Based on a faint recollection of a drunken conversation with Jon on Thursday, I was browsing Kuro5hin this morning. There was a good post last week called Bars: A patron's guide. Written by a bartender, it's a good read, a more comprehensive version of lynda's top ten tips for avoiding the label of 'loser' in a bar. Of course, with the additional 6 years of research, one would hope that it would be a little more comprehensive.
Reading through the comments below it, I ran across an excellent site that should be required reading for any Goats fan, called Modern Drunkard. The direct link was to the almost 9 times more comprehensive 86 Rules of Boozing". However, poking around I then ran across The Return of the Green Faerie, a nice summary of the history and culture behind, and modern availability of, Absinthe. The article concludes with:
So there it is. Absinthe provides you with a surfboard (thujone) and a wave (alcohol) on which to ride. That is the singular appeal of absinthe over normal alcohol. While alcohol provides a valuable escape, a vacation from one's self, if you will, absinthe offers the same journey (on a fast, high-powered aircraft, I might add) with the promise of a window seat with a superior view. For the drunkard, it's a fast ride with a twist. For the writer? It's the alcoholic muse on a leash.Obviously, we need to get some of this for Jon.