Twin Tec Absinthe 'Biker Medicine'

Adapted from a 1889 recipe, this absinthe was created by Oliver Matter for the Harley davidson Twin Tec team. It maintains the backbone structure of wormwood, fennel and aniseed from the original recipe but the Angelica has given way to mint and the color comes from a fine pontica and a strong hyssop.

Oliver Matter tells the Twin Tec story: The Stuff a Biker's Dream is Made of! "It all happened in the Berne Arena one January night last year. Our hockey team was losing 1:6 in the second third. Their poor performance gave Lawrence and me the blues and we just couldn't help but avert our smarting eyes from the game and start talking about the really essential things in life: Lawrence about Harley Davidson bikes and I about absinthe. One word led to another till inevitably the great idea was born. Lawrence wanted his own custom made Twin Tec absinthe and I had my work cut out for me. Whoever is familiar with the Twin Tec team's superb Harley Davidson customizing knows those guys are down home pros who wouldn't settle for an imperfect job. I knew right away, this absinthe would have to combine the smooth but dominant silhouette and the powerful, sonorous bubble of a Harley engine on its way in, with the long lingering and slowly fading thunder of an open Twin Tec Harley on a lonesome country road on its way down. So I browsed through my books and finally I hit upon a recipe from 1889, which I considered just right. I kept the backbone structure of wormwood, fennel and aniseed, but I played around with the spices a bit. Angelica had to give way to a pinch of mint and the color came from a fine pontica and a strong hyssop. Time was short and a few tests in the carboy was all I had to create a rough balance of those herbs. And then came the day to distill the first Twin Tec absinthe. Of course Lawrence rolled it all into a big event and invited his biker friends. They had to make up their minds really fast though, for the 30 seats were booked in no time. We started the distilling process punctually and the smell of fresh herbs was wonderful. Our guests seemed to enjoy themselves, busily tasting the various fractions and smelling the herbal samples. Two weeks later the absinthe was - colored, bottled and beautifully labeled - ready for distribution. The bottles were gone in no time and the response was so good that we produced another load and then went into production with a few adaptations. Whether or not we have managed to imbue this absinthe with the charm of a Harley Davidson, I can't tell. But so far the critical response has been very positive indeed - and not just the bikers!"