>> This episode of the Modern Rogue brought to you by privacy.com. >> Go to privacy.com/rogue and get five dollars
off your first purchase. >> Yeah, and spend that five dollars on us like to do a dance for you. We should have an animated
GIF that costs five dollars. >> If only.
>> and it's just us dancing. >> Does it cost five dollars? >> Play the baby dance. That's a five dollar gift
that you can get at the store. >> They're going to
have kiosks in airports. >> Have you heard the good news? >> And at bus stops. >> This guy dances like a baby. >> You just walk up and you
swipe your privacy.com card and you get dancing baby. Grown man.
>> Baby man. >> It's going to be huge. It was illegal.
>> And now it's just like, yeah, no throw that in my drink. >> Go ahead.
>> No. >> No, you go.
>> No, no, no, you go. No.
>> After you. >> No.
>> After you. [men mumbling]
>> Oh, no, no, no, I'm sorry. Excuse me, I didn't mean to offend. [Trever laughing]
[stuttering] >> Pardon me, I'll go macerate in a shrub. [Brian laughing] [laughter] ♪ "Me 2 You" by QSTN ♪
[smooth ethereal hiphop with big beats] >> robot voice: Understanding Absinthe. >> All right, so we're back
at the Parker Jazz Club hanging out with our
BFF Trever Fehrenbach. >> How you doing?
>> Our mixmaster MC. So, how weird is it that we were alive at a time when everybody thought absinthe was freaking LSD in liquid form? >> And it was illegal. >> Not only illegal but I
remember somebody describing like, "Man, I was at Burning Man" "and I tried absinthe, it was crazy." and now it's just like, "hey, I'll take" "a diet Coke and some absinthe." [laughter] >> Is that a thing? Has anyone ever ordered
diet Coke and absinthe? >> No, I don't think--
>> That's the world's worst drink! >> Because that sounds awful.
>> Diet Coke and absinthe. >> It is not that prevalent but I do have a question for both of you. Do you know what the ingredient was in absinthe that people--
>> I do. >> What?
>> Uh, wormwood. >> Wormwood comes from a German word. >> Meaning the wood of worms. >> Got it, he still, man, look at him.
>> You're close, you're close. [Brian laughing] >> I don't know--
>> He's so good. >> I'm not sure if
that's what wermut meant. [heavy bell chimes]
>> Vermouth!
>> Jason: Yes! >> Wait, what's funny is
I was totally bluffing and I was right? >> So, if so many people were
tripping and hallucinating and having these crazy times and killing their family on absinthe, why weren't they doing it when
they were drinking vermouth which has wormwood in it? >> So, I suppose we should
talk about the mythology around absinthe and number one, we know that the placebo thing is a very powerful thing
and it's a real thing, right?
>> Yeah. >> We also know that you can hallucinate if you have enough booze. So, the hallucinogen thing--
>> Boy, do I know. >> Isn't exactly wrong but
where did this mythos come from? This--the green fairy. The idea that this is
some kind of magical stuff and why did they make it
illegal? That's insane. >> So, 18th century it
started to be used medicinally by a doctor named Pierre Ordinaire
and it was in Switzerland and it was used as just kind
of a panacea, a cure all. >> Yeah, like a snake oil. >> Yeah, exactly. And later in the 20th-century everyone started adopting
it, like Edgar Allen Poe, Ernest Hemingway, Vincent van Gogh. >> Yeah! >> It was the drink of
artists and bohemians and painters. >> Was this an, like guilt by association because absinthe was their favorite drink, they started to figure
these weird artist types, these hippies of the previous century? >> There was some particular
incident that triggered the hysteria that really led to absinthe being vilified and
that was the Lanfray murders. >> M-m-murders‽
>> Murders. >> Okay.
