New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-26
NEW-YORK IBSINTHE.
THE MANtFACTrRE OF THAT PECULIAR FRENCH
BEvERAtiE As 1T ~ CARRIED Of ~ THIS CITY.

THE MANUFACTURE OF THAT PECULIAR FRENCH
pEvERNGE As IT ~ CARRIED oN IL THIS CITY
Though the French colony in New-York Is not
large rs Influence Is considerable. Table dh6tes
o. every price. from 80 cents up to s. flourish
most OF them within the mile circle OF Madison
Square Every visitor to the metropolis thinks IL
obligatory upon him 10 patronize at least one Of
these during his stay. and their fame Is VIDE
spread. But more interesting indication OF
French influence In Ncw-York Is In the growth In
the consumption Of abs!nthe here and the estab-
lishmcni OF an absnthc mandatory In the very
centre OF the city This place Is two blocks or
o. Broadway and close to Fourteenth-st.
There is more than one firm OF New-fork city
abslnirc manufacturers. thougi only one that
carries on the business on large scale. In
cellars and rear Easements in both the old French
quaricr and the new there are dozen or more
little Frenchmen who prepare this vicious beverage
FOR their trade In secret and sell 1t for the
real Partisan article OF the highest quality. The
one large manufacturer alluded to goes about his
making OF the seductive beverage much more
openly as indeed he has to. for his machinery Is
elaborate and takes up good bit OF space In hts
back yard. Nearly every day In the year he has
this machine working. and his product is about
a thousand gallons a month. Twelve thousand
gallons year Is a great quantity. when 1t is con-
s.dcred that a dr!nk OF abs!nthe Is simply table
spoonful OF the extract mixed with syrup and
water until there Is a tumblerful OF milky liquid
The American absnthe Is never offered to French
mon who visit the cafes or French hotels in this
city They would detect the difference quickly
But TO a man who liz not absnthe expert. that
turned out almost within the roar OF Broadway is
Just Is good.
The machinery this New-York manufacturer uses
was imported from Paris several years ago. and It
Is an elaborate costly piece OF French construction
HIS process OF making the queur Is exactly like
tina, In vogue IN France. save that he has 10
dstl dried NORWOOD leaves instead OF fresh ones
The NORWOOD re imports In barrels. and the proc
css is completed by the careful addition OF GER
tain hayoring extra is.
Tho manager OF Of the French hotels OF the
city said the other day that he was selling more
abslnthe now than at any time in the hotels HIS
tory. Another thing worth noting Is that one OF
the best cafes IN New York. a place that Is famed
for it's French lqueurs. gets good deal OF Amer-
can-made absnthe from this manufacturer
In the best cafes the absinthe served whether
French American. Is fairly good. at least But
a very different quality is to be found In the
Rlcecler-st region, where the French quarter was
several years ago, and where now the few French
mon left almost invariably OF the lower ella SO,
hohnob with negroes and Italians. In the drinking
places In that district one gets "A tumberful Of
absinthe for FIVE cents. 1t IL rank poison highly
Favored almost bad. II not quite so effective IN
re results as the dead house whskey' OF the
river fronts This decoction is made on the prem
isrs or close by, secretly and In small quantities
according TO the demand