Absinthe
Absinthe is a unique 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.
Often known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and 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 opened in Paris and special Abinthe hours or “L’heure verte” begin taking place daily. In the middle of the 19th century, the distillers of Absinthe, were producing over 30,000 liters of the drink for the French people to buy!
Absinthe Drink The History of Absinthe
Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the town of Couvet in the 18th century as a tonic for his patients. The Absinthe recipe got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled the drink in Couvet and later in Pontarlier, France un the name of Pernod Fils.
Distillers 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.
Absinthe became more popular than wine, in France, and a movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-
– Thujone, in wormwood, was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was linked with artistic types and courtesans of Montmartre and their loose morals.
– Absinthe was thought to to cause hallucinations, 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 buying, selling and consumption of Absinthe was made illegal in france in 1815 and in other countries around this time.
Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very small amounts of thujone and is perfectly safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in many countries since the 1990s and here has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA which has only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.
The Drink Absinthe 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, simply mix with either vodka or Everclear. Essence is available in different types.
Prepare Absinthe
The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the following ritural:-
– Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
– The slotted Absinthe spoon is rested on top of the glass.
– Rest a sugar cube on the spoon.
– Drip ice water over the sugar with a Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Watch for the Absinthe louche.
– Drink your great tasting Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.