St. George Absinthe Verte (120 proof / 60% ABV) is made by St. George Spirits Distillery in the  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.

"Sometimes jokingly called the ‘salad dressing’ of absinthe, this is definitely not your granddaddy’s absinthe.  Made with lots of untraditional herbs like stinging nettles and basil, it will lead you down the rabbit hole of possible absinthe ingredients.  This absinthe presents itself as a bit more cognac-ey in appearance due to the heavier coloration steps, which also translates to a darker louche.  It’s still thick and promising though.  Flavors include your typical anise and wormwood, but there’s also interesting white pepper, violettes, celery, and other oddities!  Strange as it may sound, this absinthe goes very well with pizza."

          - Reviewed by Brian Robinson. Click here to see Brian's bio.