Mata Hari Absinthe: The First Czech-Bohemian Absinthe on U.S. Market
Mata Hari, the Dutch exotic dancer that inspired the absinthe brand.
Around 18 months after Lucid entered the U.S. market—the first legally available absinthe in 95 years—more than a dozen additional brands have hit American liquor stores, with plenty on the way. This summer, the first so-called "Bohemian," or Czech-style absinthe entered the market: Absinthe Mata Hari, manufactured in Austria.
French-Swiss Vs. Czech-Bohemian Absinthes
The distinction between French-Swiss and Czech-Bohemian styles has been a contentious topic among absinthe manufacturers, marketers, and enthusiasts in recent years. The French-Swiss style is typically an anise-flavored spirit made with other ingredients that add herbal complexity and a light bitterness. This was what van Gogh, Toulouse-Lautrec and other regular faces in absinthe advertising drank. It's also the kind used in 19th century cocktails like the Sazerac.
While Absinthe Mata Hari lists 1881 on its label, the Czech-Bohemian style didn’t really enter the scene until the 1990s, with many brands boasting or implying psychotropic properties. This style became popular at European bar and typically involves elaborate rituals with flaming sugar cubes. The Czech-Bohemian style usually tastes more bitter, with little or no anise flavor.
Almost all absinthe currently available in the U.S. is made in the French-Swiss anise-forward tradition. But absinthe Mata Hari is an exception: a vivid emerald green in the glass, the spirit smells of menthol and cinnamon, with a vegetal base note. The flavor is where Mata Hari really separates from the pack: instead of the elaborate, herbaceous complexity of mint, fennel and anise found in the French-Swiss style absinthe, Mata Hari has primary notes of a medicinal mint and cinnamon mix, crossed with a sharp underlying bitterness that quickly fades.
The Better Absinthe?
I’m a big fan of the French-Swiss style and admit: I expected to dislike Absinthe Mata Hari. I didn’t, but that shouldn’t be taken as an endorsement. Putting the anise question aside for a moment, the spirit simply lacks complexity. It's not bad, but the flavor isn't engaging. Interesting and different, yes. But something I want in my mouth again? Not really. It’s a high-proof spirit (60 percent ABV) with a ho-hum medicinal aroma and flavor.
The Anise Question
Absinthe Mata Hari is marketed as "a mixable absinthe," which brings us back to the anise question. In a well-made Sazerac with an absinthe rinse, the anise is a major component of the drink—an intense aromatic that rises in the glass, creating an inviting, toothsome drink.
Every classic absinthe-containing cocktail has this anise-forward flavor in mind. Certainly, you could mix a Sazerac with Absinthe Mata Hari or any other Czech-Bohemian style absinthe, but it won’t taste like the intended drink should. Not necessarily bad, the drink will likely just taste boring.
Absinthe Mata Hari is employing one of the best thought-out marketing programs on the market. Unfortunately, the quality of the marketing is vastly superior to the product in the bottle.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
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12 Comments:
I remember liking this while visiting the Czech Republic.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becherovka
Its not absinthe but it has a spicy, herbal flavor.
bobbob at 5:07PM on 08/20/08
I loved Becherovka when in the Czech lands too. My friend nicknamed it "a shot of Christmas."
Erin Zimmer at 5:10PM on 08/20/08
Can you be allergic to absinthe?
gillsnthrills at 5:25PM on 08/20/08
Do either of these new absinthes contain wormwood???
Pointy at 6:22PM on 08/20/08
@bobbob & erin - You're right, Becherovka is lovely stuff.
@gillsnthrills - I'm not sure, though I do have a friend who reports having had some sort of reaction after drinking one of the current American absinthes on the market. Nothing serious, but still, I suppose you could have a reaction to one of the herbs.
@Pointy - all of the absinthes contain grande wormwood.
Paul Clarke at 6:29PM on 08/20/08
I think it's time we banned use of the word "toothsome."
DanielJ at 8:03PM on 08/20/08
I'm curious about the "psychotrophic" aspects of the different types of absinthe - does it have something to do with the wormwood?
ameliep at 9:43PM on 08/20/08
@Erin I love this: "a shot of Christmas."
bobbob at 9:13AM on 08/21/08
Ok, as a Czech (born and semi-raised) i feel like i need to step in here.
Absinthe as it was drunk in Czechoslovakia (before the current touristy Disney-fication of Prague) was what is described above as the French-Swiss style. Definitely anise-y. What was developed and popularized in the 1990's TO SELL TO YOUNG DRUNK TOURISTS was the "Czech-Bohemian" style -- basically a cheap lousy imitation of the real thing that can be hawked to foolish tourists with fat wallets, along with the new nonsense rituals of sugar cubes. The way i always remembered my family members drinking absinthe was with a large ice cube (no sugar), and as the ice melts it turns the green absithe a slightly opaque milky color.
In any case, i'd like to point out that as far as i'm concerned (all based on personal knowledge and history and not researched at all, admittedly), there are two types of absinthe:
- the original, classic style (originally made with wormwood, but no longer)
- the new, touristy version (never made with wormwood)
I'm happy to break it down as classic/modern rather than French/Czech. Thank you. :)
(and yes, supposedly wormwood is what induces the "psycotrophic effects", but since that's been outlawed everywhere for some years now, you won't find it)
mh330 at 11:27AM on 08/21/08
Czechsinthe = crapsinthe.
AVOID.
Garvey at 10:12AM on 08/22/08
Paul: just want to clarify a couple of facts in your article. (and folks, I handle Mata Hari marketing in the U.S. so please recognize that I have a commercial interest)
Absinthe was just "legalized" (actually there's more to it than not, and if your readers are interested in the details, check out www.wormwoodsociety.org for the full story) in Oct. of 2007. So with Lucid opening the market, Absinthe has only been commercially available for about 10 months.
There's a big difference between Czech (aka Czechsinthe, Crapsinthe) Absinthes and Bohemian Style. The latter refers to the flavor profile, not the geographic origin. Obviously it's confusing because Bohemia is really a geographic region in the Western Czech Republic. Mata Hari is Bohemian style made in Vienna Austria, not the Czech Republic, and by a master distiller whose family has been in the business since 1875. The particular recipe for what we've branded as Mata Hari, actually dates back to 1881 (I've physically seen it...Gerry Fischer keeps it in a safe in his great grandfather's office on Wilhelmstrasse). Back then it was sold as Fischer Absinthe (products weren't branded per se, they carried the manufacturer's name, just like Pernod was made by Mr. Pernod.)
Absinthe Mata Hari in the US does not advocate the use of what's known commonly as the fire ritual. This service style is usually associated with Czechsinthe's, but as I've already said, Absinthe Mata Hari isn't one.
Regarding mixability, I think it's important to note that while the maker of Mata Hari also makes a traditional French style product, we decided to bring in the Bohemian style because it's what sells the best in Europe where Absinthe has been legal for a few years. Consumers have basically voted and said they liked the concept of Absinthe, but prefer to tone down the licorice, and drink it mixed into more contemporary drinks as opposed to classics.
Lastly,when it comes to reviews, I'm a big believer in the most important one...yours! Taste it and evaluate it yourself. (But if you want to read what Paul Pacult and Robert Plotkin had to say, you can check out their reviews at the Mata Hari website.
Steveraye at 6:13PM on 09/02/08
I've tasted Mata Hari, and many other absinthes - I prefer Mata Hari because it doesn't have the real heavy black licore flavor - in fact I made a really great Hemingway with it - shot of chilled Mata hari in a champagne glass topped with Martini & Rossi Asti!!!
grin85 at 2:42PM on 09/09/08