St. George Absinthe Verte is the first legal American absinthe released after the United States ban was lifted in 2007. While the U.S. ban was still in place, it was illegal to sell absinthe, but not to distill it. It was during this time that St. George distiller, Lance Winters, perfected his absinthe, taking 11 years to perfect his formula. When the American ban was overturned in 2007, the distillery was ready.

The unique twist to St. George is that it infuses brandy with absinthe's holy trinity (wormwood, fennel, and star anise). Without these three key ingredients, it is not absinthe. Winters distills this infusion in his 1,500-liter copper pot still, then performs a secondary infusion of mint, tarragon, opal basil, lemon balm, hyssop, meadowsweet, and stinging nettles. It is this secondary infusion is what gives absinthe its color. Just after the secondary infusion, their absinthe is an intense emerald green. By the time it is bottled, the absinthe will have turned its characteristic feuille morte (dead leaf) hue due to chlorophyll from all the botanicals breaking down with time and exposure to light.

Tasting notes:
A heady, herbaceous smack to the senses. It opens with spicy black licorice and then slowly evolves into citrus and grass profiles with a dose of sarsaparilla. Because of the abundance of essential oils, it’s rich and viscous on the palate—even at 120 proof (60% alcohol). To bring out another level of vivid flavors and a lovely louche (milky cloudiness) that seems to glow from within, a single large ice cube is ideal. Adding water further releases botanical oils into solution, deepening the louche and intensifying the heady, floral aroma.