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The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit
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.
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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 15, 2024
44 people are currently reading
762 people want to read
About the author
Evan Rail
14 books15 followersBorn and raised in Central California, Evan Rail studied at UC Davis and at NYU in Paris, where he received his MA. His writing appears in a number of publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Food & Wine and VinePair, where he has a monthly column. His essay Why Beer Matters, an Amazon Top 100 Bestseller, was followed by The Brewery in the Bohemian Forest, an award-winning memoir. His poems and translations have appeared in The New Republic, Zyzzyva, Poetry Review and The Times Literary Supplement (TLS), among other journals. He lives in Prague.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 9, 2024
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail is an engaging exploration of absinthe—its colorful history, its place in culture, and the mysterious world of collectors obsessed with rare pre-ban bottles. While the core of the book revolves around the investigation of a forger who played the system to deceive absinthe enthusiasts, Rail’s narrative takes readers much deeper into the lore of the spirit itself.
I came away from this book with a far richer understanding of absinthe than I had expected. The history of this once-banned drink is more fascinating than I could have imagined. Absinthe’s medicinal properties, its rise to popularity in late 19th-century France, its ties to bohemian culture, and the propaganda surrounding its criminalization are all explored with depth and nuance. The book dives into the intricacies of the absinthe community—a world I hadn’t known existed—where collectors obsess over rare bottles and seek out legendary pre-ban finds that fetch astronomical prices. The allure of absinthe, both as a cultural artifact and a subject of fascination, is vividly brought to life through Rail’s careful research.
The story of the forger himself is equally captivating. This individual managed to rise through the ranks of the absinthe-collecting community, weaving a web of deception that would ultimately unravel, resulting in his dramatic fall from grace. It’s a thrilling tale of fraud and obsession, with Rail’s detective-like approach to uncovering the truth behind the forgeries making for compelling reading.
Rail’s writing is engaging and descriptive, with well-crafted narratives that keep the reader hooked. That said, there were moments when the book felt a bit repetitive, and the timeline occasionally jumped around in a way that made parts of the book feel unnecessarily long. Despite this, the story remains fascinating and highly readable.
Mike Lenz’s narration of the audiobook was a good match for the story, keeping me engaged from start to finish. My only minor issue was with some of the French pronunciations, which occasionally felt slightly off. However, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
What stayed with me after finishing The Absinthe Forger was the lingering mystery of absinthe itself. While I learned a great deal about its history and cultural significance, I found myself wondering which bottle or brand of absinthe I should seek out to experience it firsthand. If anything, this book left me with a deep intrigue about absinthe, its complex past, and the ongoing obsession surrounding it.
Thanks to RBmedia for providing an advance reader's copy for review.
I came away from this book with a far richer understanding of absinthe than I had expected. The history of this once-banned drink is more fascinating than I could have imagined. Absinthe’s medicinal properties, its rise to popularity in late 19th-century France, its ties to bohemian culture, and the propaganda surrounding its criminalization are all explored with depth and nuance. The book dives into the intricacies of the absinthe community—a world I hadn’t known existed—where collectors obsess over rare bottles and seek out legendary pre-ban finds that fetch astronomical prices. The allure of absinthe, both as a cultural artifact and a subject of fascination, is vividly brought to life through Rail’s careful research.
The story of the forger himself is equally captivating. This individual managed to rise through the ranks of the absinthe-collecting community, weaving a web of deception that would ultimately unravel, resulting in his dramatic fall from grace. It’s a thrilling tale of fraud and obsession, with Rail’s detective-like approach to uncovering the truth behind the forgeries making for compelling reading.
Rail’s writing is engaging and descriptive, with well-crafted narratives that keep the reader hooked. That said, there were moments when the book felt a bit repetitive, and the timeline occasionally jumped around in a way that made parts of the book feel unnecessarily long. Despite this, the story remains fascinating and highly readable.
Mike Lenz’s narration of the audiobook was a good match for the story, keeping me engaged from start to finish. My only minor issue was with some of the French pronunciations, which occasionally felt slightly off. However, this didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book.
What stayed with me after finishing The Absinthe Forger was the lingering mystery of absinthe itself. While I learned a great deal about its history and cultural significance, I found myself wondering which bottle or brand of absinthe I should seek out to experience it firsthand. If anything, this book left me with a deep intrigue about absinthe, its complex past, and the ongoing obsession surrounding it.
Thanks to RBmedia for providing an advance reader's copy for review.
October 26, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley, Melville House Publishing/Melville House and Tantor Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.
April 21, 2025
Survey of the modern
Absinthe
culture through the vehicle of a fraudster passing off modern absinthe as +100-year old “finds”.
The Absinthe Drinker, 1876 by Jean Béraud.
My audiobook copy was about eight and a half hours in duration. A dead tree copy would be 368 pages. It had a US 2024 copyright.
Evan Rail is an expatriate American author and journalist. He is the author of nine books on travel, and food. This was the first book I’ve read by the author.
Mike Lenz was the narrator. He is experienced with having done more than 20 books, whilst specializing in non-fiction.
This was a popular-oriented: history, travel, food survey of the modern, international culture of Absinthiana and absintheurs . No particularly, deep knowledge of antique collecting, or of being a connoisseur of liquors was assumed.
Absinthe, AKA "The Green Fairie," was one of the symbols of the Belle Époque . Originally, all levels of Euro-society consumed it. However, it was artists and writers who made it famous, and later infamous, for its hallucinogenic reputation. Originally a medicinal elixir, absinthe gained popularity with the rise of the bourgeoisie in early 20th century French cafés and spread throughout Europe. Absinthe and its accoutrements, became an integral part of the café lifestyle. Its association with: mental health issues, alcoholism, criminal behavior, and general societal decline led to its 1915 ban in France and in other progressive western countries. For almost a century the drink remained controversial and illegal in the west. In Europe, bootlegging it was common. A resurgence in interest and a modern, scientific, re-evaluation of its safety led to legalization in the European Union in 1988 and in the United States in 2007.
With legalization, absinthe appeared on liquor store shelves. An “absinthe subculture” developed. They specialized in: historical research, collecting absinth-related antiques (absinthiana); tasting and reviewing modern absinthes; home-distilling absinthe from 100-year-old recipes, and collecting and tasting, rare pre-ban, surviving bottles of absinthe. A lively, international, internet-based, community of absinthe connoisseurs (absintheurs) grew-up. They bought and sold absinthe and absinthe antiques amongst each other and the outside world.
Amongst the most sought after and valuable items were unopened, pre-ban (~1915 and earlier) bottles of absinthe from obscure or famous distillers. These bottles were typically found, forgotten, in the wine cellars of old buildings. They could sell for many thousands of Euros. Fraud in these sales was unknown, until a rogue absintheur began concocting, blends of modern absinthe to taste like "pre-bans". They sold it in antique, empty, absinthe bottles disguised to look unopened for 100-years or more.
Rail’s story is a journalistic detective story. It’s about: modern absinthe, tracking down a fraudster, and how an upstanding and respected member of the absinthe community, and authoritative, absintheur betrayed his close friends and colleagues. That rogue absintheur, ruined the whole absinthe community, and crashed the market for pre-bans; high-end drinking culture (like vintage wines) relying on trust and social currency. Only just recently has the science for detecting fraudulent wines and distilled alcoholic beverages been developed. (Its still very rare and expensive.)
Along the way, Rail significantly digresses to describe his travels in: the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the UK, and all the folks he met with. He also tells his life story as an expat American, freelance, food and travel journo living and working in Europe.
The Review
I put this book in my TBR after reading a newspaper review, because it related to my interest in the Belle Époque. Also, because I had vivid memories of first consuming the Bohemian-style absinth described in that article whilst in Prague the ‘90’s. I believe I still have a smuggled bottle in the back of my liquor cabinet?
