RueVerte.com offers a cool way to sample a number of different absinthe brands in one affordable package.

Talk about a groundbreaking idea! I've been buying absinthe from overseas sources for years now. The only issue I've ever had is trying to decide which bottles to buy. The selection is so wide and varied that you could go broke if you bought everything that looked appealing. A store has come along to help you with this dilemma.

I found a reference to three Swiss absinthe brands from the 1850-60s.

These brands and descriptions can be found in British & foreign spirits: their history, manufacture, properties, etc. By Charles Tovey
Published in 1864.

Gillard, Elise, and Co.— Absinthe, green. Extremely delicate.; character good.
August Lueba.— Absinthe and Gentian Water. Excellence of character.
Bosselet-Dubied.— Kirschwasser and Absinthe. General excellence.

Absinthe Devil Survey: 2010

Absinthe was re-legalised in the USA just over 3 years ago. Since then, about 70 absinthes have been approved for US launch, of which about 45 have now been launched in the USA (May 2010).

With so much choice, Absinthe Devil is often asked for our views on what are the best absinthes, and recommendations are published on our main site. We wanted, however, to get feedback from American consumers buying absinthe, and have conducted a survey of over 170 consumers. The results are now in, and the findings are very interesting:

Could this be the first ad for absinthe in the USA? From NYC in 1805.
Source: New York Mercantile Advertiser March 6, 1805

Could this be the first ad for absinthe in the USA? From NYC in 1805.
Source: New York Mercantile Advertiser March 6, 1805

This could be one of the earliest advertisements for absinthe in the USA (transcribed below). It was taken from the New York Mercantile Advertiser dated March 6, 1805. It is as follows: