1. As a photo-forward fashion, beauty and lifestyle
magazine, Zink caters to a savvy, well-cultured
and upscale audience.
Its unique, inner-circle positioning lends the
monthlypublicationenormouscredibilityintoday’s
over-saturated magazine industry, attracting the
most avant-garde, fashion-conscious and ready-
to-spend readership.
THE ZINK READERSHIP*
DESIRABLE: women 61% / men 39% / single 74% / college educated 78%
ENGAGED: 89% took action as a result of reading
EMPLOYED: 85% employed / 42% professional/managerial / 22% self-employed
YOUNG: median age 28 / 75% under 35
WELL-TO-DO: $82,143 median HHI / 35% $100K+
Rate base 200,000 each issue / 6.8 readers per copy / total audience 1,360,000
STATS
85% of Zink readers are over the age of 21.
92% frequent bars, clubs or restaurants more than
once a week.
91% have attended an alcohol-sponsored event or
party within the last 12 months.
88% consider themselves “social” individuals.
77% have entertained 4+ people in their homes in the
past 6 months.
69% prefer premium liquor brands.
38% are social smokers
ZINK READERS ARE SOCIAL, OPEN-MINDED INDIVIDUALS WHO FREQUENT TRENDY BARS,
RESTAURANTS, AND CLUBS.
PLANNING SEASON2010
SPIRITS
For more information call 212.260.9725
*Source: Fairchild Media Study 2006
SUMMER 2008169
spirits
Sacred Heart
(Created by Jonny Raglin, Bar Manager at Absinthe
Brasserie and Bar, San Francisco.)
1 ½ oz. La Pinta Pomegranate Tequila
¾ oz. Lucid Absinthe
½ oz. Pallini Limoncello
¼ oz. fresh lemon juice
Combine all ingredients in a mixer with ice and shake.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a
twist of lemon.
after a century of obScurity Surrounding abSintHe,
we went in SearcH of tHe real tHing.
H
ere’s how it went down: In 1912, America banned
sales of absinthe, and the notorious Green Fairy
went into hiding. As the agency behind the ban, the
Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB)
singled out a compound called thujone as being responsible for
sending absinthe drinkers stark raving mad.
Thujone is a naturally occurring compound found in
wormwood (an herbaceous perennial plant), which is a key
ingredient in absinthe. Before significant research was conducted,
thujone levels were perceived to be particularly high in absinthe
— hence the TTB’s original ban. But get this: There actually
hasn’t been a law that prohibits absinthe by name for many years.
Gwydion Stone, founder of the Wormwood Society and creator
of Absinthe Marteau, sheds interesting light on the situation. He
explains, “Although absinthe itself was banned in 1912, the original
prohibition was replaced in 1972 by a rule that simply governs
thujone levels. What most of us didn’t know until recently was that,
according to this rule, ‘thujone-free’ means less than 10 ppm (or
roughly 10 mg per liter). That means even pre-ban absinthe, which
fell within that limit, would be legal… as are today’s absinthes that
are made to pre-ban standards.”
Viridian Spirits, owners of Lucid Absinthe Supérieure, and
distiller and chemist Ted Breaux, were instrumental in getting the
TTB to re-examine the thujone levels in absinthe. “No laws have
been changed,” reiterates Breaux. “Instead, we made a strong case
based on science to urge the government to review their antiquated
views on absinthe. It took months of demonstrations
to prove that the amount of thujone in absinthe is so
minuscule, it’s insignificant,” he explains. With the
drink’s thujone levels finally demonstrated to be less
than 10 ppm, true absinthe was back in business in
the United States.
So what exactly is absinthe? According to Stone,
it’s “an unsweetened, wormwood-flavored spirit
distilled from anise, fennel and Artemisia absinthium
(wormwood).” Although it’s not a hallucinogen,
absinthe aficionados do admit to a state referred to as
the “secondary effect.” Says Breaux, “It’s essentially
a sense of clarity and lucidity; that’s why we call
our absinthe ‘Lucid.’” Absinthe is extremely high
proof, hence the necessity to add water, which turns
the spirit a milky hue. The most traditional way to
consume the stuff is with a specially made absinthe
fountain, which slowly drips ice-cold water into a
glass of absinthe. A cube of sugar on a perforated
spoon is sometimes perched over the glass to temper
the drink’s slightly bitter tang. It makes for stunning
theatrics, and it provides a refreshing, herbal aperitif
that’s worth the ritual. Or if you haven’t got a
fountain and slotted spoon handy, just mix up this
tasty concoction. PAMELADEVI GOVINDA
Drink.indd 3 4/23/08 7:14:34 PM