I’ve listened to books narrated by Lenz’s in the past. His narration was good for the English parts of the story. However, Rail being multi-lingual, included a lot of foreign language quotations, some of them rather long. Lenz’s French was the worst. A tri-lingual, narrator with French/German/English facility would have been a better choice.
Rail’s prose was good, but uneven. It was in the colloquial style of a popular journo and was easy to listen to. However, it rambled. The book could have been much shorter, without his personal, and professional life story, his expertise on food and drink, the minutia of European travel by plane and rail, and gossipy descriptions of the peculiar folks in the now defunct underground absinthe community.
The paper version of the book includes a Notes unavailable with the audiobook.
The organization of the book was chronological. It was a book about, a non-investigative, journo, sleuthing about to write a book. I came to feel that Rail had 200-pages that were directly related to modern absinthe, the fraud, and the collapse of community of connoisseurs and collectors. He padded that to 350+-pages, with peripheral observations and personal history. Some of the padding was interesting, but not all.
For example, that Rail learned how to speak French whilst working in Paris grocery store on a wanderjahr before attending NYU in Paris, was interesting, but peripheral. Except maybe to Lenz who had to quote long passages in French?
The core thesis, on: focused, collector, on-line, communities was solid. He compares absinthe to the more popular and developed high-end wine market which engages enthusiasts and collectors. High-end wine is likewise periodically wracked with fraud involving vintage forgeries with felony-level consequences.
Rails description was very real to me. I’ve been a member of more than one specialist, on-line community. Some of which could involve buying and selling between experts and novices. “Trust” and reputation are everything. However, you should always pay to use PayPal . “Trust, but verify” to quote Rail, re-quoting the Russian proverb.
However, I don’t know why he didn’t hire a internet, investigative service or a researcher familiar with on-line search techniques to more quickly find the fraudster, who had gone dark?
Summary
This was a readable cultural history, on an obscure liquor with historical and modern context. The prohibition, going underground, and eventual legalization was similar in pattern to that of marijuana in the west.
It describes the return of the liquor of legendary aesthetes to modern times, and its backstory. Rail goes into detail on how and where its made, and the regional variations. He augers into the rituals of consuming it and its effects. Finally, he describes how a community focused on absinthe was ruptured through its first fraud. He analogizes it with modern, high-stakes wine frauds that periodically occur.
I thought Rail did a good job on the history of absinthe and its modern revival. However, a more direct story that that was less about the author, and more about modern absinthe culture, its enthusiasts, and collectors would have been a better book.
The Absinthe Drinker, 1876 by Jean Béraud.
My audiobook copy was about eight and a half hours in duration. A dead tree copy would be 368 pages. It had a US 2024 copyright.
Evan Rail is an expatriate American author and journalist. He is the author of nine books on travel, and food. This was the first book I’ve read by the author.
Mike Lenz was the narrator. He is experienced with having done more than 20 books, whilst specializing in non-fiction.
This was a popular-oriented: history, travel, food survey of the modern, international culture of Absinthiana and absintheurs . No particularly, deep knowledge of antique collecting, or of being a connoisseur of liquors was assumed.
"After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see things as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are."—Oscar WildeTL;DR
Absinthe, AKA "The Green Fairie," was one of the symbols of the Belle Époque . Originally, all levels of Euro-society consumed it. However, it was artists and writers who made it famous, and later infamous, for its hallucinogenic reputation. Originally a medicinal elixir, absinthe gained popularity with the rise of the bourgeoisie in early 20th century French cafés and spread throughout Europe. Absinthe and its accoutrements, became an integral part of the café lifestyle. Its association with: mental health issues, alcoholism, criminal behavior, and general societal decline led to its 1915 ban in France and in other progressive western countries. For almost a century the drink remained controversial and illegal in the west. In Europe, bootlegging it was common. A resurgence in interest and a modern, scientific, re-evaluation of its safety led to legalization in the European Union in 1988 and in the United States in 2007.
With legalization, absinthe appeared on liquor store shelves. An “absinthe subculture” developed. They specialized in: historical research, collecting absinth-related antiques (absinthiana); tasting and reviewing modern absinthes; home-distilling absinthe from 100-year-old recipes, and collecting and tasting, rare pre-ban, surviving bottles of absinthe. A lively, international, internet-based, community of absinthe connoisseurs (absintheurs) grew-up. They bought and sold absinthe and absinthe antiques amongst each other and the outside world.
Amongst the most sought after and valuable items were unopened, pre-ban (~1915 and earlier) bottles of absinthe from obscure or famous distillers. These bottles were typically found, forgotten, in the wine cellars of old buildings. They could sell for many thousands of Euros. Fraud in these sales was unknown, until a rogue absintheur began concocting, blends of modern absinthe to taste like "pre-bans". They sold it in antique, empty, absinthe bottles disguised to look unopened for 100-years or more.
Rail’s story is a journalistic detective story. It’s about: modern absinthe, tracking down a fraudster, and how an upstanding and respected member of the absinthe community, and authoritative, absintheur betrayed his close friends and colleagues. That rogue absintheur, ruined the whole absinthe community, and crashed the market for pre-bans; high-end drinking culture (like vintage wines) relying on trust and social currency. Only just recently has the science for detecting fraudulent wines and distilled alcoholic beverages been developed. (Its still very rare and expensive.)
Along the way, Rail significantly digresses to describe his travels in: the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany, and the UK, and all the folks he met with. He also tells his life story as an expat American, freelance, food and travel journo living and working in Europe.
The Review
I put this book in my TBR after reading a newspaper review, because it related to my interest in the Belle Époque. Also, because I had vivid memories of first consuming the Bohemian-style absinth described in that article whilst in Prague the ‘90’s. I believe I still have a smuggled bottle in the back of my liquor cabinet?
I’ve listened to books narrated by Lenz’s in the past. His narration was good for the English parts of the story. However, Rail being multi-lingual, included a lot of foreign language quotations, some of them rather long. Lenz’s French was the worst. A tri-lingual, narrator with French/German/English facility would have been a better choice.
Rail’s prose was good, but uneven. It was in the colloquial style of a popular journo and was easy to listen to. However, it rambled. The book could have been much shorter, without his personal, and professional life story, his expertise on food and drink, the minutia of European travel by plane and rail, and gossipy descriptions of the peculiar folks in the now defunct underground absinthe community.
The paper version of the book includes a Notes unavailable with the audiobook.
The organization of the book was chronological. It was a book about, a non-investigative, journo, sleuthing about to write a book. I came to feel that Rail had 200-pages that were directly related to modern absinthe, the fraud, and the collapse of community of connoisseurs and collectors. He padded that to 350+-pages, with peripheral observations and personal history. Some of the padding was interesting, but not all.
For example, that Rail learned how to speak French whilst working in Paris grocery store on a wanderjahr before attending NYU in Paris, was interesting, but peripheral. Except maybe to Lenz who had to quote long passages in French?
The core thesis, on: focused, collector, on-line, communities was solid. He compares absinthe to the more popular and developed high-end wine market which engages enthusiasts and collectors. High-end wine is likewise periodically wracked with fraud involving vintage forgeries with felony-level consequences.
Rails description was very real to me. I’ve been a member of more than one specialist, on-line community. Some of which could involve buying and selling between experts and novices. “Trust” and reputation are everything. However, you should always pay to use PayPal . “Trust, but verify” to quote Rail, re-quoting the Russian proverb.
However, I don’t know why he didn’t hire a internet, investigative service or a researcher familiar with on-line search techniques to more quickly find the fraudster, who had gone dark?
Summary
This was a readable cultural history, on an obscure liquor with historical and modern context. The prohibition, going underground, and eventual legalization was similar in pattern to that of marijuana in the west.
It describes the return of the liquor of legendary aesthetes to modern times, and its backstory. Rail goes into detail on how and where its made, and the regional variations. He augers into the rituals of consuming it and its effects. Finally, he describes how a community focused on absinthe was ruptured through its first fraud. He analogizes it with modern, high-stakes wine frauds that periodically occur.
