VegasChatter

During our three-day visit to CityCenter last week, we were lucky to (a) meet Sage’s Chef Shawn McClain and (b) partake in an absinthe tutorial and tasting led by the all-absinthe knowing Tobias Peach. The staff at Sage takes the high-octane spirit seriously – they serve eight varieties and every employee is trained in proper service, plus the ins and outs of the green hued spirit’s star anise, wormwood, fennel, flowers, herbs and spices subtleties.

You’ll have to go to Sage to experience absinthe first-hand – Peach can give a far better “how to” serve and savor explanation, complete with its cloudy, color changing visuals, than we can do in the space of this post. Plus, the tableside presentation is pretty darn striking doubling as a pseudo-French history lesson.

What we can do, though, is give you a quick glimpse at the eight absinthes Sage serves:

Pernod 68, France, Grand Absente, France, Le Tourment Vert, France, St. George Verte, USA, Mansinthe, Switzerland, Kubler, Switzerland, Lucid, France, and Osbello, Spain. Interestingly, St. George Verte is is produced by the same distillers as Hangar One in Alameda, California, and is the first absinthe produced in the USA.

The herb profile used is also slightly different that your usual absinthe, using lemon balm, hyssop, meadowsweet, basil, fennel, tarragon, and stinging nettle. Also, Mansinthe is produced by wacko rocker, Marilyn Manson, and the watercolor label is supposed to represent Manson imbibing on the spirit. [Ed. Note: Ewwwwww.] It also packs the most alcoholic punch of the eight available varieties. For cocktails, Peach recommends using Le Tourment Vert for its mild flavor, while the Obsello is a smooth drinking favorite for first-timers.

While absinthe may not be a “miracle cure-all,” (as it was touted in the 1700’s), it may inspire delicious thoughts and in some cases wild creative streaks (it was the bevvie of Bohemian choice for Edouard Manet, Degas and Oscar Wilde). Regardless, it’s a fascinating spirit and perfect post-meal digestif.