Dougal, if you have not already, you might want to post these questions on other forums, just to get the advice from more knowlegable Titanic buffs than I.

As far as 2nd and 3rd class possible having absinthe, its hard to say. It has been said that if you were in 2nd class you were trying to act like a first class person, and if there was a stigma on absinthe (which I do not know for sure), it may have passed over into second class and maybe even third.

It would be interesting to know how much the drink cost in 1912. If it was rather expensive I do not see it being prevalent in 3rd class bars.

I think if class of people on the ship could possibly have someone who drank absinthe, it might be the stokers at the boilers.

Historian John Maxtone-Graham stated in his book "The Only Way to Cross" that the "black gang" on coal burning ships had a very bad reputation as being a very crude, ruthless, rough bunch, getting into drunken fights at the drop of a hat.

Yet again, the White Star had a policy that any employee caught drinking onboard ship would be terminated, so it's hard to say.

Please let me know if you find anything in your research!