I love reading nonfiction books about unique topics, and I thought this one would be perfect for me. And I actually learnt a lot about the absinthe from it. But not about "The Absinthe Forger".

I have to admit that the first half of the book was hard to read. First,  we go through the author's backstory and connections in Absinthe's world, then there's a whole story about why this book was even written, and then the history of Absinthe. Some parts of it were interesting, and I enjoyed reading the absinthe's history since I didn't really know what exactly absinthe is (only that I saw it in this Prague tourist traps that the author hates), but a lot of it was just not needed here.

The author Evan Rail is a journalist who mostly writes about travels and foods, and you can clearly see it in this book. Especially in the second half of the book, where each chapter is more of a quick article on the topic of absinthe: "I went to this city, saw this person, drank with them that, ate that, they showed me their collection, we talked about absinthe and the forgeries". There's a lot of information being repeated or just unimportant to the story. I get the idea; the author wanted us to feel like we're uncovering this story with him. But it doesn't work for me.

This book is called The Absinthe Forger, and while there's some information about "Christian" and the way he scammed his supposed friends and absinthe connoisseurs from thousands of euros, most of it focuses on the abisnthe and its modern culture, not on "Christian". And that's not what I expected.

4 stars

I was initially interested in this book because my university background is in Art and Art History, and absinthe has such strong ties to various artistic communities; from what I can recall, most commonly associated with the Impressionists living and working in Paris in the mid 1860s, weaving itself deftly through Surrealism, Symbolism, Modernism, Post-Impressionism, and Cubism, finally crossing into the Art Nouveau movement up until the ban on absinthe through most of Europe in 1915. There are so many famous artists whose names are almost intertwined with the "green fairy" that was popular for its medicinal tasting notes of fennel, anise and licorice, and its overwhelming tendency to cause hallucinations, blackouts, dream-like states, and deep feelings of ennui. No wonder artists and writers were crazy for it!

This was definitely quite a dense read, owing to all the in-depth historical research and interviews that the author did. He doesn't cover much of the art history side of things, which is fine because that's what I was already familiar with; instead, this is entirely focused on modern absinthe distillers and collectors, historians and dabblers, all being hoodwinked by a singular "expert" in the field of "pre-ban" absinthes (produced before 1915). It was actually all kinds of fascinating, and there was a lot of anecdotal information chapter to chapter because of the personal stories from both distillers and collectors woven in with the history of the alcohol production throughout Europe. (The author travelled extensively to research this book and it really shows.) Having gleaned all the information he could from this tightknit community of connoisseurs made it all the more heartbreaking when the absinthe forgeries were discovered by the community back in 2019.

If you really want a deep dive into spirits production, the history of various flavours in absinthes and other distillates, and what are modern absinthe tasting notes nowadays compared to the "pre-ban" versions that are so highly sought after, then absolutely grab yourself a copy of this book. It's like travelogue-meets-history-lesson-meets-bar-hopping.

Thanks to NetGalley, author Evan Rail, and Melville House Publishing for giving me access to a free eARC of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own and are provided voluntarily.

The Absinthe Forger by Evan Rail is a fun and informative read about a very quirky criminal. Based on a suggestion of a friend and fellow absinthe enthusiast, Rail explores an eccentric London grifter, Christian, who had supposedly faked and sold pre-ban absinthe to collectors which can be worth thousands of dollars. Along the way to exploring the truth Rail discusses the history of absinthe's creation, popularity with artists like Toulouse-Lautrec and then fall from grace and banning due to the supposed dangers of wormwood before its recent resurgence in popularity and the demand for early pre-ban bottles. I was familiar with many of the current brands of absinthe that are now on the market, but I enjoyed learning about the history of absinthe and Rail's efforts to uncover the truth behind the accusations of fraud.

His travels through Europe include absinthe museums, distilleries, and visits with a variety of expert "absintheurs". The Absinthe Forger will appeal to those with an interest in European history and true crime.

