Episode 121 - Absinthe-Minded

In this conversation with Tenth Ward head distiller and absinthe aficionado, some of the topics we discuss include: How Mark came to be the head distiller at Tenth Ward Distilling Co., and why their innovative approach to distilling made absinthe a really attractive choice as an anchor point in their core collection of products. What it's like to build a flavor profile with herbs and botanicals that go through several phases of different distillation treatments. We cover where this can go wrong, and how to know when you finally get something right. Then we jump into the murky history of absinthe, which begins in mainland Europe, makes a splash across the world in the post-phyloxera drinking landscape, and then is forced underground for much of the 20th century. We teach you how to operate an absinthe fountain to louche and dilute your absinthe, with or without the traditional sugar cube. We debate the costs and benefits of the absinthe rinse method vs. the atomizer approach when building a Sazerac. And we even attempt to put to rest some of the apocryphal stories and malicious smear campaigns that kept absinthe out in the cold until very recently.