Chasing the Green Fairy
Three years ago, Johnny's Half Shell co-owner Johnny Fulchino was at a Southern Foodways Alliance event when he heard absinthe codebreaker, fanatic and microbiologist Ted Breaux talk about the Green Fairy, absinthe. It piqued his interested in adding a program to Half Shell, but absinthe only became legal in the U.S. in 2007. When his business partner, Chef Ann Cashion, and original Abita brewmaster Brooks Hamaker discovered an old absinthe fountain in New Orleans and numerous notable absinthes starting flowing into the country, he began working on it in earnest.
Absinthe's reputation precedes itself. The drink of bohemians and degenerates, it was supposed to cause hallucinations and absinthe madness. But recent scientific research demonstrated that the levels of the hallucinogen, thujone, were low in pre-ban bottles of absinthe, and hypothesized that absinthe's reputation was due to its high levels of alcohol and that the most noted imbibers were alcoholics. But if you do it right, as Fulchino explained, it's a way to kick back, have a little fun, and get your appetite going or rest after a big meal.
The liquor itself is a grain-based spirit that has been distilled with macerated wormwood, green anise and fennel. The quality and selection of other flowers and herbs to increase depth is what separates absinthes from each other, but the most noticeable flavor is licorice. It coats your mouth with a slippery feeling and brings a slight numbing of the mouth. While the flavors and sensations may not be for everyone, the ritual of watching its preparation makes it worth trying at least once.
To kick it off, one of the staff of Johnny's will pour you a measure of absinthe, and place a slotted spoon with a sugar tablet over the glass. Then you'll have the opportunity to turn on the spigot, and watch as the water reacts with the oils in the absinthe to form droplets, giving the liquid a milky appearance. This process is called loucheing and is what they mean by releasing the green fairy. After that it is a DIY drink; you decide how sweet you want your drink, and the degree of dilution. (Traditionally, the proportion is about 3:1 to 5:1.) On your first try, be careful not to overload on the sugar - the anise makes it a little sweet naturally. As the water tones the alcohol down, the aromatics begin to emerge, and you'll begin to smell the bouquet of herbs and flowers involved.
Seven absinthes are currently available in the "fairy" trolley, as Fulchino likes to call it, and are priced at $8 or $10 a glass. Two are Swiss-style absinthes - Kubler and Blanchette. They pour clear rather than the better known green French-style absinthes, which derive their color from the addition of a second maceration of herbs after the initial distillation. The Swiss-style of distillation was the standard for quality, which is why some French-style absinthes use the term "Suisse" and almost all French absinthes have a Swiss cross on the label. The French-style absinthes include St. George, Lucid, Nouvelle Orleans, Verte Suisse, and PF 1901.
A small sampling of the Swiss-style Kubler poured clear and louched to a cloudy white. It has a strong anise-y punch that dominates the flavor and scent. The Nouvelle Orleans pours spring green, and louched to a milky white with a tinge of green. Strongly suitable for an aperitif, it had a more delicate floral scent and taste that is less dominated by licorice flavor.
Even though the fountain is more their speed, you can ask for a Sazerac, the official cocktail of New Orleans, which requires coating the glass with absinthe. But there are also a number of other places around town to sample a pretty good one.
Johnny expects to add the Pernod absinthe - the first distiller of absinthe - to the list soon, as well as to expand the absinthe program with a a larger fountain. But no word on if they'll be adding Marilyn Manson's Mansinthe any time soon.
Johnny's Half Shell
400 N. Capitol St. NW
202-737-0400
Hours
Mon-Fri 7-9:30 am, 11:30 am-2:30 pm
Mon-Sat 5-10pm