NaNoWatch: 9 November

[xochitl]

So tired. Bought the mister some absinthe at a food and wine show here in Brisbane; I ended up having some with him. Thinking straight, but very drowsy. Did nearly 2000 more words, though. I can't let gryphonrose get too far ahead, can I?

7,207 / 50,000 (14.4%)

Comments

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Heh! I'm at 8300 or so now, btw. :)
I've always been curious about absinthe--never tried it, not sure I ever would, but definitely curious. What was it like? And it made you drowsy? Interesting.

[xochitl42.livejournal.com]

Overachiever. ;)

Yeah--it's very interesting. First note of warning: DO NOT DRINK IT STRAIGHT. Even on the rocks. I didn't do the whole burning-the-sugarcube thing, but it is absolutely essential that you dilute the stuff with water. Otherwise it's like sucking down anise-flavored butane.

It's best with lots of ice, so it clouds up, and while a lot of places recommend a 1:1 ratio of absinthe to cold water, I preferred something closer to 1:2. It packs a wallop. Usually it's about 60% alcohol, and does not play around.

Once you get into it, it's nice--it's good for after dinner, or possibly before, if you're with a group of friends. If you try it straight, all you get is a mouthful of ANISE and FIRE. If you water it down, all these other things start showing up, and it's pretty pleasant. It leaves a bright, almost menthol-ly herbal taste in the mouth (which for me inevitably devolved into a mild numbness). It's the kind of thing you sip over the course of an hour or so.

I don't think there was enough of the psychotropic wormwood stuff to do anything remarkable (Australia allows the presence of those pesky thujoles). I chalk up the sleepiness to drinking something with 60% alcohol content around 11 at night.