I thought Rail did a good job on the history of absinthe and its modern revival. However, a more direct story that that was less about the author, and more about modern absinthe culture, its enthusiasts, and collectors would have been a better book.
November 16, 2024
3.5 stars ⭐️
How one man fooled many by creating ‘old’ bottles of the forbidden drink.
How one man fooled many by creating ‘old’ bottles of the forbidden drink.
dnf
December 7, 2024DNF at about 24%. Aside from the first chapter, we haven't discussed a single thing about the absinthe forging. Rail is providing us with a mix of varied assortment of historical absinthe facts and of his snobbish life history of travelling, drinking, and writing. I just didn't care!
July 24, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!
Please note this is a 4.5.
This was a really good read, and fascinating from the perspective of someone who has only the faintest of romantic notions about absinthe (mostly from a juvenile love of Oscar Wilde) and wanted it to be her first drink simply for those romantic notions. I had no idea about the history of the drink, and the fact that there was so much tied into prohibition, bans, propaganda, misplaced blame, and, of course, a roaring black market trade.
Rail does this part of the novel really well - setting up a story of a forgery that crossed country borders and affected the absinthe collectors market in a deep and scarring fashion. The book is definitely well-written as a travel novel, with a lot of work that has gone into speaking to the affected parties in the recent forgery, learning the circumstances of those affected by the original ban and why and how things went the way they did, and so much more. This book was beautifully written, and the descriptions of the absinthe too were like a fantastic food and wine guide. It even induced me to go out and get myself a bottle of a slightly more interesting brand than Green Fairy!
I will say that the end of this was not quite as good as the rest of the book- I did think that it was unfulfilling, but I also understand that is part of the point of it, but I think it just could have been done a bit better. I would have loved to see a few more bits tied up at end of the novel, hence the 4.5 star rating. All in all, this is a really good read on a fascinating niche topic, and well worth a look!
Please note this is a 4.5.
This was a really good read, and fascinating from the perspective of someone who has only the faintest of romantic notions about absinthe (mostly from a juvenile love of Oscar Wilde) and wanted it to be her first drink simply for those romantic notions. I had no idea about the history of the drink, and the fact that there was so much tied into prohibition, bans, propaganda, misplaced blame, and, of course, a roaring black market trade.
Rail does this part of the novel really well - setting up a story of a forgery that crossed country borders and affected the absinthe collectors market in a deep and scarring fashion. The book is definitely well-written as a travel novel, with a lot of work that has gone into speaking to the affected parties in the recent forgery, learning the circumstances of those affected by the original ban and why and how things went the way they did, and so much more. This book was beautifully written, and the descriptions of the absinthe too were like a fantastic food and wine guide. It even induced me to go out and get myself a bottle of a slightly more interesting brand than Green Fairy!
I will say that the end of this was not quite as good as the rest of the book- I did think that it was unfulfilling, but I also understand that is part of the point of it, but I think it just could have been done a bit better. I would have loved to see a few more bits tied up at end of the novel, hence the 4.5 star rating. All in all, this is a really good read on a fascinating niche topic, and well worth a look!
December 31, 2024
I picked this up just to see if I would be interested in reading it and then I didn't put it down until it was finished.
There were some very short slow spots but overall this book was written so well and the beginning really drew me in.
There were some very short slow spots but overall this book was written so well and the beginning really drew me in.
October 21, 2024
Very readable account of a journalist's attempt to understand a series of faked historical absinthes. Touches on the history of the drink, the modern world of it, and the fascination with its heyday, though if you're reading it for the crime angle you will likely be a little disappointed.
January 28, 2025
ebook note: most of this book (98%) was the narrative + a photo section. A bit unusual for a nonfiction book!
CW:
An intriguing premise -- I usually enjoy these sorts of books, a combination of microhistory with a bit of crime thrown in -- but this one fell a little flat. I never really felt like the "deception" and "betrayal" were the primary focus of the book. Instead, the author gives the reader a general overview of historical absinthe and the modern Europeans who are making new versions, along with a lot of information about "pre-ban" absinthe (i.e., dating from before 1915) and the people who are obsessed with that. For a book that is nominally about other people, Rail injects himself into a lot of the narrative, mentioning his own interest and knowledge of absinthe repeatedly, and casually dropping to the reader that he already knew all these folks he's interviewing for his book. Oh, and he's cooler than you, too -- he makes a point of mentioning an old-fashioned camera in that more-hipster-than-thou way. It has nothing to do with the book, really, just that he took a photo of someone he was talking to with it at some absinthe convention.
Other annoyances: Rail gives us the full name of the forger in the beginning of the book, then exclusively refers to him by first name. Which is fine, except Rail makes a point, multiple times, of describing the forger's last name as being hyphenated in a way to make one assume he's posh and British. It was weird. There was also a chapter in which Rail speaks to a scientist, and there are several weird passages there; Rail writes about this scientist and practically caricatures him as a nerdy, borderline autistic person ("When I asked [to use the toilet], Jan nodded thoughtfully, as if he was realizing that this was something that should have been obvious to him...."). Then, near the end of the book, there's a section where Rail makes much of his unfamiliarity with LinkedIn, because of the "corporate-world careerism that I had always found nauseating.... " Which, okay, whatever, you're super cool and edgy and above the rest of the world, Evan, thank you for letting us mere plebs read your masterful ruminations on absinthe.
Worst of all, really, is that ultimately this story came across as a bunch of nothing. It's virtually all white European dudes getting up their own backsides about how awesome absinthe is and how awesome they are for spending money on absinthe. The deception and betrayal come across as basically an internet forum squabble. We learn almost nothing about how the people effected by the forger's con figured that out, or how they came together as a group to confront the forger. There was no tension to this story at any point.
I can definitely understand why several other reviewers below listed this as DNF. At least it was a pretty quick read.
CW:
An intriguing premise -- I usually enjoy these sorts of books, a combination of microhistory with a bit of crime thrown in -- but this one fell a little flat. I never really felt like the "deception" and "betrayal" were the primary focus of the book. Instead, the author gives the reader a general overview of historical absinthe and the modern Europeans who are making new versions, along with a lot of information about "pre-ban" absinthe (i.e., dating from before 1915) and the people who are obsessed with that. For a book that is nominally about other people, Rail injects himself into a lot of the narrative, mentioning his own interest and knowledge of absinthe repeatedly, and casually dropping to the reader that he already knew all these folks he's interviewing for his book. Oh, and he's cooler than you, too -- he makes a point of mentioning an old-fashioned camera in that more-hipster-than-thou way. It has nothing to do with the book, really, just that he took a photo of someone he was talking to with it at some absinthe convention.
Other annoyances: Rail gives us the full name of the forger in the beginning of the book, then exclusively refers to him by first name. Which is fine, except Rail makes a point, multiple times, of describing the forger's last name as being hyphenated in a way to make one assume he's posh and British. It was weird. There was also a chapter in which Rail speaks to a scientist, and there are several weird passages there; Rail writes about this scientist and practically caricatures him as a nerdy, borderline autistic person ("When I asked [to use the toilet], Jan nodded thoughtfully, as if he was realizing that this was something that should have been obvious to him...."). Then, near the end of the book, there's a section where Rail makes much of his unfamiliarity with LinkedIn, because of the "corporate-world careerism that I had always found nauseating.... " Which, okay, whatever, you're super cool and edgy and above the rest of the world, Evan, thank you for letting us mere plebs read your masterful ruminations on absinthe.
Worst of all, really, is that ultimately this story came across as a bunch of nothing. It's virtually all white European dudes getting up their own backsides about how awesome absinthe is and how awesome they are for spending money on absinthe. The deception and betrayal come across as basically an internet forum squabble. We learn almost nothing about how the people effected by the forger's con figured that out, or how they came together as a group to confront the forger. There was no tension to this story at any point.
