![]() Since the cafés were an extremely popular place to socialize, it became common practice for a wide array of people to enjoy Absinthe Ordinaire during L'Heure Verte, or the Green Hour because of Absinthe Ordinaire’s great taste and affordable price. The onset of mass production caused the price of absinthe to drop significantly and the market expanded. It was at this time that Dr Ordinaire’s Absinthe was sold by the sisters and then mass produced for an affordable price. By the middle of the 18th century, the French troops fighting in Algeria returned to France bringing with them a taste for this anise flavored “elixir,” mostly due to a similar anisette elixir that was being administered to the troops as a fever preventative. The sisters carried on producing this elixir, mostly from their home, but the pleasant aroma, taste and experience continued building the popularity of this historical drink. ![]() Ordinaire died, the recipe ended up mysteriously in the hands of the sisters Henriod at the beginning of the 19th century. People loved the taste and the effect, some even claimed to be cured of all their ailments. Ordinaire’s talents for apothecary and medicine yielded an elixir that may have been designed as a medicinal invention, but over time it became widely accepted as a recreational drink. ![]() Pierre Ordinaire, shortly after the French revolution, traveled around the Val de Travers on his faithful horse Rocket and sold his Absinthe initially as an all-purpose cure-all, an “elixir.” Dr. Pierre Ordinaire in 1792 in rural France. This is not a drink I would like to 'get drunk' on, rather a good sipping drink, and a pleasant way to spend a sunny afternoon in the French Quarter.Legend has it the first true Absinthe recipe was created by Dr. ![]() I enjoyed the visual anticipation of watching the drink being prepared, catching a faint whiff of its licorice-like smell, and its mild, semi-sweet taste. They did not make it clear whether their importation of the liquor was legal, though I got the distinct impression that they preferred that this remain a local secret. They told me they were prohibited from selling individual bottles to customers when I requested one. Apparently this bar has only a limited supply. Unfortunately, I did not discover the brand name of this absinthe, but was told by the owner of the bar that it was imported from France, as were the sugar cubes used in distillation (apparently sugar cubes from this country do not dissolve well enough in the liquor). I am interested in experiencing the effects of more than two drinks. This was a mellow high, and one that seemed to 'sneak up on me' without becoming overwhelming. The strong feeling of warmth throughout my body was unusual for me after drinking. I did not 'trip' or have any hallucinatory experiences. The effects were pleasant, fairly mild, and wore off after about an hour. Walking was slightly more difficult but I was not stumbling when I left the bar. I definitely had more of an urge to talk (and I am generally very quiet when buzzed or drunk), and was also inspired poetically (my thoughts started to flow in rhythm). I did not have any trouble thinking or speaking clearly. This 'whole-body' sensation was reminiscent of my experiences with both hallucinogenic mushrooms and LSD. What I did feel, and more strongly after the 2nd drink, was a whole body feeling of warmth, a trembling in my stomach area, tingling and then numbness in my fingers and toes, and an urge to grin uncontrollably. After my first drink, which I had on an empty stomach (approximately the volume of 2.5 shot glasses worth of liquid), I did not feel any of the normal symptoms of an alcohol buzz. I actually hate the taste of black licorice, but this was tolerable as it was so mild. It had a very light licorice flavor, much lighter than Sambuca or Anisette, and not unpleasant. This was silly, I thought, but rather fun.įinally, the distillation was complete, and I took my first sip. As it clouded and swirled in the glass, it looked a little like a magic potion. Watching this process was part of the anticipation of tasting the drink. As she did this, the drink changed from a chartreuse color (yellow-green) to a cloudy, sea green. Then cold water was poured slowly from a glass bottle over the sugar cube in order to dissolve it into the liquor. She put a stainless steel strainer spoon atop each glass, and then a large sugar cube. I sat at the bar with a friend and watched the bartender pull out two small glasses labelled 'Absente'. After the initial excitement of finding real absinthe for sale in the United States (New Orleans), I was curious to see whether the effects of the drink were any different from other alcoholic beverages.
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