Rare herb the key to absinthe production

A happenstance discovery of wormword growing wild near their rural Kalispell home was a key factor in Julie and Joe Legate’s venture into the world of distilling.

Wormwood is a necessary ingredient in the distillation of absinthe that the Legates had heard and learned about and then became intrigued with.

They’ve been involved in the absinthe community for about five years as self-described “aficionados and critics” and are now developing their own brand.

The Legates have submitted formulas to the federal Trade and Tax Bureau for approval. Once that’s received they’ll seek state approval. Julie hopes that will occur within a few weeks.

Once their formula is approved, they will seek label approval and go into production.

“Absinthe is a beautiful beverage, loaded with herbs that grow wild throughout Montana,” Julie said.

Julie has become recognized around the world as an absinthe authority, Joe says. Her discerning palate “has been a tremendous benefit to helping us develop our absinthe,” Joe said.

Absinthe is a distilled, high-alcohol-content beverage, averaging 45 to 74 percent proof.

The Legates plan to make absinthe of about 68 proof.

It is an anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as wormwood. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green color but also can be colorless.

Although it is sometimes called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with sugar and therefore is classified as a spirit. Absinthe is unusual among spirits in that it is bottled at a very high proof but is normally diluted with water when consumed. Typically, absinthe is diluted one part liquor to three or five parts water, Julie said.

The Legates say absinthe has a mythical history full of misinformation.

Absinthe has been portrayed as a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug. The chemical thujone, present in small quantities, was blamed for its alleged harmful effects. Thujone has a similar molecular geometry with THC, the active chemical in cannabis.

By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States and in most European countries. Although absinthe was vilified, no evidence has shown that it is any more dangerous than other spirits.

A revival of absinthe began in the 1990s when countries in Europe began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale. Its manufacture was made legal in the United States in 2007.

One reason often cited for the lack of absinthe distilleries in the United States was that wormwood didn’t grow in the country, Julie said. “It grows wild around here,” she said. The abundance of the key ingredient for absinthe prompted the Legates to experiment with creating the spirit.

“We started wildcrafting and encouraging wormwood to grow on our property,” Julie said. They already had other herbs growing wild on their land, which they now cultivate, too, including genapy and artemisia pontica, both of which are members of the same family as wormwood.