Standard Wormwood Rye Whiskey. Wormwood rye, what? I was fascinated when I got some of this extremely unique spirit to try out. It’s a New York-made whiskey from local rye and corn that’s aged in charred oak barrels, with the unique twist of having wormwood added during the distillation process. The outcome is a spicy, oaky rye with a *strong* bitterness. This is not for the faint of heart. It is potent, in-your-face, and well, for the cocktail nerd, a fascinating insight into the true flavor of wormwood.

Wormwood is probably best known as that mysterious, ‘possibly-hallucinogenic’ ingredient in absinthe, and likely few people are familiar with its flavor outside of that green drink (see St. George Absinthe Verte for a brief background on absinthe and why its ill-fated ban was pure politics ). Personally when I think about absinthe, it’s all about that licorice/anise flavor that dominates the spirit. It’s herbal and bitter yes, but in its typical usages (as a rinse or a few drops at a time), generally it’s mostly about that anise flavor – which is why Pastis (anise-heavy spirits that lack wormwood) such as Pernod, Ricard, or Herbsaint are often substituted. Outside of absinthe, wormwood was/is also often used as a bittering agent in vermouths (aromatized fortified wines) and cocktail bitters.

In flavor, wormwood is bracingly bitter and medicinal, and has actually been used by humans for thousands of years, noted in varied uses from digestive aids to aphrodisiacs to witchcraft repellents. I probably won’t be drinking this on its own, but with the rising popularity of bitter ingredients in cocktails, this is a unique ingredient that is begging for experimentation. Stay tuned…