{"product_id":"the-absinthe-forger-a-true-story-of-deception-betrayal-and-the-worlds-most-dangerous-spirit-9781685892241","title":"The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World's Most Dangerous Spirit","description":"\u003cb\u003eNow 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 . . .\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThought 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWhich 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. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIs 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? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eJournalist Evan Rail sets out to discover the truth about the enigmatic dealer and the secret stashes. Along the way, he drinks with \u003ci\u003eabsintheurs\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Evan Rail\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Melville House Publishing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 09\/23\/2025\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 368\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.20h x 5.50w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781685892241\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEvan Rail writes about food, drink, and travel for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eCondé Nast Traveler\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eSaveur\u003c\/i\u003e, 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.\"\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Evan Rail \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":47532360794269,"sku":"9781685892241","price":39.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_1ca5fd5e-69bb-45bf-8cb6-9d9d77cf7732.jpg?v=1767683189","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/the-absinthe-forger-a-true-story-of-deception-betrayal-and-the-worlds-most-dangerous-spirit-9781685892241","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}