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| Roof Brothers carries four kinds of Absinthe. |
The culprit behind the green dark-licorice-flavored spirit? The thujone chemical found in wormwood, Absinthe's key ingredient. Folks believed the drink was a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug, and the US and many parts of Europe banned it in 1915.
Recent research, though, reveals that Absinthe is no more dangerous than ordinary hooch. So in March, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave the green light to the sale of 12 brands of The Green Fairy, and counting.
Roof Brothers, always on the leading edge of lively liquids, began carrying four brands a few months ago. Stop by the 3145 Park Avenue location and choose from Lucid, Grande Absente, Mythe and Kubler. All contain the recipes that originated in Switzerland and were very popular in France in the 19th century.
"We have people coming in every day wanting to purchase Absinthe," says Hottie McHot Hot Denny Roof. "We sell several bottles a day." (Download Denny's PDF for more info.)
Cynthia's Ristorante has added the mystical mix to its bar menu. Here's how zee oh-so-hot Brett Duwe prepares an Absinthe Drip Cocktail:Step 1: Put a little Edith Piaf on for mood music (left).
Step 2: Fill an Absinthe fountain with ice and water (right).Step 3: Pour 1.25 to 1.5 oz. of Absinthe into a glass.
Step 4: Place a sugar cube on top of a flat, perforated spoon that rests on the rim of the glass (below, left). Slowly drip 4-5 oz. of ice-cold water on top of the sugar cube, which slowly dissolves into the Absinthe.
Step 5: The cold water causes Absinthe to louche ("loosh") into a cloudy green as the herbal essences emerge from the Absinthe and perfume the room.Step 6: Voilá! Sippez-vous, avec le caution!