I can definitely understand why several other reviewers below listed this as DNF. At least it was a pretty quick read.
March 9, 2025
DNF. How is this so boring? It’s about absinthe
October 17, 2024
If you are interested in the XIXth century artistic world you would have heard about the absynth. The great painters, poets, novelists, thinkers, etc, all spent their time in little cafes discussing pressing matters while sipping not a coffee, but the absynthe. I always wanted to try this type of drink but never had a chance, it wasn´t available in my home country and I was convinced it`s a drink local to France and maybe to some regions of Spain. I had no idea that it was simply banned worldwide! No wonder that this sensational title caught my interest.
So the story is simple. Absynth is a strong beverage with a minimum of 60% alcohol. Many people can´t handle that much alcohol and with increasing reports of undesirable behavior the solution to a problem seemed at the time simple: ban the drink. When authorities ban something whatever that is, people go underground. So the production and consumption continued, but without the possibility of openly sharing recipes, tips, and hints people had to experiment with the ways of making the absinthe. It`s especially hard when you realize that the ban was in place for over 100 years so there is no person alive who had tasted the pre-ban absynth. No one who knows what the production looked like. Now, that the ban has been lifted, some passionate individuals are trying to reconstruct the production process and make the absinth as close to the original version as possible.
While the modern absynth gains respect and popularity, there are people who collect the pre-ban absynth drinks and empty bottles. And just like everything that is limited absynth too is rare and expensive. And where is the money there are fraudsters.
Christian - a mysterious male of unknown origin deceived many people by selling to them what was supposed to be a pre-ban absinthe. This book is about Christian, or is it?
As much as I like the concept and the overall story, the construction of this book doesnt`t work. The book is way too chaotic and often repetitive. We jump from the history to the way of making the drink, to someone who lost money because of Christian, back to the recipe. We run in circles. What`s more, the story has no clear beginning, no outline, and with many digressions the reader must fish out the story himself. I appreciate the historical details, these were interesting, but this is not enough to make a solid nonfiction documentary.
So the story is simple. Absynth is a strong beverage with a minimum of 60% alcohol. Many people can´t handle that much alcohol and with increasing reports of undesirable behavior the solution to a problem seemed at the time simple: ban the drink. When authorities ban something whatever that is, people go underground. So the production and consumption continued, but without the possibility of openly sharing recipes, tips, and hints people had to experiment with the ways of making the absinthe. It`s especially hard when you realize that the ban was in place for over 100 years so there is no person alive who had tasted the pre-ban absynth. No one who knows what the production looked like. Now, that the ban has been lifted, some passionate individuals are trying to reconstruct the production process and make the absinth as close to the original version as possible.
While the modern absynth gains respect and popularity, there are people who collect the pre-ban absynth drinks and empty bottles. And just like everything that is limited absynth too is rare and expensive. And where is the money there are fraudsters.
Christian - a mysterious male of unknown origin deceived many people by selling to them what was supposed to be a pre-ban absinthe. This book is about Christian, or is it?
As much as I like the concept and the overall story, the construction of this book doesnt`t work. The book is way too chaotic and often repetitive. We jump from the history to the way of making the drink, to someone who lost money because of Christian, back to the recipe. We run in circles. What`s more, the story has no clear beginning, no outline, and with many digressions the reader must fish out the story himself. I appreciate the historical details, these were interesting, but this is not enough to make a solid nonfiction documentary.
April 6, 2025
Among all liquors, absinthe, a high-proof anised-flavored spirit known for its green hue, has a special mystique for its alleged mind-altering properities, its association with the art and literature of the 19th century, and a nearly century-long ban in many countries in Europe and America. However, one unscrupulous enthusiast took advantage of its cult following to swindle collectors out of thousands of dollars.
Last spring, in a small bar in Seattle, I was regaled by the story of how absinthe came to be banned. A Swiss farmer drank quite a lot of absinthe, murdered his wife and child, and died in jail several weeks later, and his lawyer was happy to blame it all on the corrupting influence of absinthe. Of course the several gallons of other kinds of alcohol he consumed that day probably had more to do with it.
Rail recounts this story in this book, alongside plenty more - it is just the launching point at which production of absinthe went underground, and the fascination with pre-ban absinthe would eventually kick off. I was fascinated by the sections in which Rail interviewed producers of absinthe, learning about their myriad approaches to the drink and why they enjoyed making it. And while I certainly don't have so discerning palate as Rail, I liked vicariously tasting new and old blends of absinthe through him.
However, the main focus of the book, the so-called absinthe forger, left me rather cold. Rail is persistent in his investigation, speaking to many who were drawn into the deception, but in the end there's no great mystery about the how or why, certainly not enough to sustain an entire book. The search for the forger and his victims might have worked better as just a a magazine article.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Last spring, in a small bar in Seattle, I was regaled by the story of how absinthe came to be banned. A Swiss farmer drank quite a lot of absinthe, murdered his wife and child, and died in jail several weeks later, and his lawyer was happy to blame it all on the corrupting influence of absinthe. Of course the several gallons of other kinds of alcohol he consumed that day probably had more to do with it.
Rail recounts this story in this book, alongside plenty more - it is just the launching point at which production of absinthe went underground, and the fascination with pre-ban absinthe would eventually kick off. I was fascinated by the sections in which Rail interviewed producers of absinthe, learning about their myriad approaches to the drink and why they enjoyed making it. And while I certainly don't have so discerning palate as Rail, I liked vicariously tasting new and old blends of absinthe through him.
However, the main focus of the book, the so-called absinthe forger, left me rather cold. Rail is persistent in his investigation, speaking to many who were drawn into the deception, but in the end there's no great mystery about the how or why, certainly not enough to sustain an entire book. The search for the forger and his victims might have worked better as just a a magazine article.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
March 4, 2025
This is a good book on the subject of absinthe. I learned that it started in Switzerland and not France. I learned what goes into the drink and that the poisonous wormwood is not that poisonous. It seemed to me that the high alcohol content was the biggest issue and that even the more toxic element - thujone, was perhaps not much more hazardous than the once reviled poinsettia. The sleuthing done and the explanation on the use of the gas chromatograph were very interesting to me because of my work with hazardous materials. For this I would have given it a 4-star rating.
The book is about a crime. The criminal is known. To only identify the criminal by his first name, Christian and not provide his last name or names is weak. Overall, if you want to know about absinthe and have a neat detective story, this is a great book. If you want to know "whodunnit" it falls far short of expectations.
The book is about a crime. The criminal is known. To only identify the criminal by his first name, Christian and not provide his last name or names is weak. Overall, if you want to know about absinthe and have a neat detective story, this is a great book. If you want to know "whodunnit" it falls far short of expectations.
March 6, 2025
This is structured more like a travel documentary than a story about an absinthe forager. There was a lot of great information about the history and origins of absinthe but many details of how the author got to each place for each interview, such as which class he booked for his train ride, were unnecessary.
December 2, 2024
This was a well-narrated and well-organized book. With a through line off the mechanics and psychology of a man who got caught forging “pre-ban” absinthe, as we’ll add the forensic examination that proved it incontrovertibly, we learn about the history and production of absinthe, the culture both lost and newly made, and the rise and fall of a close-knit community. Conveying a lot of ground in a relatively short read, there was no chapter where I didn’t learn something new. Recommended for the curious.
January 3, 2025
I'm not a fan of the Gonzo-Journalism-thing: where it's not a story about an absenthe forger, but instead is a story about a journalist researching an absenthe forger. Stylistically, that's narcissistic and lazy.
The subject is interesting and the author makes a good point that in the US there is a glamorous mythology around prohibition, but those stories are untapped around European absenthe prohibition.
The subject is interesting and the author makes a good point that in the US there is a glamorous mythology around prohibition, but those stories are untapped around European absenthe prohibition.
