May

23

Absinthe Information

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The Drink Absinthe

Absinthe is a uniquely strong liquor which is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), about twice as strong as other types of alcoholic beverages such as whisky and vodka.

Otherwise known as “The Green Fairy” Absinthe was the drink associated with Bohemian Paris. It was orginally given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they brought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars began opening all over Paris and special Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. By the middle of the 19th century, distiller Pernod, who were the distillers of Absinthe, were making over 30,000 to be sold to the French people!

All About Absinthe All About Absinthe’s History

History says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet in the 18th century as an elixir for his patients. The Absinthe recipe eventually got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled Absinthe in Couvet and then later in Pontarlier, France under the name of Pernod Fils.

Pernod began with a wine base and various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.

Among famous drinkers of the Green Fairy were van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway.

In France Absinthe became more popular than wine, and the prohibition movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-

- The ingredient Thujone, in wormwood, was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was linked with artists, writers and courtesans of Montmartre and their loose morals.
– Absinthe was thought to cause hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane.

After it was claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – this excuse was used by the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The consumption, buying and selling of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in other countries around this time.

Studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains small amounts of thujone and is safe to drink. Legalized in most all countries since the 1990s, there has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA which has recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.

The Drink Absinthe Essences

To enjoy Absinthe, you can either order bottles of Absinthe online or you can make your own Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and are made using traditional herbs such as fennel, aniseed and wormwood. To make your own Absinthe, simple mix with Everclear or vodka. There are four types of essence available.

Preparation of Absinthe

The proper way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the following ritural:-

– Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Absinthe’s slotted spoon can be rested on top of the glass.
– Place a sugar cube on the slotted spoon.
– Drip iced water over sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Look for the Absinthe louche.
– Drink your Absinthe drink.

I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.

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