Absinthe Superieure

Last night, I took my absinthe drinking to a new plane entirely by sampling Jade's Nouvelle Orleans. This absinthe cost roughly twice as much as I am used to paying, so I wondered if it would be worth the added expense.


Oh, my--yes, it was. I have never tasted an absinthe so light, so smooth, so delicious and seductive. From the first delicate scent to the last sip, the experience was nothing short of divine.


This absinthe is created in France by New Orleans native T.A. Breaux who pioneered research into creating a true absinthe similar to those produced prior to the banning of absinthe in France, the U. S., and numerous other countries, in the early part of the Twentieth Century.


Breaux was a chemist who purchased a pre-ban bottle of absinthe from an estate sale in Europe. He subjected it to intense chemical analysis in order to re-create the original flavor in a modern product.

Nouvelle Orleans Absinthe Superieure

He claims this method is superior to those of other distillers who simply use the 19th-century recipes in that the types of herbs called for in those recipes may have changed over the intervening hundred years. The distillation method uses grapes as its alcohol base and, according to the Jade website: "Jade Liqueurs' absinthes are crafted entirely by hand, and enjoy the unique privilege of being distilled in original 1,150L copper bain marie alembics that were acquired directly from perhaps the most famous original absinthe distillery in Pontarlier, France approximately one hundred years ago." 

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Jade produces several absinthes, but the"Nouvelle Orleans" was created to celebrate absinthe's American heritage in New Orleans, specifically at the Old Absinthe House, which was built in 1806 and had an "Absinthe room" at least by the 1870's. "L'esprit du Vieux Carré" is well-served by this delicious absinthe.

And, yes, I had a second glass. 
Without regret...I am happy to report.