Absinthe: Hot or not?

In today's SF Chronicle Stacy Finz has a story on absinthe- will it outlive it's 15 minutes of fame? In it she lists some of the others coming to market.

The Swiss Kubler and French Lucid brands began distribution in the United States shortly after the absinthe ban was lifted last year. There are at least five more awaiting authorization from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau including Trillium, an absinthe being made in Portland, Ore. Gwydion Stone, an absinthe expert who founded the Wormwood Society, a nationwide club for lovers of the spirit, has teamed up with Portland's House Spirits distillery to make Marteau Verte Classique. The absinthe is awaiting federal approval.

Goth rocker Marilyn Manson is also jumping on the absinthe bandwagon, producing his own version in Switzerland. The aptly named Mansinthe hasn't yet received the proper licensing to be sold here. But the reviews, so far, have not been favorable. The Web site Epicurious compared Mansinthe's aroma to "sewage water or swamp mud."

Also in the story is a recipe for Jonny Raglin's Sacred Heart cocktail with pomegranate tequila, absinthe, and limoncello. Mmm.