The Absinthe Forger - by Evan Rail

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"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

"An absorbing tale of obsession and chicanery." -- The Wall Street Journal

"A well researched exploration of worlds unknown--including online absinthe communities, secretive worlds of distillers, an online bitcoin ransom and how counterfeit profits may be lavished on purchasing antique classic cars." -- Forbes

"I've been reading Evan Rail's dispatches from Central Europe for years. He possesses a wide-ranging intellect, deep knowledge of the region and a storyteller's 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 Europe's 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. It's a great story, but more importantly, it's 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 one of the world's most celebrated absinthe raconteurs. The study of pre-ban absinthe is his métier, 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 The Absinthe Forger, an engrossing true crime story. . . . The Absinthe Forger 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 of absinthe, via an audacious contemporary fraud. . . . An entertaining survey of spirits culture past and present." -- Kirkus

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

"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 (I've 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, he's found both in spades. I'd read pretty much anything under his byline, but this is clearly the book he was born to write. I can't wait to get my hands on it." - David McAninch, author of Duck Season: Eating, Drinking, and Other Misadventures in Gascony, France's Last Best Place

About the Author

Evan Rail writes about food, drink, and travel for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Condé 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."