Ethereal, whimsical, daring, and just plain delicious — Ottawa Magazine’s summer ‘101 Tastes’ issue provides the ultimate must-try list for local gourmands. Try all 101. Available on newsstands throughout June, July, and August, or order online.

#89. Taboo at Absinthe
Myths have always swirled around it. There are still those who claim, despite the debunking, that absinthe has naughty hallucinatory powers. Over the years, it’s been vilified and banned, celebrated and elevated, but if you’ve never tried it, best belly up to the bar in West Wellington and see what all the kerfuffle has been about. Pat Garland’s restaurant, Absinthe, is the place to go for an education. It carries Taboo, the only Canadian artisanal absinthe. Made in British Columbia by Okanagan Spirits, it stars fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, petite wormwood, grande wormwood, and star anise. There’s a certain ritual involved in drinking absinthe — a special spoon, a thick glass, a sugar cube — and to add to the pleasure of the absinthe 101 you’ll find at Absinthe, there’ll be some dizzyingly good food to accompany it. $14. Absinthe, 1208 Wellington St. W., 613-761-1138. ~ Anne DesBrisay