I found it slightly disappointing that we never get the perspective of Christian himself, but I think understandable someone would not want to directly admit to such wrong doings and Evans attempts to engage him form amusing anecdotes for the reader.

ebook - 2 Stars
This should have been amazing [its about FREAKING absinthe after all] and it was deeply disappointing when it was not [not even remotely].
What we got was a jumbled chaos of a book [I had a hard time following just what time frame we were in as the author jumped around a lot], that at times was deeply boring [with a subject as exciting as this is, one does not expect boring] and often V E R Y pretentious, and by the end, I wasn't quite sure just who the villain of the story really was.

Audiobook: 1 Star
All I am going to say about this narration [that very much did NOT work for me] is that if you are going to narrate a book that has quite a bit of French in it, on should, you know, be able to actually speak French [while I recognize the difficulty of doing any narration at all, I do not think it should be above the reader/listener's expectation to have languages spoken correctly]. What was spoken was most assuredly NOT any French I have ever heard and it was so off-putting and disconcerting and just added to the overall mess this book was.

Thank you to NetGalley, Melville House Publishing/Melville House and Tantor Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a thoughtful and detailed profile of a crime that left many people hurt and confused but received little attention from the world outside of Absinthe. Mr Rail goes on a journey that is part profile, part travelogue and part history of Absinthe that makes for a great read. I loved learning about the history of Absinthe and the colorful characters that are keeping the spirit alive.

If you are interested in the XIXth century artistic world you would have heard about the absynth. The great painters, poets, novelists, thinkers, etc, all spent their time in little cafes discussing pressing matters while sipping not a coffee, but the absynthe. I always wanted to try this type of drink but never had a chance, it wasn´t available in my home country and I was convinced it`s a drink local to France and maybe to some regions of Spain. I had no idea that it was simply banned worldwide! No wonder that this sensational title caught my interest.
So the story is simple. Absynth is a strong beverage with a minimum of 60% alcohol. Many people can´t handle that much alcohol and with increasing reports of undesirable behavior the solution to a problem seemed at the time simple: ban the drink. When authorities ban something whatever that is, people go underground. So the production and consumption continued, but without the possibility of openly sharing recipes, tips, and hints people had to experiment with the ways of making the absinthe. It`s especially hard when you realize that the ban was in place for over 100 years so there is no person alive who had tasted the pre-ban absynth. No one who knows what the production looked like. Now, that the ban has been lifted, some passionate individuals are trying to reconstruct the production process and make the absinth as close to the original version as possible.
While the modern absynth gains respect and popularity, there are people who collect the pre-ban absynth drinks and empty bottles. And just like everything that is limited absynth too is rare and expensive. And where is the money there are fraudsters.
Christian - a mysterious male of unknown origin deceived many people by selling to them what was supposed to be a pre-ban absinthe. This book is about Christian, or is it?
As much as I like the concept and the overall story, the construction of this book doesnt`t work. The book is way too chaotic and often repetitive. We jump from the history to the way of making the drink, to someone who lost money because of Christian, back to the recipe. We run in circles. What`s more, the story has no clear beginning, no outline, and with many digressions the reader must fish out the story himself. I appreciate the historical details, these were interesting, but this is not enough to make a solid nonfiction documentary.

I’m a big fan of narrative non fiction but this misses the mark. The story is not unraveled in a compelling manner, it’s stilted and doesn’t have an air or mystery or intrigue. Instead it is rather flat and uninteresting.

He was known to have a “remarkable” palate and was considered to be a trusted authority. Based upon “a keen understanding of how a vintage bottle is supposed to appear…identifying…distinct aromas that intermingled and overlapped within…a hundred-year-old absinthe…all he was doing, really, was putting new spirits into old bottles.” In the end, “his fakes had pretty much ruined the market for pre-ban absinthe”.