January 7, 2025
THE ABSINTHE FORGER by Evan Rail is certain to leave the reader frustrated as we learn little about a mysterious charlatan in the absinthe underground.
July 20, 2025
The Absinthe Forger is not only a delicious cocktail mixing obsessive connoisseurship and European history with a whodunnit, for me it’s a great example of the kind of fast-paced narrative non-fiction we need to see more of. And having had the pleasure of the author’s acquaintance, I can attest that the wonderful voice you get on the page is as genuine as some of the liquid in the bottles he writes about is fake. A must read for anyone with a drop of epicurean in their body.
November 22, 2024
I love reading nonfiction books about unique topics, and I thought this one would be perfect for me. And I actually learnt a lot about the absinthe from it. But not about "The Absinthe Forger".
I have to admit that the first half of the book was hard to read. First, we go through the author's backstory and connections in Absinthe's world, then there's a whole story about why this book was even written, and then the history of Absinthe. Some parts of it were interesting, and I enjoyed reading the absinthe's history since I didn't really know what exactly absinthe is (only that I saw it in this Prague tourist traps that the author hates), but a lot of it was just not needed here.
The author Evan Rail is a journalist who mostly writes about travels and foods, and you can clearly see it in this book. Especially in the second half of the book, where each chapter is more of a quick article on the topic of absinthe: "I went to this city, saw this person, drank with them that, ate that, they showed me their collection, we talked about absinthe and the forgeries". There's a lot of information being repeated or just unimportant to the story. I get the idea; the author wanted us to feel like we're uncovering this story with him. But it doesn't work for me.
This book is called The Absinthe Forger, and while there's some information about "Christian" and the way he scammed his supposed friends and absinthe connoisseurs from thousands of euros, most of it focuses on the abisnthe and its modern culture, not on "Christian". And that's not what I expected.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book.
I have to admit that the first half of the book was hard to read. First, we go through the author's backstory and connections in Absinthe's world, then there's a whole story about why this book was even written, and then the history of Absinthe. Some parts of it were interesting, and I enjoyed reading the absinthe's history since I didn't really know what exactly absinthe is (only that I saw it in this Prague tourist traps that the author hates), but a lot of it was just not needed here.
The author Evan Rail is a journalist who mostly writes about travels and foods, and you can clearly see it in this book. Especially in the second half of the book, where each chapter is more of a quick article on the topic of absinthe: "I went to this city, saw this person, drank with them that, ate that, they showed me their collection, we talked about absinthe and the forgeries". There's a lot of information being repeated or just unimportant to the story. I get the idea; the author wanted us to feel like we're uncovering this story with him. But it doesn't work for me.
This book is called The Absinthe Forger, and while there's some information about "Christian" and the way he scammed his supposed friends and absinthe connoisseurs from thousands of euros, most of it focuses on the abisnthe and its modern culture, not on "Christian". And that's not what I expected.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book.
August 29, 2024
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Melville House Publishing for an advance copy of this book that looks at the most fabled of alcoholic drinks, used by writers and artists to open their minds, and the criminal mind that destroyed the trust and a few wallets of its modern devotees.
In the parlance of social media, I am a lurker. For all of my interests, I don't belong to anything online, even really off-line. I've gone to a few conventions for comics, and science fiction, but my shyness and self-esteem, really anyone that would have me in a club is not a club I would want to be a part of, keeps me on the boundaries, rather than an active member. As a lurker I see a lot of groups start, slowly engage others, maybe even start a movement. Than fall apart, either from the next big thing, petty arguments, or in worst cases a lack of trust. People start trolling, words are said, things fall apart. Sometimes thought these groups get ugly, accusations of real crimes, transactions not going through, items not being what listed. Even calls of fakery. This happened to one group devoted to the love of both a drink and a lifestyle that it represented. One that was banned by countries for being poisonous to the body, these believers became poisoned by one grifter who ruined things for a lot of people. And journalist Evan Rail set out to find why. The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit is a look at a series of crimes among fans of an spirit, once banned for the elation it caused, a history of a lifestyle and a drink, and the motivations of both fans, and people who love to fool others.
Absinthe was a drink that made artists see the world differently, helped authors find words, and get many people through their day. A drink with rituals for enjoyment, and one with a taste that ranged over regions and countries. Until countries decided to ban it. By the start of the 21st century, a drink popular at the fin-de-siècle of the 19th was making a comeback. Distilleries were legally making the drink, banned almost 90 years before, antiques of the era were suddenly in demand, and absinthe bars and clubs were beginning to fill with people who wanted to share in something. A secondary market also opened in pre-banned bottles of the drink, found in old wine cellars, houses, and other places. This bottles were drunk among friends, or kept to be enjoyed by the owners. This market seemed to have a finite term. How many bottles from over 100 years could keep appearing? One man seemed to have a nose for finding them. Christian was considered by many to know his stuff, a long time collector with an ability to find, and sell absinthe that no one else had. A power in the community so strong that no one really questioned his ability to find these treasures, even as cracks started to appear in the corks he used to bolster his story.
Evan Rail is a freelance journalist based in Europe who knows the world of spirits, and some of the people involved. As Rail came aware of something going on in the absinthe community, Rail began to investigate the world of absinthe in general, traveling around Europe, trying to find out why a person would counterfeit a drink, how one would go about it, and what draws so many people to the world of absinthe. The book is fascinating, dealing with history, distilling, botany, gas spectrographs, and the collector mind. Plus a bit on European trains. Rail is a very good writer, and a persistent writer trying to get to the heart of this conspiracy, who know what, and why so many people allowed themselves to be duped, and what does a person get out of duping others. While the detective work is interesting, the history was what I liked most, stories of bootleggers, falsifying tests on the dangers of absinthe back in the day. And of course the characters, who Rail does a very good job of profiling.
A book for true crime people, as well as people who have an interest in spirits, good journalism an very good writing. Rail is honest about himself, his writing, and the compromises one makes for a story, which I found enlightening. A surprising book that taught me a lot more than I knew, and I think I might have something new to lurk on the Internet about.
In the parlance of social media, I am a lurker. For all of my interests, I don't belong to anything online, even really off-line. I've gone to a few conventions for comics, and science fiction, but my shyness and self-esteem, really anyone that would have me in a club is not a club I would want to be a part of, keeps me on the boundaries, rather than an active member. As a lurker I see a lot of groups start, slowly engage others, maybe even start a movement. Than fall apart, either from the next big thing, petty arguments, or in worst cases a lack of trust. People start trolling, words are said, things fall apart. Sometimes thought these groups get ugly, accusations of real crimes, transactions not going through, items not being what listed. Even calls of fakery. This happened to one group devoted to the love of both a drink and a lifestyle that it represented. One that was banned by countries for being poisonous to the body, these believers became poisoned by one grifter who ruined things for a lot of people. And journalist Evan Rail set out to find why. The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit is a look at a series of crimes among fans of an spirit, once banned for the elation it caused, a history of a lifestyle and a drink, and the motivations of both fans, and people who love to fool others.
Absinthe was a drink that made artists see the world differently, helped authors find words, and get many people through their day. A drink with rituals for enjoyment, and one with a taste that ranged over regions and countries. Until countries decided to ban it. By the start of the 21st century, a drink popular at the fin-de-siècle of the 19th was making a comeback. Distilleries were legally making the drink, banned almost 90 years before, antiques of the era were suddenly in demand, and absinthe bars and clubs were beginning to fill with people who wanted to share in something. A secondary market also opened in pre-banned bottles of the drink, found in old wine cellars, houses, and other places. This bottles were drunk among friends, or kept to be enjoyed by the owners. This market seemed to have a finite term. How many bottles from over 100 years could keep appearing? One man seemed to have a nose for finding them. Christian was considered by many to know his stuff, a long time collector with an ability to find, and sell absinthe that no one else had. A power in the community so strong that no one really questioned his ability to find these treasures, even as cracks started to appear in the corks he used to bolster his story.
Evan Rail is a freelance journalist based in Europe who knows the world of spirits, and some of the people involved. As Rail came aware of something going on in the absinthe community, Rail began to investigate the world of absinthe in general, traveling around Europe, trying to find out why a person would counterfeit a drink, how one would go about it, and what draws so many people to the world of absinthe. The book is fascinating, dealing with history, distilling, botany, gas spectrographs, and the collector mind. Plus a bit on European trains. Rail is a very good writer, and a persistent writer trying to get to the heart of this conspiracy, who know what, and why so many people allowed themselves to be duped, and what does a person get out of duping others. While the detective work is interesting, the history was what I liked most, stories of bootleggers, falsifying tests on the dangers of absinthe back in the day. And of course the characters, who Rail does a very good job of profiling.
A book for true crime people, as well as people who have an interest in spirits, good journalism an very good writing. Rail is honest about himself, his writing, and the compromises one makes for a story, which I found enlightening. A surprising book that taught me a lot more than I knew, and I think I might have something new to lurk on the Internet about.
September 17, 2024
He was known to have a “remarkable” palate and was considered to be a trusted authority. Based upon “a keen understanding of how a vintage bottle is supposed to appear…identifying…distinct aromas that intermingled and overlapped within…a hundred-year-old absinthe…all he was doing, really, was putting new spirits into old bottles.” In the end, “his fakes had pretty much ruined the market for pre-ban absinthe”.
At the end of the Belle Epoque, France issued an “interdiction” of absinthe. Starting from 1915, the sale of absinthe was prohibited until its re-legalization in France in 2010. Absintheurs-connoisseurs of absinthe, searched for pre-ban bottles as well as historic absinthe slotted spoons, advertising posters and labels from the highly regarded Pernod Fils absinthe. “There was a whole world of vintage absinthe collectors with legendary cellars.”
Journalist and travel writer Evan Rail meticulously presents the history of absinthe while focusing on the absinthe forgery of pre-ban bottles as well as the formulaic changes in the drink once the ban was lifted. Rail tried to engage the forger in dialogue about the fraudulent product he sold. The true crime story uncovers the global absinthe underground and how a group of amateur absinthe sleuths worked to help uncover the crime.
To understand the attraction of absinthe, Rail delved into the cultural world of late nineteenth century France. “Parisian cafe life is most animated in the afternoon between five and seven, l’heure verte, “the green hour” when people are wont to drink absinthe, read the evening paper and gossip with friends…Van Gogh,a prodigious drinker of absinthe, left behind his Still Life with Absinthe…Picasso made at least two early-period paintings that depicted the drink.” “Many former soldiers…serving in [France’s] nineteen-century colonies…knew absinthe and wormwood extracts had been issued as remedies for disease-The Green Fairy had started out as a type of medicine.”
“... Many clandestine distillers certainly started out to put food on the table…a pair owned an auto body shop, using their client’s car to hide their contraband…An ambulance driver put the absinthe in his ambulance, turned on the siren and he could deliver absinthe wherever he wanted.”
Our forger had been amassing absinthe collectibles for more than two decades and was part of the global absinthe underground before the drink became legal again, when reintroduced in Switzerland in 2005. “A new generation of collectors was born,and prices for absinthe…shot up.” Pre-ban absinthe might be discovered in old estates and cellars, even behind walls, however, the availability of these historic, unopened bottles was scarce. It was felt that “the bottle was ’living” when [it was] closed with the original cork.” The forger often discovered rare vintages that he could sell within the absinthe collector market. It was too good to be true.
As a lover of Belle Epoque novels, I noticed that many protagonists consumed absinthe. I wondered about its use and possible addictive nature. This detailed history of absinthe and true crime story provided a window into the world of the absinthe of old as well as the new ingredient additives of the present day drink.
Highly recommended.
Thank you Melville House Publishing for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
At the end of the Belle Epoque, France issued an “interdiction” of absinthe. Starting from 1915, the sale of absinthe was prohibited until its re-legalization in France in 2010. Absintheurs-connoisseurs of absinthe, searched for pre-ban bottles as well as historic absinthe slotted spoons, advertising posters and labels from the highly regarded Pernod Fils absinthe. “There was a whole world of vintage absinthe collectors with legendary cellars.”
Journalist and travel writer Evan Rail meticulously presents the history of absinthe while focusing on the absinthe forgery of pre-ban bottles as well as the formulaic changes in the drink once the ban was lifted. Rail tried to engage the forger in dialogue about the fraudulent product he sold. The true crime story uncovers the global absinthe underground and how a group of amateur absinthe sleuths worked to help uncover the crime.
To understand the attraction of absinthe, Rail delved into the cultural world of late nineteenth century France. “Parisian cafe life is most animated in the afternoon between five and seven, l’heure verte, “the green hour” when people are wont to drink absinthe, read the evening paper and gossip with friends…Van Gogh,a prodigious drinker of absinthe, left behind his Still Life with Absinthe…Picasso made at least two early-period paintings that depicted the drink.” “Many former soldiers…serving in [France’s] nineteen-century colonies…knew absinthe and wormwood extracts had been issued as remedies for disease-The Green Fairy had started out as a type of medicine.”
“... Many clandestine distillers certainly started out to put food on the table…a pair owned an auto body shop, using their client’s car to hide their contraband…An ambulance driver put the absinthe in his ambulance, turned on the siren and he could deliver absinthe wherever he wanted.”
Our forger had been amassing absinthe collectibles for more than two decades and was part of the global absinthe underground before the drink became legal again, when reintroduced in Switzerland in 2005. “A new generation of collectors was born,and prices for absinthe…shot up.” Pre-ban absinthe might be discovered in old estates and cellars, even behind walls, however, the availability of these historic, unopened bottles was scarce. It was felt that “the bottle was ’living” when [it was] closed with the original cork.” The forger often discovered rare vintages that he could sell within the absinthe collector market. It was too good to be true.
As a lover of Belle Epoque novels, I noticed that many protagonists consumed absinthe. I wondered about its use and possible addictive nature. This detailed history of absinthe and true crime story provided a window into the world of the absinthe of old as well as the new ingredient additives of the present day drink.
Highly recommended.
Thank you Melville House Publishing for the print ARC in exchange for an honest review.
November 15, 2024
4 stars
I was initially interested in this book because my university background is in Art and Art History, and absinthe has such strong ties to various artistic communities; from what I can recall, most commonly associated with the Impressionists living and working in Paris in the mid 1860s, weaving itself deftly through Surrealism, Symbolism, Modernism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism, finally crossing into the Art Nouveau movement up until the ban on absinthe through most of Europe in 1915. There are so many famous artists whose names are almost intertwined with the "green fairy" that was popular for its medicinal tasting notes of fennel, anise and licorice, and its overwhelming tendency to cause hallucinations, blackouts, dream-like states, and deep feelings of ennui. No wonder artists and writers were crazy for it!
This was definitely quite a dense read, owing to all the in-depth historical research and interviews that the author did. He doesn't cover much of the art history side of things, which is fine because that's what I was already familiar with; instead, this is entirely focused on modern absinthe distillers and collectors, historians and dabblers, all being hoodwinked by a singular "expert" in the field of "pre-ban" absinthes (produced before 1915). It was actually all kinds of fascinating, and there was a lot of anecdotal information chapter to chapter because of the personal stories from both distillers and collectors woven in with the history of the alcohol production throughout Europe. (The author travelled extensively to research this book and it really shows.) Having gleaned all the information he could from this tightknit community of connoisseurs made it all the more heartbreaking when the absinthe forgeries were discovered by the community back in 2019.
If you really want a deep dive into spirits production, the history of various flavours in absinthes and other distillates, and what are modern absinthe tasting notes nowadays compared to the "pre-ban" versions that are so highly sought after, then absolutely grab yourself a copy of this book. It's like travelogue-meets-history-lesson-meets-bar-hopping.