>> Yeah. >> Much like the starting
point on most spirits I mean, and drinks, it's all apocryphal
but the Lanfray murders is what kind of pushed
people over the edge into believing that absinthe
could cause you to become feral or hallucinate or just
be out of your mind. >> Set the stage for me,
this occurs at what time? >> 1905, somewhere around there. This Swiss farmer killed his family after being at a bar and
having two shots of absinthe. >> Two shots? >> This man was a drunk and was drinking bathtub brandy and gin as well as wine. Back then there were really no regulations on how spirits were made. So, the people that were making it highly over proofed,
toxic chemicals in it-- >> Like paint thinner. >> They even found what
they called copper salts. We have our first instance of >> all: Bath salts! >> That's amazing! >> Aw, did he try to eat their face? >> I don't know if that was after he used his ax, but maybe. >> Was it with an ax?
>> Yeah. >> Oh dear. I can understand the hysteria. Plus also this is back before you had the ability to measure
blood alcohol content. You just had to take their word for it. And newsflash, alcoholics,
not the best truth tellers. >> Yeah and so this is where
all of this legend and lore built up around this really simple drink, of people thinking, "Oh, the green fairy," "it'll make you hallucinate!" >> So, the wormwood is not a hallucinogen and is in vermouth and also absinthe. Here's why I really think
absinthe was demonized, the licorice flavor, the anise. >> It's gross, I'm not a fan.
[Brian laughing] >> I love it. >> I hate it.
>> It's great, it's great, it's great! >> Funny thing about absinthe, it is called the green fairy but actually when it's distilled
quite typically it's clear. The green anise that is
used can add the color. Also when you're using
botanicals it's the chlorophyll over time that turns it green. >> That's amazing. I guess at this point, science says that all of the demonization of
absinthe is total nonsense ♪ "Soulful" by L'indécis ♪
[plucky guitars, spacey jazz]
and what you're really buying into now ♪ "Soulful" by L'indécis ♪
[plucky guitars, spacey jazz]
in the 21st-century, is the experience of kind of the lore.
>> The ritual. >> Yeah, exactly. There's a ritual to it, there's
a bunch of ghost stories that we have associated
with it, it feels naughty and exotic. So, how do we properly
prepare an absinthe drink? >> What you're looking for is, because absinthe is that
licorice, that green anise, it is very bitter and is very-- >> Love it. Love it.
>> It's right up you're alley. It's not for everyone. But what you're looking for
is four to five parts water and sugar to one part absinthe. >> Jason: Oh, wow. >> What is the proof
of absinthe by itself? >> That is where some of
the lore comes from because people were so messed up on absinthe because it was a very high proof alcohol. You're talking, you know, anywhere from 120 proof to 130 proof. >> We're talkin' Everclear territory. >> Oh yeah. >> You're about to degrease
an engine with this stuff. >> Regulation lightened up in the 90s as the Europeans adopted more
modern food and drink laws and so, that's when we started to see, the bans started to lift. And everyone started to think, "Oh, okay," "well, we can drink absinthe," "it's just licorice-flavored nastiness." >> So good, so good. So, let's say I buy a bottle of absinthe and I don't want to
look like a total chump as I present it to my friends, what is the ritual? Because
I know that's part of it, the ritual matters, right? >> Right, absolutely. What we're going to be using
today is actually the Pernod which is the original distiller
in France, Pernod Fils and this actually isn't a true absinthe. A true absinthe is going
to be what is known as the holy trinity which has your fennel, green anise, and wormwood. >> Okay, I know two of those words. What is fennel? >> Fennel is a seed from the carrot family, it's an herb. >> Ah, the carrot family.
>> Yes. >> All 24 of them, they're delightful. No? No, sorry. >> What you're going to see on
the market isn't true absinthe but is is absinthe-like. Now, it isn't a liqueur, it is a spirit because of the alcohol volume. >> Okay, spirit and liqueur what's the difference between those? >> A liqueur is going to be 30 percent and under. >> Got it, got it, so
it's mainly sugar water with a bit of alcoholic
spice, whereas a spirit is just like, no this is the real worked. >> But if you go to a bar
and you just order absinthe you very well could get
this particular brand. >> Exactly.