At the end of the Belle Epoque, France issued an “interdiction” of absinthe. Starting from 1915, the sale of absinthe was prohibited until its re-legalization in France in 2010. Absintheurs-connoisseurs of absinthe, searched for pre-ban bottles as well as historic absinthe slotted spoons, advertising posters and labels from the highly regarded Pernod Fils absinthe. “There was a whole world of vintage absinthe collectors with legendary cellars.”

Journalist and travel writer Evan Rail meticulously presents the history of absinthe while focusing on the absinthe forgery of pre-ban bottles as well as the formulaic changes in the drink once the ban was lifted. Rail tried to engage the forger in dialogue about the fraudulent product he sold. The true crime story uncovers the global absinthe underground and how a group of amateur absinthe sleuths worked to help uncover the crime.

To understand the attraction of absinthe, Rail delved into the cultural world of late nineteenth century France. “Parisian cafe life is most animated in the afternoon between five and seven, l’heure verte, “the green hour” when people are wont to drink absinthe, read the evening paper and gossip with friends…Van Gogh,a prodigious drinker of absinthe, left behind his Still Life with Absinthe…Picasso made at least two early-period paintings that depicted the drink.” “Many former soldiers…serving in [France’s] nineteen-century colonies…knew absinthe and wormwood extracts had been issued as remedies for disease-The Green Fairy had started out as a type of medicine.”

“... Many clandestine distillers certainly started out to put food on the table…a pair owned an auto body shop, using their client’s car to hide their contraband…An ambulance driver put the absinthe in his ambulance, turned on the siren and he could deliver absinthe wherever he wanted.”

Our forger had been amassing absinthe collectibles for more than two decades and was part of the global absinthe underground before the drink became legal again, when reintroduced in Switzerland in 2005. “A new generation of collectors was born,and prices for absinthe…shot up.” Pre-ban absinthe might be discovered in old estates and cellars, even behind walls, however, the availability of these historic, unopened bottles was scarce. It was felt that “the bottle was ’living” when [it was] closed with the original cork.” The forger often discovered rare vintages that he could sell within the absinthe collector market. It was too good to be true.

As a lover of Belle Epoque novels, I noticed that many protagonists consumed absinthe. I wondered about its use and possible addictive nature. This detailed history of absinthe and true crime story provided a window into the world of the absinthe of old as well as the new ingredient additives of the present day drink.

Highly recommended.

Thank you Melville House Publishing and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this eARC.

The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit by Evan Rail is a captivating dive into the shadowy world of absinthe, a drink shrouded in mystery and myth. Rail, a seasoned journalist, unravels the intricate tale of a notorious forgery scandal that rocked the absinthe community, blending historical intrigue with a modern-day detective story.

The book centers around the enigmatic figure of the forger, whose counterfeit absinthe bottles duped collectors and connoisseurs alike. Rail’s meticulous research and engaging narrative style bring to life the complex web of deceit and betrayal that ensnared both the unsuspecting and the complicit. The story is about the forger’s cunning schemes and about the passionate individuals who dedicated themselves to preserving the authenticity of this storied spirit.

Rail’s exploration of absinthe’s history is informative and fascinating, shedding light on its cultural significance and the myths that have surrounded it for centuries. From its origins in the 18th century to its ban and eventual resurgence, the book provides a comprehensive look at how absinthe has captivated and confounded people across generations.

The pacing of the narrative is brisk, with each chapter revealing new twists and turns that keep readers hooked. Rail’s ability to weave together historical facts with personal anecdotes and interviews makes for a compelling read that is both educational and entertaining.

For those interested in true crime, history, and the world of spirits, The Absinthe Forger offers a unique and engrossing story. Evan Rail has crafted a book that not only uncovers the truth behind a major scandal but also celebrates the enduring allure of absinthe. This book is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the darker side of history and the lengths people will go to deceive and be deceived.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Melville House Publishing for an advance copy of this book that looks at the most fabled of alcoholic drinks, used by writers and artists to open their minds, and the criminal mind that destroyed the trust and a few wallets of its modern devotees.

