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The Absinthe Forger
A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit
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Brief Description
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...
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The Absinthe Forger
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Description
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 favourite drink of avant-gardists like Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, and Baudelaire. 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 rumours 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.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781685892241
Publisher: Melville House Publishing
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 23 September 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Melville House Publishing
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 140.0mm
Height: 209.0mm
Weight: 329g
Pages: 368
About the Author
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."
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