During my last visit in Hamburg I decided to buy a nice bottle to drink on special occasions. Today i such an occasion and I have just tried a new brand of my favorite drink, Absinthe. It all started during my french class during high school when we had an assignment about french culture and of course I wrote about the food and wine. I also found another drink I never heard about before. You guess it, Absinthe!

Absinthe has a worse reputation than any other alcoholic beverage in the world. It has been said that you will meet the green fairy if you drink it. It was very popular under the early 1900. It has been told that any famous writers, poets and artists drank a lot of this particular potion to get creative visions. When the world later entered a rough time with an rapid increase in crime, Absinthe got the blame. One of the herb which was used during the manufacturing of absinthe is called worm-wood which is know to contain a neuro-toxin called Thujone. That fact that people during this era drank huge amounts of alcohol was by-passed. Absinthe was made illegal in many countries but got re-introduced a few decades later.

So is Absinthe that bad for you? Of course it is... it is alcohol and contain 7 empty calories per gram alcohol plus the sugar that is added but the stories about thujone are very exaggerated. Modern studies have shown that the amounts thujone found in todays absinthe won't make you see any green fairies. And if you do... you can't be sane:) Check this link for more information.

My choice this time was a german Absinthe called Tabu Absinth-classic strong. It has 73% alcohol so it should be mixed with 3-5 parts water. Many of todays absinthe got tons of added colors, flavors and sugar. Tabu-classic strong is made naturally with no added sugar which makes it one of the best once I have tried.

I also think it is important to spend some time preparing the drink properly. Sure, there is several different cocktails witch is based on Absinthe but in my opinion the best way to enjoy absinthe is mixed with water and possibly burn a cube of sugar to bring out more flavor.

Now, being a personal trainer and all I would not go as far as recommending any of you to drink alcohol but if you are going to have a glass or two, make sure to make it worth while and choose something great. In my opinion Tabu-Absinthe classic strong is a good choice. It gets 4 fairies of 5 possible:)

2009 has started. Happy New Year! Let's make the most of it.

For most people in Australia the 13th of december is just another summer day. In sweden it is tradition to celebrate Saint Lucia, an italian saint who lived in Sicily  during the 4th century. She dedicated her life to helping others. Lucia died a martyr's death when she refused to marry a man which she did not love.

Short after arrival I got the first cheeky comments thrown to me over the radio. I never met Kate before but Merrick and Rosso hosted the aussieBum Filmink Awards last year and our encounter was broadcasted on national TV. Check the media image gallery for some snaps from the event at the sydney state theatre. 

I figured that Kate is the more polite of the trio as I was prepared for the attack that never really came. With Merrick and Rosso, there is never a question if there will be an attack, you know it will.... you just don't know when or how hard it is going to hit. I guess that is what makes these events highlights you remember. What would the world be without a bit of humor?

It started to rain and I decided that I might as well jump in the pool? We had some more drinks, played a few games and finished off with a classical whirlpool. It was time to finish up. The time was 9.30am and I headed home for a quiet friday afternoon. Hit the gym, cook a nice meal and relax.  Damn, life is good these days...