In the parlance of social media, I am a lurker. For all of my interests, I don't belong to anything online, even really off-line. I've gone to a few conventions for comics, and science fiction, but my shyness and self-esteem, really anyone that would have me in a club is not a club I would want to be a part of, keeps me on the boundaries, rather than an active member. As a lurker I see a lot of groups start, slowly engage others, maybe even start a movement. Than fall apart, either from the next big thing, petty arguments, or in worst cases a lack of trust. People start trolling, words are said, things fall apart. Sometimes thought these groups get ugly, accusations of real crimes, transactions not going through, items not being what listed. Even calls of fakery. This happened to one group devoted to the love of both a drink and a lifestyle that it represented. One that was banned by countries for being poisonous to the body, these believers became poisoned by one grifter who ruined things for a lot of people. And journalist Evan Rail set out to find why. The Absinthe Forger: A True Story of Deception, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Dangerous Spirit is a look at a series of crimes among fans of an spirit, once banned for the elation it caused, a history of a lifestyle and a drink, and the motivations of both fans, and people who love to fool others.

Absinthe was a drink that made artists see the world differently, helped authors find words, and get many people through their day. A drink with rituals for enjoyment, and one with a taste that ranged over regions and countries. Until countries decided to ban it. By the start of the 21st century, a drink popular at the fin-de-siècle of the 19th was making a comeback. Distilleries were legally making the drink, banned almost 90 years before, antiques of the era were suddenly in demand, and absinthe bars and clubs were beginning to fill with people who wanted to share in something. A secondary market also opened in pre-banned bottles of the drink, found in old wine cellars, houses, and other places. This bottles were drunk among friends, or kept to be enjoyed by the owners. This market seemed to have a finite term. How many bottles from over 100 years could keep appearing? One man seemed to have a nose for finding them. Christian was considered by many to know his stuff, a long time collector with an ability to find, and sell absinthe that no one else had. A power in the community so strong that no one really questioned his ability to find these treasures, even as cracks started to appear in the corks he used to bolster his story.

Evan Rail is a freelance journalist based in Europe who knows the world of spirits, and some of the people involved. As Rail came aware of something going on in the absinthe community, Rail began to investigate the world of absinthe in general, traveling around Europe, trying to find out why a person would counterfeit a drink, how one would go about it, and what draws so many people to the world of absinthe. The book is fascinating, dealing with history, distilling, botany, gas spectrographs, and the collector mind. Plus a bit on European trains. Rail is a very good writer, and a persistent writer trying to get to the heart of this conspiracy, who know what, and why so many people allowed themselves to be duped, and what does a person get out of duping others. While the detective work is interesting, the history was what I liked most, stories of bootleggers, falsifying tests on the dangers of absinthe back in the day. And of course the characters, who Rail does a very good job of profiling.

A book for true crime people, as well as people who have an interest in spirits, good journalism an very good writing. Rail is honest about himself, his writing, and the compromises one makes for a story, which I found enlightening. A surprising book that taught me a lot more than I knew, and I think I might have something new to lurk on the Internet about.

I do not know much about absence but I've always been intrigued by the way it pops up in stories about fascinating people like Toulouse Lautrec and Oscar Wilde. I'm also generally a fan of unusual history, so decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, I just could not connect with Rail's storytelling style. For such intriguing topics as notorious liquor and fraud, I found the tone oddly dry and dispassionate. Neither the third person trip into the mind of the forger now the details of the fraud itself seemed to have any drama or bang, despite the fact that you would imagine both to be right in such a tale. I think the writing style and my reading style just don't mesh well.

Veteran spirits writer Rail tackles a real-life mystery, the curious career of a counterfeiter of pre-ban absinthes, ostensibly made before 1915. Adding to the case's complexity: not only was the forger regarded as an authority in the tightly-knit world of absinthe aficionados, but he was even known to Rail. Rail not only investigates the story of "Christian," as the forger is called, but also dives deep into the history and culture of absinthe, a spirit with a controversial and largely undeserved reputation, as well as exploring the impulses that drive collectors in general. The book contains welcome flashes of autobiography, as Rail recounts the lot of the freelancer in the modern media era, admitting that he looks into the matter in part because he longs to follow a story all the way to the end. "Christian" did not merely commit fraud but also damaged what had been an open and vibrant community of enthusiasts, and Rail considers that toll, too. The only blemish on the book is that the forger remains a squirrelly, abstract presence, a state of affairs Rail can't control. A fascinating true-crime tale that engagingly plumbs the mania of obsessives.

