Cultural References To Absinthe - Television

Television

Though less noteworthy than its influence in movies, art and literature, absinthe has also been depicted on many television series.

• The Fine Living Channel's flagship The Thirsty Traveler reality TV series dedicated an entire episode to absinthe in 2004. The host traveled to several distilleries in different countries and observed the process and flavors of contemporary absinthe.

• In the episode "Some Buried Bones" from CSI: NY, the victim who is leaving a secret society at Hudson University, returns his absinthe spoon as part of the de-initiation rite. The spoon is later found with the victim.

• Absinthe played a prominent role in HBO's cable television series Carnivàle. The drink is frequently consumed by the mysterious blind seer Professor Lodz (played by Patrick Bauchau) in the television series.

• Evil immortal Christoph Kuyler from the television series Highlander: The Series episode "For Evil's Sake".] is addicted to absinthe.

• Absinthe makes an appearance on Anthony Bourdain's Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations during the 2005 pilot episode, "Why the French Don't Suck", in which he visits France. The distilling process is discussed, and he drinks some "real" vintage absinthe.

• Betty Williams of Coronation Street starting drinking absinthe in one episode. The drink was also featured in rival British soap opera Emmerdale.

• In "The Big Lockout" episode of this UK comedy series Black Books the character Manny finds himself locked in his shop and proceeds to drink an entire bottle of absinthe as a substitute for water. In the episode he expects to go crazy, but ultimately just ends up with a bad hangover. Bernard also refers to it as "the drink that makes you want to kill yourself instantly."

• In episode 4 of the second series of The IT Crowd, the goth character Richmond states, at a dinner party, that he only drinks absinthe. However upon hearing that none is available he says that Carlsberg is fine.

• In episode 11 of the fourth Gossip Girl season, Serena van der Woodsen is shown preparing, and then drinking absinthe in a boarding school flashback.

• On an episode of the GSN series Late Night Liars, host Larry Miller was shown introducing Weasel to absinthe, commenting on its illegality and supposedly hallucinogenic nature. After just one sip, Weasel claimed that his bow tie was trying to "strangulate" him.

• During a speed bump task on episode 11 of Season 15 on The Amazing Race, Brian and Ericka had to make a shot of absinthe and drink it before receiving their next clue.

• In the British comedy series Bottom in the episode 'Dough', when Eddie is getting the drinks in, he asks Richie what he wants. Unable to make his mind up, he asks for a pint of absinthe. The bartender then declares that there's a gay pub down the road if he wants to go there. Later on, when they all take the first drink, Richie drinks a large amount, then spits it out declaring "This is shit!"

• In the episode The Perfect Cocktail of How I Met Your Mother Lily mentions that when Robin drinks absinthe she hallucinates that she is floating.

• On the 4th of May 2012 episode of Eastenders, Derek obtains many boxes of Absinthe and then hires Tyler Moon and Billy Mitchell to distribute around Albert Square. Later on during the episode, following an argument with her family, Lauren shows her friends Whitney and Lucy a bottle of Absinthe (which she had earlier purchased) from her bag and opens it, from here the episode ends on another cliffhanger.