AbsintheHour

Eichelberger 68 Limitée Absinthe

Eichelberger 68 Limitée Absinthe

… is tonight’s beverage of choice. :)

It’s a bold absinthe, demands your attention with its spiciness and unapologetic wormwood which wraps around your tongue like a slip. There’s almost a mintiness zing and fennel and anise don’t sneak around either. It’s also an absinthe that tastes great after months of being open (and re-corked).

This was one of my favourites as soon as I tried it months ago and it still pleases me now. Refreshing and bold, and I recommend four parts water to one part Eichelberger 68 Limitée. I drink this without sugar, but it is a perfect candidate for a cube or two, if that’s how you like your absinthe.

Cheers!

698 Pages of Stuff I’ll Probably Never Use

A Treatise on the Manufacture & Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors by P. Duplais, translated by M. McKennie. Facsimile of the 1871 Edition. Edited by David Nathan-Maister.

698 pages of stuff I'll likely never use but needed anyway

Perhaps when I’m living in a remote finca in Spain, I’ll try my hand at distillation… or probably not. Either way, I’m happy to have this amazing reference on my shelf.

Want one of your own? Amazon UK or Amazon US.

Absinthe and bit of video playtime

I started a YouTube channel today for Absinthe-Shop.
Here’s a quick little something I’ve posted. Enjoy!

Absinthe-Shop is now open!

absinthe-shop is open!
Hey there! I opened absinthe-shop.com last night!

It’s been a busy 24 hours since launching the site, but I’m pleased with how smoothly things are going and that the orders are happening. First shipments were sent today and more are due to go out tomorrow. It’s really very exciting and it’s lovely hearing such positive feedback.

If you haven’t had a look, I invite you to have a nose around, perhaps even sign up for the newsletter. If the spirit moves you to place an order, I’ll do my best to make it a really good experience.

Also, if you’d like to save some money on your orders, keep an eye on the shop Twitter and the shop page on Facebook. I have released Grand Opening discount codes on both of those, and they’re both good until January 31st. Keep up with Twitter, Facebook, and the shop newsletter to stay in the loop for future offers.

I’d like to thank the my six site testers– you know who you are. Your input was so valuable, your help with emails, newsletter tests, clicking buttons and forms was so important. Thank you.

Now the focus is service, marketing, and looking ahead to future product releases. Good times! :D

eAbsinthe: buh-bye.

Not really a surprise, given the dwindling stock and patchy affiliate communication they’ve had for the past year. (I’m technically still an affiliate, and didn’t hear even a peep via email that the programme was shutting down or that they were no longer going to be selling absinthe. Nice one.)
If you visit their site now, you’ll find:

eAbsinthe, the world’s first online absinthe store, is evolving…

As of today, eAbsinthe will be evolving into an information database. Purchases can still be made though our recommended partner …

And so on.

The online absinthe space has certainly been evolving since the 2007 US legalisation. I imagine eAbsinthe relied heavily on US customers and now that many US residents can easily buy absinthe of better quality than the (non-XS) range of La Fée locally, it is unsurprising that a small range shop such as it was would continue.

My last affiliate questions were never answered, and now I know why.
RIP, eAbsinthe.

Wormwood from seed, going strong!

Growing wormwood update

It’s been awhile since I posted a progress report on growing wormwood from seeds. I started these in August, and as you can see, my little babies are going strong! I’m pleased they’re so hearty, even with cold weather upon us. I keep them indoors, sure, but the window sill gets chilly.

Things I’ve learned: Once you get them started, they are pretty hearty. Even the really slow seedlings have persevered. They like the soil to dry out a bit, then get a good soaking. In between those stages, a misting to the top of the dirt and to all the leaves is perfect. Trim off yellowing leaves. Baby wormwood plants seem to like several hours of sunshine per day, but are forgiving if all you’ve got are clouds for awhile.

I don’t grow a lot of things, and I didn’t expect these to live as long as they have, let alone THRIVE!, but I’m going to call this experiment a success. They’ve endured my guesswork and repotting, chilly weather and still more guesswork. I’d say these are my kind of plants, not only due to their connection with absinthe, but also to their ability to cope with my * ahem * horticultural skills.

Go, wormwoodies, go!

Absinthe-Shop now on Facebook

Signed up Absinthe-Shop to Facebook the other day, so if you’re on there, I’d be honoured to have you as a fan. :D

Things are looking good for launch this month and I’m down to scrubbing and polishing the little details now. Exciting!

Absinthe chocolates

I had all but forgotten this little box of dark chocolate absinthe truffles and decided to open them up tonight.

Dark chocolate absinthe truffles

They’re about a year (or more!) old, so I’m guessing that they would’ve been better fresh, but the dark chocolate was appropriately sharp in flavour and the insides were a little sugar-gritty. That’s probably due to them being a bit old. I didn’t notice anything that struck me specifically of absinthe, but there was a light alcohol flavour.

I may have to order some absinthe chocolates to get a better taste of them in a fresher state.

© Jennifer Dixon 2007 - 2010. All rights reserved. absinthehouratgooglemaildotcom