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How do you take your Coffee (or other beverage)?

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Avalanche

Thu May 12 2011, 08:19PM

Registered Member #103 Joined: Thu Feb 09 2006, 08:16PM
Location: Derby, UK
Posts: 845

okay

I've only tried Absinthe once, at a new years party in a cottage out in the middle of nowhere. I was probably fairly gone at the time, so I can't remember what it was like... other than green and extremely strong

(none of us cut our ears off either)

Steve Conner

Thu May 12 2011, 08:27PM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

According to Harold McGee's encyclopaedia of food science, the bad reputation of absinthe was mainly due to its very high alcohol content, some brews are over 90%.

The ban was lifted in the EU in the 90s, and some trendy bars even serve the stuff. A quick google search showed a specialist whisky shop in Edinburgh that sells about 20 different kinds! The Pontarlier absinthe costs a mind-altering Â£63 for a litre bottle.

GluD

Thu May 12 2011, 08:39PM

Registered Member #1221 Joined: Wed Jan 09 2008, 06:17PM
Location: Odense, Denmark
Posts: 196

Well if it was suspiscously green (almost flourescent) it was probably not 'real' absinthe but some other stuff made up of mixed extracts, alcohol, water and green dye. A 'real' absinthe (theres no official definition of absinthe such as there is for cognac and whisky ) but amongst "absinthe geeks" the 'definition' is that it must contain anise, artemissia absintium and fennel and it must be distilled, not just mixed extracts. It is also very important to dillute ones absinthe as it may contain around 60-80% alcohol by volume. Also a 'real' absinthe is coloured naturally after its distillation by heating it in a mixture of herbs. The reason for the rather high percentage alcohol is to dissolve the chemicals from the various herbs, once you add the water there will be a small precipiation, called the "louce effect" or something like that. Some people also call it the "ouzo effect" I think. Basicly, the absinthe goes from clear light green to cloudy green. Alot of people just drink the mixed extracts to get wasted which is fine, I just think it adds to the confusion about what absinthe is.

Edit: Hello Steve

The high alcohol % on the bottle doesn't really "matter" because your supposed to dillute it by 3-5 times. It'll probably taste like crap if drank pure but dilluted with water and maybe sugar (depending on the spefic absinth) it is the best drink in the world as far as I'm concerned. Also the dilluting seems to off-set the high prices abit, maybe it cost alot per bottle but when dilluted you may have a volume equal to 3 or 5 bottles.

Josh

Fri May 13 2011, 07:10AM

Registered Member #938 Joined: Sat Aug 04 2007, 05:39AM
Location: Honokaa,HI,USA
Posts: 65

I pick the coffee wherever I find wild trees,
I also have the permission of a farm owner to pick as much as I want from the abandoned farm.
Plus I recently planted 40 plus coffee trees :)

Steve Conner

Fri May 13 2011, 08:37AM

Registered Member #30 Joined: Fri Feb 03 2006, 10:52AM
Location: Glasgow, Scotland
Posts: 6706

Josh wrote ...

Plus I recently planted 40 plus coffee trees :)

Ah, I just noticed you're in Hawaii. Must be nice :) How does the flavour compare to store-bought coffee beans?

Glud: It's "louche"

dictionary.com wrote ...
Adjective: Disreputable or sordid in a rakish or appealing way: "the louche world of the theater"

Origin: 1810â€“20; < French: literally, cross-eyed; Old French losche, feminine of lois < Latin luscus blind in one eye.

another interesting facet of absinthe's bad reputation!

It has been scientifically proven that the alcohol in it would poison you long before the wormwood extract did.

GluD

Fri May 13 2011, 09:35AM

Registered Member #1221 Joined: Wed Jan 09 2008, 06:17PM
Location: Odense, Denmark
Posts: 196

Ah thanks Steve. There are many interesting aspects of the history of absinthe.

It has been scientifically proven that the alcohol in it would poison you long before the wormwood extract did.

Yes indeed it have, as I was trying to make clear in my earilier posts only the fake absinthes in the 1800/1900's was dangerous because of the chemicals they used, I dont remeber the exact name of the substance but I think they used an Antimony substance to simulate the louche and copper-something to make it green.

In case somebody feels that theres enough absinthe for now I can also recommend a drink called a B-52. It is made in a shot-glass with Kalhua on the bottom, Baileys in the middle and Rum on the top. You form the layers by slowly pouring the booze over the back of a spoon into the glass.

I dont drink either beer or coffee

Proud Mary

Fri May 13 2011, 11:10AM

Registered Member #543 Joined: Tue Feb 20 2007, 04:26PM
Location: UK
Posts: 4992

The fin de siÃ¨cle moral panic over absinthe was much like the brouhaha around alcopops, Buckie, Tenants Super, and the apple-less synthetic 'cider' of today.

Rather than trying to discover - and remedy - the social causes of alcohol dependence, politicians and their media enablers find it convenient to relocate blame onto the brands themselves.

Josh

Fri May 13 2011, 06:35PM

Registered Member #938 Joined: Sat Aug 04 2007, 05:39AM
Location: Honokaa,HI,USA
Posts: 65

Steve McConner wrote ...

Josh wrote ...

Plus I recently planted 40 plus coffee trees :)

Ah, I just noticed you're in Hawaii. Must be nice :) How does the flavour compare to store-bought coffee beans?

Glud: It's "louche"

another interesting facet of absinthe's bad reputation!

It has been scientifically proven that the alcohol in it would poison you long before the wormwood extract did.

It really depends on where,
but usually it seems that the coffee is really smooth with just a hint of acidity.
Some higher elevation coffee(2000 feet verses 600) has a deeper stronger robust flavor with a hint of fruitiness compared to the lower elevation stuff that's much more smooth yet still has good flavor.
It could be that I drink it all within a week or two of roasting, maybe it's the soil,
or perhaps it's higher quality since all the cherries are picked red.

Robusta coffee is interesting(I didn't say good!), as most people drink Arabica.
It has a syrupy consistency, foams like crazy, has double the caffeine of Arabica,
it's really acidic initially after roasting and finally has a really strong somewhat bitter flavor.
I've yet to figure out what to use it for.

Chris Russell

Fri May 13 2011, 11:00PM

... not Russel!
Registered Member #1 Joined: Thu Jan 26 2006, 12:18AM
Location: Tempe, Arizona
Posts: 1052

I'm not much of a coffee drinker normally, but this thread is making me want a nice cup of coffee. All I have in the cupboard is Yuban, unfortunately.

Tea, I have all sorts. I think my favorite in the mornings has to be Twinings english breakfast. It's just all-around robust and good. Later in the day, it's hard to beat a good cup of peppermint tea.

Josh wrote ...

I pick the coffee wherever I find wild trees,
I also have the permission of a farm owner to pick as much as I want from the abandoned farm.
Plus I recently planted 40 plus coffee trees :)

I don't suppose there's anything you desire that's unique to the American Southwest? I'd love to trade you for any surplus beans you have on hand.

Josh

Sat May 14 2011, 09:44AM

Registered Member #938 Joined: Sat Aug 04 2007, 05:39AM
Location: Honokaa,HI,USA
Posts: 65

Sorry I don't have any coffee at all,
hopefully this August I will have a ton of it from the abandoned farm. It's still work but I enjoy it and I'll be doing it with a friend...

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