Korean Job Discussion Forums

chest rockwell · Joined: 16 May 2005 Location: Sanbon

Havent really looked around but a friends birthday is coming up. Is this legal and widely available at any bottler in Korea?

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Chest, I could be wrong about this, and if I am, I'm sure someone will let me know, but I don't think true Absinthe exists legally anymore. I'm talking about Van Gogh's ear cutting Absinthe, made with wormwood. Years ago, I read it was only available in the Czech Republic. Not even Amsterdam allowed the real stuff. I was in Prague last summer and I tried it at a bar. It was a strong, minty drink, but after two drinks, I felt the alcohol, but no more. Later, a friend from Prague said they quit using wormwood in Absinthe. I thought I had the historic drink, but I was wrong.

I know in the U.S. and in Europe you can get "Absinthe," but don't expect the real deal. I have heard that people make it themselves, but that would be illegal. My advice: don't look for it with worm wood in Korea. Don't do anything illegal in Korea.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

You can order on the net.

And this might be a stretch, but this guy runs a popular and well-stocked martini bar in Daegu. He'd likely know if/where to get the ingredients to make absinthe martinis. Could be worth a phone call.

Bibbitybop · Joined: 22 Feb 2006 Location: Seoul

Chronicpride, do you have any experience with mail order Absinthe? Even though it mentions wormwood in the details, my instinct tells me it is a sham.

Why would a liquor banned in almost all countries be able to be shipped "worldwide?" Maybe it is legit wormwood-using liquor and passes as regular liquor, but wouldn't this get red flagged by most countries?

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

No idea. Both are sites that I just Googled and Navered.

HapKi · Joined: 10 Dec 2004 Location: TALL BUILDING-SEOUL

This topic was discussed a couple months ago, here-
http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=59007&highlight=absinthe

seoulsista · Joined: 31 Aug 2005

My boyfriend ordered some off the internet. He paid $120 US for it including shipping and it was nothing more than what you would expect from drinking a bottle of any other liquor. If you just want to try it I can ask him for the address.

n3ptne · Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Location: Poh*A*ng City

Real absinthe is still around. We ordered a bottle on the web in high school. Ran us 280$.

Eastern Europe is the only place to get it.

And you can't drink it like regular liqour otherwise you get drunk and don't hallucinate.

Put one shot of absinthe in a glass, then hold a spoon over it. Put a sugar cube on the spoon and pour four shots of ice cold water over it, do not mix. Let it sit and louche for a few minutes, it will turn sort of a milky green. Drink.

Probably best to not drink more than three glasses or you'll just get drunk.

http://www.absinthe.se/

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

I looked up absinthe since the last thread a month or two ago.

Absinthe came about, was really popular, when drought in France (very populated at the time and very tipsy) trashed grape and wine production. So little places started producing absinthe. Wormwood, the naughty ingredient, isn't a narcotic. It's a neurotoxin. If you get enough of it you'll hallucinate as you would if you hammer your neurological system with anything bad for you.....(eg, inhaling solvent fumes, etc...yeah, nice...)

The reason governments BAN it is because too much, an overdose, of that neurotoxin actually causes convulsions. Frothing at the mouth twitching on the floor bouncing up and down not pleasant in the least.....

And, I guess, halfway there Van Gogh cut off his ear.....

Some DISGRACEFUL marketing ploys like 'the inspiration of Van Gogh, Hemmingway, and others...' on the net amongst the absinthe shops....There are some bottles that are over the legal European allowable level of tujones (the neurotoxin in wormwood) and priced way over; the hype for cash.....

bonaducci · Joined: 01 Aug 2006

I bought some in the Philippines this summer and walked it in no problems at all. My brother also brought me some over from England as a gift. Buying it in Korea is impossible and mail order will probably not work as I believe it is a controlled substance. By the way, some of the prices being bandied about on this thread are plain silly. You should pay no more than USD $50 when shopping abroad.

Bill Brasky · Joined: 13 Feb 2006

why would you think there was absinthe in korea?

Hotpants · Joined: 27 Jan 2006

If it's for your friend's birthday, how about impressing him by mixing some flourescent green Mountain Dew soft drink with some Soju, putting it in a bottle, and putting a nice big 'Absinthe' label on it?

Has anyone tried?

Alternatively, drinking dish-washing liquid might be just as hallucinogenic - seeing all those bubbles and stuff...

I also would never venture to try absinthe. It's well known that a lot of Parisians in the cafes of the late 1800s got brain damage from absinthe. I wouldn't want to kill my friend by way of a birthday present!

re:cursive · Joined: 04 Jan 2006

I haven't seen any bottles of absinthe in Korea but here's some recommended online vendors I found at the wormwood society website:

http://www.absintheonline.com/
http://www.absinthe-distribution.com/index.php?sid=4d0769084d773086ae83d1b60b0104d1&&cl=start&tpl=&lang=1

As a side note...From my recent reading it seems that thujone is in fact a bit of a mythical substance whose effects are actually negligable (at least in the levels found in absinthe). It seems that while it is molecularly similar to the THC molecule, it fails to bind to the cannaboid receptors.

The reading also recommends to avoid the Czech producers because they're products are inferior "novelty liqeurs". Apparently their production of absinthe cannot be traced any further back than the 1990's http://wormwoodsociety.org/czech.html . Some Swiss and French distillers have apparently been continuing production based on the original recipes.

Please keep in mind this information was all found on the www so should be taken with a grain of salt (or a teaspoon of sugar).

re:cursive · Joined: 04 Jan 2006

vraddict · Joined: 13 Feb 2006 Location: Iksan

You can purchase wormwood freely and cheaply in any traditional market. Wormwood is also the base of the Korean Foundation myth where the bear and tiger drank a tea made with Wormwood (쑥) and garlic. Don't know anything about buying absinthe here, but you could certainly make it, there are plenty of recipes on the net.