Absentee.

Van Gogh Absente

Van Gogh only sold two paintings in his entire life and enjoyed only a posthumous brand of fame. The kind of fame that has led people to mispronounce his last name as, “Go”  rather than an usually corrected sound that goes something like, “Gogk!” Maybe that’s to say of a lot of artists, (i.e. David “Bow-wie,” or, “Bowwy.”) but there’s no discounting him as an eternal phenomenon. He left a certain legacy, and an ear somewhere, but he wasn’t always privy to the madness that everyone thinks he dealt with on a daily basis. Some blame it on a spirit that that almost had nothing to do with his eventual breakdown, but rather, only acted as a catalyst to his fate. Let’s get one thing straight, if he wasn’t an artist per se, then he might have not suffered a demise reserved for so many people in the practice of fine arts. Drugs and other indulgences seem to have taxed so many prominent individuals, and there’s been some correlation between the mystery of a celebrity’s personal life and their overconsumption, but those things are nothing compared to what lies in the arrears of wormwood. 

“Absinthe,” or, “Absent” as it is called, is not the emerald dynamo we have all considered it to be. Far as art historians can tell you, there’s nothing wrong with wormwood perhaps, except for when you’re a painter that uses solvents and thinners. Vincent’s approach to madness was nothing but old ignorances about chemical reactions that occur when two different liquids are simultaneously consumed by our mouth and skin. Yes, it wasn’t the age-old myth that wormwood caused Gogh’s permanent psychosis, but rather, a cruel misunderstanding of one man, that probably saved many artists in the long term. 

What I can tell you, is that Absinthe is nothing but a liquor distilled from many different types of botanicals including a handful of herbs that bear the same feminine traits you’d see in the naming of our mothers, daughters, sisters, and likewise. It gets its greenish hue from the natural, herbal elements, but has a tendency to be infused with artificial dyes. The most profound flavor to arise from the glass is usually something like fennel, or anise, considering it is the most powerful of the common melange that makes the liqueur. The actual alcohol content is something due to the neutral grains that give it a formidable proofreading, so if it doesn’t drive you bonkers, then it should obviously cause some inebriation.

Chartreuse

Also known as a “Herbsaint,” it is usually enjoyed by pouring over a sugar cube that is placed atop a slotted spoon that carries the liqueur into a small glass. The sugar causes the spirit to become cloudy and adds a sweeter element to a cocktail that is otherwise bitter at times. Some use it as an alternative to “Anisette” before, or after meals, but there’s really no wrong way of enjoying it. Truth is, there’s supposedly something wrong if you happen to see a “green fairy” buzzing around in superstitious thought, because it’s a sign of delirium, or even death. Many brush-off the idea as absurd, but there’s no mistaking the lugubrious appeal of such an event. For those who are a bit shaken by the prospect, “Pernod,” or “Chartreuse” is a wonderful alternative that can usually benefit from some simple syrup and a good amount of club soda, or sparkling lemonade. The two may sound like swashbucklers with an eye for the ladies, but unlike the reputation of Absinthe, they’re basically harmless.  

I do like the idea that artists like Hemingway, Poe and many others enjoyed the stuff, but I’m wondering why it always appealed to men with so much personal acrimony. I don’t know exactly why, but it seems like the constant flirtation with their own demise was always prevalent. Not to say that it’s a by-product of a long-favored spirit, but rumor is everything when you’re trying to figure out the answers to life, death, or diagnosing insanity. All of the scribes, authors, painters and musicians in the world can abide by their own hallucinations, but when Absinthe is in the picture, it seems to make things worse. Science has proven that you have to careful in your approach, but generally, there’s always precaution in every mixer you choose.       

Oh, the whole ear thing was a farce. He cut it slightly while shaving drunk.        

Brian Maniotis

Westchester Wine Warehouse team

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