>> Okay. >> And this is one of the
most popular on the market, so you're going to see
this at a lot of bars. >> So, how do you properly prepare, what's the dance? Everybody acts like, like
in my mind it's like, you say absinthe and
suddenly a sitar plays. >> You've got like, a
flared cuff, like ruffles. >> There's incense and, you know. >> Maybe somebody's a vampire. >> Everybody's dancing. >> Bauhaus is playing.
>> Yes. >> Yeah, Bram Stoker's
ghost is in the corner, just reading. The traditional way to serve it is with water and a sugar cube. And it's simply like I
said, four parts to one. We're going to pour in
about an ounce and a half. Now, if you look, see how green that is? >> Yeah, man, that's like. >> Jason: Looks like chartreuse. >> Brian: That's like
electric lime Gatorade. >> This particular version of Pernod, this is a much sweeter one. So, I am going to be using
a brown sugar cube on this. >> I thought those were croutons. [all laughing] >> Yes.
>> Oh my God! I want to live in Jason Murphy's bar. Where he just goes by
what things look like. >> I thought it was like, it's clearly-- >> You order and he grabs
a crouton with garlic on it and runs water over it, that'd be amazing. >> Traditionally you're going to be using a granulated sugar, white
sugar, fine sugar as a cube and they do make absinthe drippers to where you can just
kind of turn the spout and it slowly pours
over until it dissolves. We don't have that kind of time but the brown sugar does
dissolve a little bit quicker. >> Brian: Well, you can see
already it's clouding up as the sugar goes in there. >> Jason: Isn't there, like, a thing where you burn it or something, too? >> Yeah, you can light
the sugar cube on fire but, honestly, that is all
pomp and circumstance and-- >> Yeah, which I'm into. >> If anything it will ruin
the flavor of the absinthe. >> Oh, nevermind. I'm no longer into it. I used to be into it, I
used to dally with that. >> So, if we do this a couple
times and like I said this I think the brown sugar cubes tend to dissolve a little
bit quicker than the white. This isn't a traditional absinthe spoon, they'll be garish and just very ornate and antique looking
and they're slotted. >> And have, like, one purpose. >> Exactly, and I don't have use for it so, I'm just using my old julep strainer. And so, it's pretty much
dissolved there, so. >> Jason: And that's it?
>> Trever: Yeah, that's it right there. >> So, this is the green fairy. >> Trever: And typically
you would serve it on a plate maybe with a ornate doily. >> No.
>> Oh my God. >> I cannot--
>> It's licorice. It's straight licorice. >> Amazing. I cannot overstate the
importance of ritual and the placebo effect in all this stuff. Like, when you believe
that crossing this line will change everything in your life, it changes the way you experience it. That's something that the
folks over at the Whiskey Vault are really good about,
is that presentation is key when it comes to presenting people with the story of the whiskey. All of that matters to
your subjective experience of how good it is. So, it's like knowing that
this is the green fairy that inspired artists
and made madmen out of farmers.
>> Farmers. >> Yeah, exactly, right. All of that matters. ♪ "Ups n Downs" by baaskaT ♪
[hip hop beat with chipper piano loops] I mean, I don't know if I'm a bad person but you can really tell that it's diluted and I wonder how it tastes straight. But that's, I guess, a cultural no-no. >> No, I mean you can drink
it straight if you want to, there's nothing that says that you can't. >> I've seen you drink
worse things straight. >> It is very intense, though. This is great and I'm sure
there's amazing cocktails we can make, I kind of want
to experience just the raw. >> Well, let's do it. Now, I know you don't like sweet things, this is a very, very sweet spirit here. >> Okay, you added sugar before. It just looks like Gatorade. ♪♪ [deep exhale] ♪ [subdued piano and percussion] ♪ >> I just pictured like a plume of smoke and you're standing there
in a velvet jacket now. >> There's a reason that they dilute it and they're right. >> Yeah?
