AlleyGator wrote:

> (BTW, many years ago, I tasted real absinthe, the sugar cube ritual and
> the whole bit. It tastes like shit. Don't waste your health.)

I'm a member of the Gothic subculture (big surprise, with "virtualgoth" as
my handle), and absinthe has a middling-sized following within that group.
The legends of madness, the ritual of preparation, and the "forbidden"
nature of the drink all contribute to its allure. I've tasted the stuff and
don't care for it, though I wouldn't describe the taste as shit-like. It's
more like an intensely bitter pine-infused licorice. Think Pernod mixed
with Pine-Sol and aspirin. Speaking of Pernod, both Pernod and chartreuse
claim to be descended from absinthe.

Bob