Looking To Try Absinthe? Here Are 2 KC Distilleries Serving It Parisian-Style

Absinthe isn’t a common U.S. libation, and it’s even less so in Kansas City. In my extensive efforts to seek out places that serve the licorice-tasting spirit, I found only two spots offering a traditional absinthe cocktail: Lifted Spirits Distillery and J. Rieger & Co. 

Rooted in Paris’ Bohemian 19th century cafe culture, absinthe struggles to move past its murky hallucination-inducing reputation. However, the modern-day distilled beverage should not be feared. 

Michael Stuckey, owner of Lifted Spirits Distillery and a self-proclaimed “absinthe nerd,” studied the absinthe distillation process from late-1800s French manuals long before he actually began making it for consumer consumption. Absinthe is a delicate botanical, traditionally distilled from fennel, anise and wormwood. Stuckey’s absinthe, released in 2018, was the first created in KC and has notes of mint and chamomile.

Absinthe’s historic infamy is due to a chemical called thujone found in wormwood, a key absinthe ingredient. The small amounts found in real absinthe are not enough to produce hallucinogenic experiences. Still, it was banned in several countries in the 20th century. It wasn’t until 2007 that the ban was lifted in the U.S., after discovering that small amounts of thujone are safe.

Because absinthe is a bitter, high-proof spirit, the ritualistic method of serving it includes diluting it with water and sugar. If you head to Lifted Spirits (1734 Cherry St., KCMO) or the Rieger’s dimly lit basement cocktail lounge, Hey! Hey! Club (2700 Guinotte Ave., KCMO), they’ll present you with a water fountain, glasses filled with a small amount of absinthe and a spoon holding cubes of sugar. The fountain’s spouts will slowly drip water over the sugar cubes, melting it into the glasses and, once finished, diluting the absinthe into a cloudy, smooth concoction. 

Once you’ve wet your whistle with a fountain, try Lifted Spirits’ secret menu item, the Roadie Sodie, featuring absinthe and root beer syrup over ice. “Root beer and absinthe are amazing together,” Stuckey says.

It’s a drink meant to be savored with friends. “At the core of it, absinthe is a social spirit,” Stuckey says. “It’s meant to be enjoyed with people together.”’

I recommend heading to Stuckey’s distillery on a Wednesday night when the jazz band, led by Marcus Lewis, a trombone player and a jazz professor at UMKC, is playing. Another great combination, according to Stuckey? Jazz and absinthe.   

GO: Lifted Spirits’ absinthe cocktail class. Guests will learn how to make absinthe cocktails and how to use an absinthe fountain. September 27 at 3pm. Sign up at liftedspiritskc.com.

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