Thanks to NetGalley, author Evan Rail, and Melville House Publishing for giving me access to a free eARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided voluntarily.
I was initially interested in this book because my university background is in Art and Art History, and absinthe has such strong ties to various artistic communities; from what I can recall, most commonly associated with the Impressionists living and working in Paris in the mid 1860s, weaving itself deftly through Surrealism, Symbolism, Modernism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism, finally crossing into the Art Nouveau movement up until the ban on absinthe through most of Europe in 1915. There are so many famous artists whose names are almost intertwined with the "green fairy" that was popular for its medicinal tasting notes of fennel, anise and licorice, and its overwhelming tendency to cause hallucinations, blackouts, dream-like states, and deep feelings of ennui. No wonder artists and writers were crazy for it!
This was definitely quite a dense read, owing to all the in-depth historical research and interviews that the author did. He doesn't cover much of the art history side of things, which is fine because that's what I was already familiar with; instead, this is entirely focused on modern absinthe distillers and collectors, historians and dabblers, all being hoodwinked by a singular "expert" in the field of "pre-ban" absinthes (produced before 1915). It was actually all kinds of fascinating, and there was a lot of anecdotal information chapter to chapter because of the personal stories from both distillers and collectors woven in with the history of the alcohol production throughout Europe. (The author travelled extensively to research this book and it really shows.) Having gleaned all the information he could from this tightknit community of connoisseurs made it all the more heartbreaking when the absinthe forgeries were discovered by the community back in 2019.
If you really want a deep dive into spirits production, the history of various flavours in absinthes and other distillates, and what are modern absinthe tasting notes nowadays compared to the "pre-ban" versions that are so highly sought after, then absolutely grab yourself a copy of this book. It's like travelogue-meets-history-lesson-meets-bar-hopping.
Thanks to NetGalley, author Evan Rail, and Melville House Publishing for giving me access to a free eARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided voluntarily.
September 14, 2024
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail is a captivating dive into the shadowy world of absinthe, a drink shrouded in mystery and myth. Rail, a seasoned journalist, unravels the intricate tale of a notorious forgery scandal that rocked the absinthe community, blending historical intrigue with a modern-day detective story.
The book centers around the enigmatic figure of the forger, whose counterfeit absinthe bottles duped collectors and connoisseurs alike. Rail’s meticulous research and engaging narrative style bring to life the complex web of deceit and betrayal that ensnared both the unsuspecting and the complicit. The story is about the forger’s cunning schemes and about the passionate individuals who dedicated themselves to preserving the authenticity of this storied spirit.
Rail’s exploration of absinthe’s history is informative and fascinating, shedding light on its cultural significance and the myths that have surrounded it for centuries. From its origins in the 18th century to its ban and eventual resurgence, the book provides a comprehensive look at how absinthe has captivated and confounded people across generations.
The pacing of the narrative is brisk, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns that keep readers hooked. Rail’s ability to weave together historical facts with personal anecdotes and interviews makes for a compelling read that is both educational and entertaining.
For those interested in true crime, history, and the world of spirits, The Absinthe Forger offers a unique and engrossing story. Evan Rail has crafted a book that not only uncovers the truth behind a major scandal but also celebrates the enduring allure of absinthe. This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the darker side of history and the lengths people will go to deceive and be deceived.
The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail is a captivating dive into the shadowy world of absinthe, a drink shrouded in mystery and myth. Rail, a seasoned journalist, unravels the intricate tale of a notorious forgery scandal that rocked the absinthe community, blending historical intrigue with a modern-day detective story.
The book centers around the enigmatic figure of the forger, whose counterfeit absinthe bottles duped collectors and connoisseurs alike. Rail’s meticulous research and engaging narrative style bring to life the complex web of deceit and betrayal that ensnared both the unsuspecting and the complicit. The story is about the forger’s cunning schemes and about the passionate individuals who dedicated themselves to preserving the authenticity of this storied spirit.
Rail’s exploration of absinthe’s history is informative and fascinating, shedding light on its cultural significance and the myths that have surrounded it for centuries. From its origins in the 18th century to its ban and eventual resurgence, the book provides a comprehensive look at how absinthe has captivated and confounded people across generations.
The pacing of the narrative is brisk, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns that keep readers hooked. Rail’s ability to weave together historical facts with personal anecdotes and interviews makes for a compelling read that is both educational and entertaining.
For those interested in true crime, history, and the world of spirits, The Absinthe Forger offers a unique and engrossing story. Evan Rail has crafted a book that not only uncovers the truth behind a major scandal but also celebrates the enduring allure of absinthe. This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the darker side of history and the lengths people will go to deceive and be deceived.
July 11, 2025
The audiobook was amusing when driving. I would have been bored with a literal copy vs audiobook…
Very little of the book was actually about the Absinthe Forger himself, but more so about the interviewing people who were betrayed. Each of those stories outlines the towns, people, languages, foods, cellars, absinthe antiques, etc. This is the first time that I have seen an author of a nonfiction book base some of his research off of Wikipedia. Many details regarding the investigation of the forgeries are from comparing messages/photos from facebook, linkedin and texts between the Forger and the people he deceived. This made it feel like a deceptive non fiction book because it had so little investigative information from credible sources vs opinion and internet stalking in a way. It made it feel like high school, he said, she said.
Regardless of all of that, I didn’t know about this underground world of niche secretive absinthe collectors, or how the bottles are coveted, where they are found, or why people would ever want to drink them currently, differing ingredients, toxic ingredients, murder, etc.
Interesting thought regarding how modern day people try to make an absinthe taste like the ones from WW1 era or earlier, but how the people of that time drank absinthe that tasted like the modern day new/fresh absinthe. Lots of interesting information on absinthe by country and era.
The last hour of the audiobook was a painful description of how the author had tracked down the forger through social media. It then went further; describing the forger’s home, paint colors, expensive car outside, the neighborhood, etc and how he went there and took photos of videos of the home. The author also quoted a letter from the forger, asking that the author not write about him, or ask his friends and contacts for information on him.
Very little of the book was actually about the Absinthe Forger himself, but more so about the interviewing people who were betrayed. Each of those stories outlines the towns, people, languages, foods, cellars, absinthe antiques, etc. This is the first time that I have seen an author of a nonfiction book base some of his research off of Wikipedia. Many details regarding the investigation of the forgeries are from comparing messages/photos from facebook, linkedin and texts between the Forger and the people he deceived. This made it feel like a deceptive non fiction book because it had so little investigative information from credible sources vs opinion and internet stalking in a way. It made it feel like high school, he said, she said.
Regardless of all of that, I didn’t know about this underground world of niche secretive absinthe collectors, or how the bottles are coveted, where they are found, or why people would ever want to drink them currently, differing ingredients, toxic ingredients, murder, etc.
Interesting thought regarding how modern day people try to make an absinthe taste like the ones from WW1 era or earlier, but how the people of that time drank absinthe that tasted like the modern day new/fresh absinthe. Lots of interesting information on absinthe by country and era.
The last hour of the audiobook was a painful description of how the author had tracked down the forger through social media. It then went further; describing the forger’s home, paint colors, expensive car outside, the neighborhood, etc and how he went there and took photos of videos of the home. The author also quoted a letter from the forger, asking that the author not write about him, or ask his friends and contacts for information on him.
