Adventures in Absinthes

Absinthe: the notorious, myth-ridden, herb-infused anise flavored spirit that includes the bitter herb wormwood. The drink suffered--as it does today-- from an image problem. Wrongly believed to be a psychoactive, delusion-inducing, even poisonous, the perfectly harmless drink was banned in the United States and most European countries by 1915. And thanks to a reader's tip this past summer, I became aware of absinthe being made up in Walton, New York, the town attached to the spot in the woods in which I overcame my fear of country. I tracked the distiller down, and low and behold, it was a she and she was Cheryl Lins, a fellow obsessive, on the self-taught, alternative route lane. She works on the teensiest commercial still ever. Eight gallon? You bet. That's about it. Her distillery is right on Main Street in a town so depressed, most of the storefronts are shuttered. CVS and McDonalds and the BBQ at the gas station are the big tickets. Out of place? I should say so. But perfect? Oh, yes indeed. You can read about this past off-the-grid yurt-dwelling woman in my story for the New York Times. Meanwhile, check out this little video of her coloration process. The other voice on the video is Linda St. John (D.L Cerney clothing store on east 7th Street. She, Duane and Suzie are the people who often dress Bruce Springsteen and are often costuming those Broadway shows looking for pieces fashioned after the 40's, 50's and early 60's.