The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the Worlds Most Dangerous Spirit

(Paperback)

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Now in paperback- an astonishing true crime story about an eccentric grifter who blew up the lucrative black market for vintage bottles of the legendary drink of artistic renegades, absinthe . . . Now in paperback- an astonishing true crime story about an eccentric grifter who blew up the lucrative black market for vintage bottles of the legendary drink of artistic renegades, absinthe . . . Thought to be hallucinogenic and banned globally for a century, absinthe is once again legal and popular. Yet it is still associated with bohemian lifestyles, just as when it was the favorite drink of avant-gardists like Toulouse-Lautrec and Van Gogh and Baudelaire. And today, when vintage, pre-ban bottles are discovered, they can sell for exorbitant prices to private collectors. But such discoveries are increasingly rare. Which is why the absinthe demimonde of rich collectors was electrified when a mysterious bon vivant claimed to be in possession of a collection of precious, pre-ban bottles. Is his secret tranche of 100-year-old bottles real And just who is the shadowy person selling them And what about rumors of another secret cache, hidden away in an Italian palazzo Journalist Evan Rail sets out to discover the truth about the enigmatic dealer and the secret stashes. Along the way, he drinks with absintheurs frantically chasing down the pre-bans, visits modern distillers who have seen their status rise from criminal bootleggers to sought-after celebrities, and relates the legendary history of absinthe, from its birth in Switzerland through its coming of age in France, and on to its modern revival.

Reviews

"Along with the promised detective story, a lively stand-alone seminar on temptation as well as the culture and history of the much-maligned liquor and its reputation for causing madness and murder." - The New York Times

Evan Rail is one of the worlds most celebrated absinthe raconteurs. The study of pre-ban absinthe is his metier, and in the case of his forthcoming book, The Absinthe Forger, Evan reveals this swindle as only the best gumshoes can: by knowing their quarry from the inside out. - Warren Bobrow, absintheur/cannabis alchemist

"Evan Rail follows the trail of a clever and creative fraudster in TheAbsintheForger, an engrossing true crime story. . . . TheAbsintheForger is the bracing true story of a much-maligned spirit and the counterfeiter who turned its mythic status to his own ends." - STARRED review in Foreword Reviews

The cultural history ofabsinthe, via an audacious contemporary fraud. . . . An entertaining survey of spirits culture past and present. - Kirkus

"Aficionados of pastis, ouzo, modernabsinthe, and other such libations will learn a lot hereabout the ancestral archetype of contemporary anise-flavored drinks." - Booklist

Ive been reading Evan Rails dispatches from Central Europe for years. He possesses a wide-ranging intellect, deep knowledge of the region and a storytellers gift for unrolling a complicated tale in a way that keeps the reader hanging on every word. He also knows more than a few things about spirits I look to him to keep me in the know about Europes fast-changing distilling culture. To me, the idea of an Evan Rail book on absinthe and an absinthe forger, at that is a slam dunk. Its a great story, but more importantly, its an opportunity for Evan to relate a rich and compelling history about a still- mysterious spirit. - Clay Risen, NYT staff writer and author of Bourbon: The Story of Kentucky Whiskey

Evan Rail is a most exotic rarity in the overpopulated world of food, drink, and travel writers: an unimpeachable authority on his subject who is also a consummate raconteur. A natural-born obsessive (Ive never known a more contagiously joyous one), Rail has a nose for story equaled only by his nose for strong spirits and with this tale, hoo boy, hes found both in spades. Id read pretty much anything under his byline, but this is clearly the book he was born to write. I cant wait to get my hands on it. - David McAninch, author of Duck Season: Eating, Drinking, and Other Misadventures in Gascony, Frances Last Best Place

Author Bio

Evan Rail writes about food, drink, and travel for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Conde Nast Traveler, Saveur, and others. His monthly "Free Pour" column at the popular site VinePair has been nominated for the International Association of Culinary Professionals Awards. Rail has appeared on numerous television programs, most notably showing Anthony Bourdain around the world of Czech food and drink on the television show "No Reservations."