Tenth Ward Distilling Company’s new Absinthe Nouvelle is Maryland’s first absinthe. (Photo by Sarah Mitchell)Curious patrons gathered in a small storefront on East Church Street in Frederick, Md., on a late July weekend for their chance to be among the first to sample an infamous concoction long surrounded by myth and mystery—one nicknamed the Green Fairy, after its reputation for taking its drinkers on a magical, hallucinogenic journey.
While Tenth Ward Distilling Company’s new Absinthe Nouvelle—Maryland’s first absinthe—does have a greenish-yellow tint to it, no fairies made an appearance at the distillery that day.
“There’s a lot of misinformation around absinthe,” explains founder and owner Monica Pearce. “The biggest is that people are concerned it will make you hallucinate.”
You can test the misconception for yourself if you pick up a bottle at one of D.C.’s farmers markets, where Tenth Ward’s all-woman sales team samples their smoked corn whiskey, caraway rye whiskey, applejack, and seasonal spirits, all labeled with the company’s distinct “X” logo.
The hallucination myth likely has its roots in one of absinthe’s primary ingredients—wormwood. Wormwood contains a small amount of the chemical thujone, which is toxic in high concentrations but also occurs naturally in many foods and herbs we already eat, including sage.
“I always joke with people that you ingest more thujone in your Thanksgiving stuffing than you do in an entire bottle of absinthe,” says Brian Robinson, review editor for the Wormwood Society, an absinthe education organization.
Wormwood is one of three components that make up the “holy trinity” of absinthe, the others being aniseed and fennel. Absinthe Nouvelle keeps the traditional trio but adds a contemporary angle—the same modus operandi employed with their whiskeys.
“We really like to revise historical spirits with our unconventional and modern twists to make it a little more interesting and fun,” Pearce says.
What’s the twist with Maryland’s first-ever absinthe?
“It’s filled with chrysanthemum, which gives it some nice herbal and tea tannins,” Pearce says. “There’s chamomile in there, bergamot peel which is a type of citrus peel that adds a nice citrus note to it, as well as lemon balm. It’s creamy, it’s buttery, it louches really well.”
Louche (or titration for those who excelled in their high school chemistry class) refers to the transformation that occurs when water is added to absinthe drop by drop, turning it cloudy or “milky” in appearance.
Robinson, who knows a thing or two about absinthe, is a fan of Pearce’s product. “When it comes to looking at all of the U.S. produced absinthe, I would easily rank it in the top 10,” he says.
Among the attendees at the first taste-test were what Pearce refers to as “advanced absinthe drinkers,” the sort of people that collect absinthe and love the taste, as well as newbies—people who enjoy the novelty of what’s often considered a forbidden drink.
“It’s exciting to see their reaction,” Pearce says. “A lot of people thought absinthe was illegal in the U.S.” (Technically absinthe was never banned; the federal government simply regulates the amount of thujone allowed in the product.)
Many people are also under the impression that absinthe is served on fire, like a drinkable Baked Alaska.
“That was just sort of a very popular kitschy thing to do in bars around Europe in the early 90’s and it kind of traveled back to the U.S. as well,” Pearce explains. While some bars still set absinthe aflame before serving, it’s pretty risky. “Absinthe is traditionally a 140 proof spirit, so you’re supposed to drink it diluted and that’s not something you should be bringing flames near.”
With this latest release, under belt, Pearce’s next project is giving the company more room with an expansion. Tenth Ward Distilling Company’s new, second space will open later this year in the heart of Frederick’s historic district. The building (55 East Patrick St.) has exposed brick and hardwood floors, industrial windows, and room for barrel storage and a cocktail lab.
“We don’t want to operate your standard bar,” Pearce said of the new space, which is more than quadruple the size of her current location. “We don’t want to be open until 3 a.m., we don’t want to be serving Jägerbombs and draft beer. We want to create a cocktail culture in our neighborhood of really great crafted drinks so that people have the chance to taste it mixed in really fun, experimental ways.”
It’s a different way to look at spirits, Pearce thinks.
“A lot of times customers buy a bottle of your spirits and they love it but it sits on the shelf. They don’t know what to do with it.”
Pearce wants you to try a Bloody Manhattan with white caraway rye, or add a muddled jalapeno slice with some lemon and lime juice and a splash of triple sec and simple syrup to her corn whiskey for a Smokey Jalapeno Margarita.
Still, no matter what concoction you come up with using Absinthe Nouvelle, you’re unlikely to meet any mystic entities.
“They’ll see a really cool fairy on the front of our label, though,” Monica says with a laugh. “She’s super cute.”
Tenth Ward Distilling Company’s absinthe and other products are available at the distillery at 508 East Church St., open Wednesday-Sunday, noon-6 p.m., or at the Bethesda, Shady Grove, Silver Spring, and Takoma Park farmers markets on certain days. Check their calendar for details.