October 9, 2024
The world of absinthe is so fascinating! How can you not love the muse and inspiration of Oscar Wilde or the Impressionists? This book is not only about its history but also about the people who indulge in it, and not only dead artists in the past, but real enthusiasts who are alive today and on social media. It is also about fraud and forgery (another subject I enjoy reading about). The very first time I learned about this beverage it was still banned. Nowadays it is legal to drink it, but this prohibition marked a big line for connoisseurs, and it has become an investment to acquire “pre-ban” bottles. The titular forger made a fortune faking them. To figure out how it was done, Rail interviews many, many people, some of them experts and others just witnesses. He gives a very rounded vision of what happened, even if . Mike Lenz is a good narrator, with a friendly and colloquial voice that makes it sound like he’s the author himself. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan of his French pronunciation. Now, normally, this wouldn’t matter at all but, considering there are several quotes in the original language, it is hard to understand what is being said, and even the way he pronounces everyday terms like “Belle Epoque” is not correct. This is just a small detail for Francophiles, so I’m not sure it will bother anyone else. The production of the audiobook is excellent, with great sound quality. But it is the content that I enjoyed.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Tantor Audio.
I chose to listen to this audiobook and all opinions in this review are my own and completely unbiased. Thank you, NetGalley/Tantor Audio.
October 28, 2024
I quit drinking back in 2012 so I missed the absinthe revival. I’ve only tried the horrible Czech version that was ubiquitous back in the nineties. As a student of nineteen century literature and art history I had heard a lot about that famed drink. I remember being disappointed and as I have since learned that wasn’t real absinthe at all.
If I was still drinking I would definitely been into absinthe. It’s the kind of alcohol with a rich lore and history that I used to love.
Even if my days of drinking are behind me I still enjoy reading about this sort of storied spirits.
This is a book in the vein of the documentary series Sour grapes about the wine forger Rudy Kurniawan. It also reminds me a lot of the brilliant book The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace which chronicles another forger in the world of old wines.
This is a book about a guy selling fake pre ban absinthe but it’s also about the long and very interesting history of the spirit. A great combination of true crime reporting and cultural history.
A final note: I listened to the Audible audiobook and the narration is fine except that the narrators french is…pas bon. A small detail but it annoyed me a bit because it’s a book with a lot of french words and quotes.
If I was still drinking I would definitely been into absinthe. It’s the kind of alcohol with a rich lore and history that I used to love.
Even if my days of drinking are behind me I still enjoy reading about this sort of storied spirits.
This is a book in the vein of the documentary series Sour grapes about the wine forger Rudy Kurniawan. It also reminds me a lot of the brilliant book The Billionaire's Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace which chronicles another forger in the world of old wines.
This is a book about a guy selling fake pre ban absinthe but it’s also about the long and very interesting history of the spirit. A great combination of true crime reporting and cultural history.
A final note: I listened to the Audible audiobook and the narration is fine except that the narrators french is…pas bon. A small detail but it annoyed me a bit because it’s a book with a lot of french words and quotes.
November 1, 2024
Absinthe has to be the ultimate cool alcoholic beverage, starting with its associations with madness and dissolute artists. Anything with an ingredient called wormwood has to be special, particularly if it also has anise and contains a neurotoxin that could theoretically kill you in high enough quantities. And then there is the ritual of drinking it with the special spoon and a sugar cube. Sadly, I have never tried it and never will, as I quit drinking a few years before it became legal again.
So, I was interested to learn more about Absinthe - its history, its taste, how it is made and its chemistry. This book has all of that, and I loved those parts of it. But the thing that ties it all together is the story of the forger who was selling fake bottles of "pre ban" absinthe that was supposed to have been from the late 1800s or early 1900s. People would find the stuff sealed into walls or decaying in some forgotten corner of a rotting chateau. It could sell for $2000 a bottle, so there was money to be made in faking it. But I never could get into the personalities of the collectors and their community. I never cared about the forger. And the supposed quest to track him down to discover his motivation was a big nothing to me.
So, I was interested to learn more about Absinthe - its history, its taste, how it is made and its chemistry. This book has all of that, and I loved those parts of it. But the thing that ties it all together is the story of the forger who was selling fake bottles of "pre ban" absinthe that was supposed to have been from the late 1800s or early 1900s. People would find the stuff sealed into walls or decaying in some forgotten corner of a rotting chateau. It could sell for $2000 a bottle, so there was money to be made in faking it. But I never could get into the personalities of the collectors and their community. I never cared about the forger. And the supposed quest to track him down to discover his motivation was a big nothing to me.
April 5, 2025
Evan Rail gives readers an informative, yet mysterious, tale of a community of hobbyists that was riven by an astute con artist. Rail provides a great deal of background on absinthe, because the herbal spirit was banned for almost a century. It varied by country, but the ban was in place globally from approximately 1913 to 2007. In those years, absinthe went underground. Its makers ranged from home distillers to bootleggers. The underground kept company with a culture that embraced absinthe-related artwork, glassware, spoons and other collectibles from the Belle Epoque. When the bans were lifted, the underground habitués were ready for open consumption, festivals and businesses along the Absinth Trail linking Swiss Val-de-Travers with Pontarlier in France. Social media enhanced their communication.
There was also a craze for pre-ban absinthe and it led to the deception and betrayal of the book's subtitle. Caches of pre-ban absinthe bottles, empty and full, emerged from basements and behind walls. Too good to be true? Rail weighs anecdotes, letters, chromatography experiments and more. He expends time and money trying to get the forger on the record. He takes readers on walks, train rides and flights. Answers to that question emerge.
There was also a craze for pre-ban absinthe and it led to the deception and betrayal of the book's subtitle. Caches of pre-ban absinthe bottles, empty and full, emerged from basements and behind walls. Too good to be true? Rail weighs anecdotes, letters, chromatography experiments and more. He expends time and money trying to get the forger on the record. He takes readers on walks, train rides and flights. Answers to that question emerge.
April 2, 2025
The Absinthe Forger really wanted to be The Art Thief by Michael Finkel but the problem was that there was no substantial story. The author structures the book around an accused absinthe forger but fails to drum up any particularly compelling evidence. Christian, the forger, easily evades the author's attempts for an interview and the best the author can do is find his address, go to his house and make conjectures about his criminal motivations based on his possibly fancy car in the driveway. There are some mildly interesting anecdotes where the author visits absinthe collectors, but it all kind of amounts to nothing. I appreciated the historical background earlier in the book, but those parts were pretty scant and went about as deep as a Wikipedia page. Instead, the author devotes pages to detailing his train travels, Boomerish struggles with LinkedIn, and unsuccessfully psychoanalyzing Christian. I think the author knows he doesn't have much to go on: "At some point, all of this will go away, the remaining claims washed down the river of memory until they don't exist in any way that matters." (283) I don't think much of this pompous book mattered to begin with.
August 2, 2024
The title of this book really intrigued me. I thought I was in for some kind of historical cat and mouse chase but that didn’t end up being the case. Instead it’s a very modern story about a very old alcohol with a very devout following. The author was mainly a food and travel writer, it he was friends with many people in various absinthe groups, including the forger and when he caught wind of the sorry, he was quite intrigued.
He ended up traveling to various counties in Europe meeting mutual friends of the absinthe forger and victims as well, to get their side of the story. It was absolutely fascinating to see the story unfold and wonder if justice would ever be served and if the forger was going to be caught. I liked how the story was written more like many short articles than one long book. I felt like I could read it in bite size chunks, following him from country to country.
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who is curious about absinthe and enjoys how someone could forge bottles that are over 100 years old. I’ve never drank absinthe myself but absolutely want to try it now. It sounds like a very interesting flavor profile.
*I was given this book for free in return for my honest review*
He ended up traveling to various counties in Europe meeting mutual friends of the absinthe forger and victims as well, to get their side of the story. It was absolutely fascinating to see the story unfold and wonder if justice would ever be served and if the forger was going to be caught. I liked how the story was written more like many short articles than one long book. I felt like I could read it in bite size chunks, following him from country to country.
I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who is curious about absinthe and enjoys how someone could forge bottles that are over 100 years old. I’ve never drank absinthe myself but absolutely want to try it now. It sounds like a very interesting flavor profile.
*I was given this book for free in return for my honest review*
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