>> Yeah. >> What did you experience? >> Just a bit much. >> Little, little. >> It's just a bit much. >> Remember chartreuse face? >> It's the difference between enjoying a lemon-flavored beverage
and having sour Warheads. >> Do you feel your tongue going numb yet? >> Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. ♪♪ Absinthe, less complicated than I thought. Also less hallucinogenic than I thought. Literally everything I thought
was great about absinthe turns out to be a lie. >> Just wait. >> Absinthe is the Santa Claus of drinks. >> And there he is. [incredulous]
>> What‽ [all laughing] [affecting deep voice]
>> Yes, Brian. [mirroring deep voice]
>> You've been a very good drinker! I just wish you had just gone with that and turned around and just
had this long conversation with Santa Claus. And we just--
>> That's a Patreon bonus. >> Yeah, Trever and I are sitting here getting more and more terrified. >> Meanwhile if you guys
want to meet Trever in person come on down to the Parker Jazz
Club here in Austin, Texas. >> Fourth and Colorado. >> What's that? >> Fourth and Colorado. >> Oh, I thought you
said it was in Colorado. I was very confused for a second. >> Where are we right now? [Brian laughing] >> And of course, you're doing
the Bar Stool Theory stuff now? >> Yeah, soon we'll be
teaching classes here abut spirits and cocktails. >> Barstooltheory.com >> It's not up yet but I'm
going to get it up soon. >> Did you hear that, ladies? [Trever guffawing]
>> No? No. [muffled laughter] Go talk to Santa. >> Jason Murphy, how
many cards do you have? >> Oh god, not this
conversation again, really? ♪ "Hope w/Mono:Massive" by Philanthrope ♪
[mellow beat]
>> Yes, what do you got, one, two? ♪ "Hope w/Mono:Massive" by Philanthrope ♪
[mellow beat]
>> I've got two cards that I use mostly. >> Not enough. You should have a different card for every single website you ever visit. >> That sounds complicated
and hard to keep track of. >> It's not! If you do a little thing
called privacy.com. >> It just creates this smokescreen that no one can tell what I'm buying even if they're looking at a list of things that I've bought. >> Okay, first of all I do love that. The fact that when you
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transparency that you want. One of the things I like is the ability to manufacture burners on the fly. Like, I've got three little girls and sometimes they want to spend money on their apps, their iOS whatevers. And I'm just like, "Hey kiddo,
here's a 20 dollar card," "that's your card, enjoy." Do you remember the first time that we had Privacy as a sponsor? We full on showed the number-- >> Oh yeah.
>> On the site. And then--
>> Too late. >> I got all the emails of everybody trying to use those numbers. >> How many tried?
>> Guess what? Enough.
>> Enough >> Look, we live in an
age where, of course, we all know the hygiene of having different passwords
for different websites. You don't have the same
password for everything. You should do the same thing when it comes to your
financial information. You should have a different
card for all that. Nothing makes it easier than privacy.com. >> Jason: And one of the more
important things to remember is that privacy.com is
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I set down to do it, it literally took me, like, five minutes. >> Brian: Privacy.com/rogue, when you sign up you get five dollars free to spend on anything including,
oh wait, is it Black Friday? Are a bunch of people buying stuff online? Right now, you can go to
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down to the two key system from WarGames before they
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>> Private. ♪♪ >> Privacy.com/rogue to get five dollars off your first purchase. >> Yeah, spend it at
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it's the holiday season. — CC BY REV —
* MODIFIED BY BIZARRE MAGIC *
[branding furnace hissing] [radio static and wind]
All right, what is the most dangerous thing you've ever drank? >> You are talking to a person
who eats fire for a living. Gasoline, freaking naphtha, benzene, >> You win.
>> Kerosene. You want me to keep going‽ >> I thought I had a
pretty good one, I do not. >> Ronsonol lighter fluid,
Zippo lighter fluid. >> I'm worried about you now.
[laughter]
