Absinthe has quite the reputation, and is one of the most notorious drinks in modern human history. It was originally in the 1840s that the drink achieved popularity. It became a recognizable symbol of the demimonde: Van Gogh painted it, Rimbaud wrote about it, Oscar Wilde quipped about it ("After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second glass, you see things as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world."), and Hemingway created his own version, called "Death in the Afternoon" (pour chilled champagne over an ounce of absinthe, drink and repeat process three to five times) . It was also popular among France's upper and middle classes; cocktail hour was l'heure verte (the Green Hour).
However, in 1905, a Swiss peasant named Jean Lanfray went on a murderous rampage after drinking a minibar's worth of liquor, and newspapers referred to the crime as an "Absinthe Murder." As if to confirm the prognosis, an absinthe drinker in Geneva killed his wife with a hatchet. Tens of thousands of signatures were collected on petitions to ban the drink. In France, La Fée Verte (the Green Fairy, a common nickname for Absinthe) would soon be a memory until its revival in the 1990's. It was not until late in 2007 that Absinthe was once again legally produced and sold in the United States.

Please join Boneboybob and Doctor Gonzo on Saturday, March 29, 2008 for their next Meet and Greet, themed after L'Heure Verte of late 19th century Paris. B3 and the Doc have secured several varieties of Absinthe for your decadent pleasures, including several European varieties, as well as the very rare (and strong!) US blend. Doctor Gonzo will be preparing and serving Absinthe in the traditional manner (ice cold water dripped slowly over a sugar cube into absinthe), as well as the less conventional Hemingway Cocktail (chilled champagne poured slowly into a fluted glass already containing absinthe). We will, of course have the usual array of bubbly and other beverages for your imbibing pleasures as well.

As we have done in the past, if you wish to receive an invitation to the party, you must send us your invitation request via email, EVEN IF YOU HAVE BEEN TO A PARTY PREVIOUSLY!!! If you plan to bring a date, we will need that persons email address as well.

You will receive either a confirmation that you are on the guest list, or a request for more information if we don't recognize you. If you are new to our community, please introduce yourself and provide references from known providers or hobbyists so we can validate you. We will be creating a mailing list for future parties, but for now, we are continuing our "opt-in" tradition. If you want to come to our party, we are pleased to send you an invitation
All you need to do is request one by sending your email request to

[email protected]

HOW: THE ONLY VALID EMAIL ADDRESS FOR THE MARCH 29 PARTY IS: [email protected]

WHERE: The location will be a private residence in the Vegas area.

WHEN: The doors will open at 2pm, and Absinthe will be served beginning at 5pm, The Green Hour.

WHY: If you have to ask, you'll never understand!

We welcome those wishing to dress in the theme of late 19th century Paris. Think Goth! Think Moulin Rouge! Sacre Bleu! Voulez Vous???

AGAIN, THE EMAIL ADDRESS TO SEND YOUR INVITATION REQUEST - [email protected]

Deliciously Decadent, n'est ce pas?