The title of this book really intrigued me. I thought I was in for some kind of historical cat and mouse chase but that didn’t end up being the case. Instead it’s a very modern story about a very old alcohol with a very devout following. The author was mainly a food and travel writer, it he was friends with many people in various absinthe groups, including the forger and when he caught wind of the sorry, he was quite intrigued.

He ended up traveling to various counties in Europe meeting mutual friends of the absinthe forger and victims as well, to get their side of the story. It was absolutely fascinating to see the story unfold and wonder if justice would ever be served and if the forger was going to be caught. I liked how the story was written more like many short articles than one long book. I felt like I could read it in bite size chunks, following him from country to country.

I’d definitely recommend this book to anyone who is curious about absinthe and enjoys how someone could forge bottles that are over 100 years old. I’ve never drank absinthe myself but absolutely want to try it now. It sounds like a very interesting flavor profile.

*I was given this book for free in return for my honest opinion*

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Please note this is a 4.5.

This was a really good read, and fascinating from the perspective of someone who has only the faintest of romantic notions about absinthe (mostly from a juvenile love of Oscar Wilde) and wanted it to be her first drink simply for those romantic notions. I had no idea about the history of the drink, and the fact that there was so much tied into prohibition, bans, propaganda, misplaced blame, and, of course, a roaring black market trade.

Rail does this part of the novel really well - setting up a story of a forgery that crossed country borders and affected the absinthe collectors market in a deep and scarring fashion. The book is definitely well-written as a travel novel, with a lot of work that has gone into speaking to the affected parties in the recent forgery, learning the circumstances of those affected by the original ban and why and how things went the way they did, and so much more. This book was beautifully written, and the descriptions of the absinthe too were like a fantastic food and wine guide. It even induced me to go out and get myself a bottle of a slightly more interesting brand than Green Fairy!

I will say that the end of this was not quite as good as the rest of the book- I did think that it was unfulfilling, but I also understand that is part of the point of it, but I think it just could have been done a bit better. I would have loved to see a few more bits tied up at end of the novel, hence the 4.5 star rating. All in all, this is a really good read on a fascinating niche topic, and well worth a look!

Let me preface this review by saying I had no prior interest in Absinthe but I do like to read stories about exposing fraud so I checked this book out.
The Absinthe Forger starts with an imagined look into the mind of the titular Forger and alternates between detailing the history of Absinthe and how the Forger established themselves as an authority in the niche community of people who are fascinated by Absinthe.
Overall, it's an interesting story. I think the chapters about the history of Absinthe and its culture in the past were interesting. For me, the fraud story was less engaging which was a little surprising. It isn't a particularly exciting story to read as an outsider but I think if you are a fan of Absinthe or like learning about the history of different liquors and the social culture around them, you would enjoy this book.

This is one of those books that I would have never expected to pick up, but I'm glad I did. Absinthe is a very niche thing, and the only reason why I was interested in the book is because I had stumbled across a video about it and then came across this ARC and wanted to read more about it. This book dives into such a niche thing but does so in a way that is entertaining, and you learn so much about this one thing and the interesting history behind it. Rail was great in the storytelling that surrounded the facts and history given so that the book didn't seem like a history book but rather a well rounded exploration of the topic. It's a book about something niche, but honestly, these types of nonfiction books are what I look for because reading about things that I don't know a lot about is so much fun. This book is great if you are looking to learn about something new. You might think that it would be something boring. I can assure you it is not, and Rail makes sure you become over the moon excited to read about absinthe.