Anybody have any experience with bringing absinthe back into the country? I’m going to be in Europe in January, and I’d like to bring some back. What are the restrictions at U.S. customs? Is it allowed in at all? Or only thujone-free versions? If anybody has any idea about this, I’d really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge. Thanks!
From the Customs website
“The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited.”
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It’s on the banned list.
On the plus side, they will give you the option of drinking it before you step into the country.
I was told (in an art history class) that the actual traditional recipe for absynthe was lost. no one actually knows how it was made back in the day of van gogh, et al. so… you may not really be getting the good stuff.
What is Artemisia absinthium, and why would it be banned?
It is an alcohol drink made from wormwood that supposedly has hallucinogenic properties. It was popular with a lot of the artists and writers in France in the late 1800’s. It has also been credited with the demise of many of the great artists and writers of this same period.
There was a very interesting article about the history and current production of absinthe in The New Yorker several months ago. I also saw that Anthony Bourdain guy do a segment on it on his show on the Travel Channel.
A friend of ours ordered some absinthe from France; it was delivered by a guy in a trench coat two days later. I have no idea if it was the real thing but we drank it and it was lovely.
Did he have to pay extra for the guy in the trench coat?
I brought a bottle when I lived in London. Very nice. It’s not illegal in the UK and I brought it in Tesco’s (big supermarket chain).
the ‘real’ stuff is made in France but it is illegal to drink it there. It’s easier to get the Absinthe made in Prague. That’s what I had and it was good!
LOL I think it was part of the guy’s schtick. He was some sort of international “courier”.
That’s cool! I’d order some just for that! Do they give you a secret code word instead of a FedEx tracking number?