"That way there will be more good absinthe for us."
OK, maybe you were joking. But I'm not.
This is horribly flawed thinking. We WANT MORE PEOPLE to learn what
good absinthe is. We WANT them to BUY it. We WANT premium absinthe
to be a profitable (albeit niche) industry that will attract more skilled
producers and let them keep their costs low by buying quality ingredients in bulk.
We want them to be able to make a living doing this, so their products will be
available regularly and at a reasonable price.
If we don't want this, then we really are just a bunch of elitist bastards. Thank god I've never tried adding up the money I've spent on decent absinthe -- I'd probably just conclude I was a fool for not getting into cocaine, which at least deserves its wicked reputation.