« House of Versinthe (Aix-en-Provence) | Main | A Happy Blur - Vera in New Orleans »
September 15, 2001
The Kid from Behind the Counter
Posted by Pierreverte at September 15, 2001 03:44 PM
We were all saddened and upset by the the news in New York. My brother (a bond trader who had known several from Canter-Fitzgerald on top of the Trade Center) was pissed. He was evacuated from the exchange building in Chicago on Tuesday morning and went back to work on Friday, as soon as it was possible to return. He wasn't able to give blood because too many people had already lined up, and my wife and I couldn't because we had too much mad-cow running through our veins as residents of France. My brother is fighting this war as he knows how, by being a capitalist, and being an open capitalist, is being a potential target. Peter Jennings' news crew had called the Chicago botanical gardens and asked about wedding receptions being held there that were affected by the attack. He was going to do a story on my brother's wedding. 40 of his guests couldn't make it, but were safe. The story was much more difficult and painful for many others. My brother didn't want reporters there because then the terrorists would know his name and might come after his family or his guests. Knowing we were celebrating life going on, we thought it was funny that he reacted that way, I realize now he was concerned about us. He will be a good husband and father.
The rehearsal dinner went well and we were all heading back to my brother's house.
"Can we stop by 7-11?"
My brother's fiancée thought it was weird and my wife knew I was up to something that had to do with absinthe. We pulled in and I saw him behind the counter, busy helping someone else. I knew I would have to figure this out on my own... The machine was in the back, I hadn't used one before (in my time, it was not self-service) there were choices, but only one obvious one: red. But Mountain Dew? I became confused for a moment, but then what options did I have? Blue? I think not! I filled up a cup, the second biggest and could not find a lid that fit it.
"That's disgusting!" My wife exclaimed and looked at me with disappointment.
"You're not going to drink that?!"
"Well, not by itself!"
I brought it up to the the counter, still not sure if it was a cherry slurpee, so I asked him his advise. Yeah, it's a cherry slurpee. Good, can I take a picture of you? Ok, he was of few words, but answered my questions very quickly, without hesitation. I paid him and we left. I asked my wife to hold up the cup in front of the sign. Amazingly, she did, although looking like she wanted to hit me. We went back to the house and I started setting up the bottle and glasses for a photo shoot. Everyone else had a beer or some wine. No one wanted any nor was interested in what I was doing, so I had my wife take some pictures as I fixed myself a glass, not really knowing the precise "Head Ritual". The cherry/citrus-ness of the slurpee blended with the serpis (at least visually, it looks like it works) although the frozen drink stunned the bouquet and louche of the absinthe. It tasted very---sweet. Again hard to define because of the cold and the sweetness but like others have described serpis, it tasted "red". There is no better definition. I sat down in front of the TV and my brother humored me by tasting it.
"That's very sweet! yes, but it isn't traditional absinthe. Well what is this?"
"Uh, I can't really explain it"
My brother returned to his beer. I sipped the drink to the bottom and made myself another. As I set it down my wife exclaimed:
"Another! What are you trying to do? Get wasted?!"
She'll never understand, nor does she want to. God bless America.