Photo | Michael T. Regan

Unless you’ve been hiding in an AA meeting for the past year, you know that absinthe is now legal — wormwood and all. Six major brands are on the shelves in the U.S., including one from Marilyn Manson (called “Mansinthe”) and another from a company right here in Philly. Located in a cozy warehouse in the Northeast, Philadelphia Distilling calls its green liquor “Vieux Carre” and sells it in 13 states. (Including here in Pennsylvania! Can you believe our liquor laws didn’t prevent that?) I caught up with Robert Cassell (pictured), the company’s master distiller.

Meal Ticket: You announced that Vieux Carre would be released before the holidays. Did people end up buying their moms and dads absinthe for Christmas?

Robert Cassell: It actually hit the shelves on the first or second week of January. And yeah, it was really popular. A few stores sold out in the first couple of days.

MT: Where in Philly can you pick it up?

RC: All the premium selection stores have it. Outside of that, they have it at the liquor store on Columbus Boulevard and on 12th and Chestnut streets.

MT: Does your absinthe include wormwood?

RC: Yes, it includes the illustrious wormwood.

MT: You know I had to ask that question.

RC: Of course. All my friends did. The one that usually comes after that is, “Duuude, am I going to trip my balls off?”

No, this won’t make you trip balls.

MT: Well, I’m glad you asked it so I don’t have to.

RC: There’s a huge folklore around absinthe. But no, unless it’s laced, it’s not going to make you hallucinate. It’s like when people say “gin makes me angry” — if that’s happening, it’s because you’re an angry person, not because of the gin.

MT: What distinguishes your absinthe from others?

RC: In terms of the recipe and the proportion of ingredients, it’s very classic. We get most of our ingredients from Switzerland and the Alps, so it tastes a lot like something you’d get in Europe.

MT: You’re the only East Coast company currently making absinthe, right?

RC: We’re the first [East Coast] company to make it in over 100 years. When we heard whispers in the industry about it being legalized, we said, “Well, that’s cool. How often can you be a pioneer and make something for the first time in 100 years?”

MT: Does your absinthe taste like licorice — like Jägermeister?

RC: I try not to make it have over-the-top licorice notes like Jägermeister. It has more of an herbal flavor, and it’s not thick or viscous. And it’s a much higher proof — 120.

MT: What does “Vieux Carre” mean?

RC: The name is in tribute to the only real nexus of absinthe culture in the United States. It refers to the French Quarter in New Orleans, which was the epicenter of absinthe life before it was banned.

MT: There’s one last thing that I’m curious about. You were a brewer before becoming a distiller. What’s the relationship like between the two? Is there animosity between you?

RC: No way. If anything, the brewers are the guys I can vent to about production issues. We complain about milling and mashing problems. There’s not a lot of people who can relate with that.

RELATED:

- Red, White and Bluecoat: A local distillery challenges the Brits to a friendly game of gin.

- Absinthe Minded: The peculiar (and legal!) elixir has found its feet in Philly.

This entry was posted on Friday, February 6th, 2009 at 4:30 pm and is filed under Booze, Interview. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.