Austin Photo Walk - Downtown Warehouse District with Absinthe

It's been a long time since I went on a photo walk.  For those of you that don't know what this is, it's taking a walk with your camera and taking pictures of interesting things and while getting in some photography practice.  This particular walk wasn't planned but rather done out of necessity because I've been babysitting for about 60 hours this week alone.  I decided this time to check out Austin's Warehouse district instead of exploring mother nature.

After spending a good 20 minutes looking for any free parking I decided to check out a restaurant and bar called Peche on 4th street.  Peche Website .  Ever since I read a very interesting article about a liquor called Absinthe in an issue of Maxim I've been curious to try it because Van Gogh drank it all the time to help him with his creativity.  According to Wikipedia "Absinthe (English pronunciation: /ˈæbˌsɪnθ/) is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic (45–74% ABV) beverage.^[1][2][3][4] It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood". Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but can also be colourless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as "la fée verte" (the Green Fairy).".  Peche is known for recreating cocktails that were popular during the prohibition and more notably Peche is an Absinthe bar.  Finally my chance to try the green fairy.

As I entered the beautiful restaurant I couldn't help but notice the amount of detail that the owner put into it's appearance.  The staff looked exceptional and the room made me feel as if I was in a speakeasy.  I immediately noticed the Absinthe behind the bar and the ice water Absinthe fountains on the bar.  These are used in the preparation of the Absinthe.  

I asked the bartender if I should try an Absinthe that was light and easy or should I go for the same caliber of drink that Van Gogh used to enjoy.  She told me I should be bold and try the Pernod.  Pernod Website.  Pernod is the original and strongest Absinthe on the market.  The flavor is similar to Black Licorice.  The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to pour it into an Absinthe glass and place a special slotted spoon over it.  Then add a large sugar cube on the spoon and place it under the ice water Absinthe fountain. The water then drops onto the sugar cube and slowly dissolves the sugar into the green drink below.  As this is happening the green liquid starts becoming lighter in color and almost milky green.  After the cube disintegrates you stir the drink and enjoy.

Will this green fairy help connect me with artistic masters of yesterday?  Will this fairy spark new creativity?  There is only one way to tell.  Bottoms up!


Wow!  Pernod is STRONG.  I do enjoy black licorice flavor but this was intense.  So intense that drinking a cold water chaser wasn't helping.  The drink started making my tongue numb and after 10 minutes a nice buzz presented itself.  The flavor was so intense that it almost became a chore just to finish it.  But finish it I did.


Final analysis - Pernod is good but I don't recommend this for beginners.  Absinthe has a unique flavor and buzz.   If your into trying new and exciting things try Absinthe and be know that it's possible to mix Absinthe into a cool cocktail instead of drinking it the old fashioned way.  


I also want to add that if you visit Austin and want to experience downtown I recommend visiting the Warehouse District rather than 6th street.  I'll explain more later and we'll go over more about photo walks in an upcoming post.


Adios.