.S. Whether youвЂ™re mixing Sazeracs at home or hosting your very own Green Hour, here are our favorite authentic bottles of la fГ©e verte.

Absynth brands