Has anyone ever brought back absinthe from Spain? I always buy a bottle while I'm there, but I've never had the guts to try to bring a bottle back. I've heard it's illegal. Does anyone have any info on this?

Winston

Hi Winston,

Have you searched the board?. In the topic Customs: What I can and can´t bring home Madridman gave a link with information stating that absinthe can't be taken back home.

You'll find also information about absinthe in the Where to drink absinthe in Madrid or Andalucia topic.

Not that I did, of course, but I have a friend who brought a bottle back and walked right through customs. My understanding is that absinthe is actually legal in the U.S. for cooking purposes, essentially small quantities, which is why some sites actually can sell you a bottle here. That said, you are probably taking chances by doing so nowadays. The friend brought it back pre-9/11, by the way. Honestly you'll probably enjoy your purchases more by just bringing some good wines, since you won't have to stress out about smuggling it back in. OR you could pay the $35-$50 per bottle I've seen it advertised for here...

I brought back a bottle pre9/11 and I had no problems. I bet you could get by just claiming it as a bottle of alcohol and then if they tell you that it is illegal in the US just say that you didn´t know. Absinthe is sort of rare. A good drink to make with it, I found, is Absinthe and Coca-cola.

Absinthe with Coca Cola? I thought that it was only to be drunk after spooning in a flaming sugar cube. Perhaps different countries have seperate ways to enjoy this potent potable . My only experience with it come from the Czech Republic where the sugar cube method seemed the norm.

Since this is the ALL SPAIN Meassage Board, I should suggest trying it with Spain's very own Casera in order to keep our benevolent moderator happy.