Absinthe spoons,Absinthe glasses, fountains, drippers and brouillers are all collectively known as Absinthiana and are the accoutrements used in the preparation of Absinthe. Original items are now highly valued by collectors and you see such antiques and collectibles being sold for quite substantial amount of money.
The replicas are the good option against the original Absinthiana.One can visit AbsintheKit.com to prepare the perfect Absinthe in style.
Types of Absinthe Spoons
Absinthe spoons, cuilleres, were introduced in the 1880s to make Absinthe preparation easier. Perforated cups over Absinthe glasses were being used in the past. To drip water and sugar into the Absinthe slots were made in these spoons.
Absinthe spoons or cuilleres come in various forms and are also made out of numerous different kinds of metal including silver, nickel and chrome. 375 different types of Absinthe spoon are there as per Marie-Claude Delahaye conclusion.
The French Pelle group of cuilleres includes the pretty “les feuilles d’Absinthe” which have got Absinthe foliage designs on them. Also in this group is the famous spoon design featuring the Eiffel Tower which was designed to commemorate the opening of the Eiffel Tower in 1889.
The second group of Absinthe spoons is the group of “les Grilles” or “Les Grillagees” meaning lattice. One can also buy “Les cuilleres” having a long handle and a cradle to hold the cube of sugar.
Among the most popular Absinthe spoons are “Les Cuilleres de Poilus”. A Poilu was a French soldier from the Great War and these Cuillere spoons were fashioned by soldiers at war using materials which were close at hand – shell casings, aluminum, tin and brass. These spoons were only made at the start of the war because Absinthe was banned in France in 1915. These spoons were created by the soldiers for their own drinking cups. Now a person can get these beautiful and unique spoons as highly collectible antiques.
Absinthe was banned because of the alleged psychedelic and psychoactive effects of thujone, the chemical found in the herb wormwood which is a major ingredient in Absinthe. Absinthe was legalized in many countries in the 1990s after it was claimed of having no harmful effects.
The Absinthe Ritual
There is a ritual to be followed by lovers of the Green Fairy (Absinthe). These are the required things for the preparation of the perfect Absinthe
– Types of Absinthe spoon
– Buying an Absinthe Glass
– Absinthe
– Iced water should be taken
Some people would also say that an Absinthe fountain, brouiller or carafe should be used for the water.
Methods to prepare the Absinthe:-
– Pour approximately 25-50ml of Absinthe into your glass.
– After resting Absinthe spoon on the glass place a cube of sugar on it.
– The iced water should be slowly dripped onto the sugar cube. One can see the louche appearing from the bottom of the glass.
Louching, or clouding, happens because the essential oils from the herbs are not soluble in water. The finished drink should be milky or cloudy looking.
The correct ratio of water and Absinthe is between 3:1 (Water to Absinthe) and 5:1 depending on taste.
The utilization of Absinthe spoons and other Absinthiana makes the Absinthe ritual enjoyable.