Like most things that are forbidden, I discovered last night during a trip to the Buddha Bar that absinthe sounds so much better than it actually is. Granted that today’s absinthe is a far cry from the mind-altering crazy juice that fueled many artists and writers in centuries past, my friend and I still thought it would be a good idea for a night of quintessentially Parisian fun. Not to mention it was one of the few drinks on the chic Buddha menu that we could actually afford.It might have been all the we imagined and more, had I managed to get down more than a few sips of the neon green liquid that looked like toxic slime from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. And tasted about as good. I guess in my idealizing of this infamous brew, I envisioned the bohemian lifestyle attached to it and failed to anticipate the actual taste… incredibly strong anise-flavored alcohol. No sugar or citrus or any of the other dulling accompaniments that lend a pleasant taste to drinks.

>more