About the Drink Absinthe
Absinthe is a uniquely strong liquor which is 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 opened over Paris and Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. In the middle of the 19th century pernod, who were the distillers of Absinthe, were making almost 30,000 liters of Absinthe every day to be sold to the French people!
All About Absinthe About the Absinthe History
History says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet in the 18th century as an elixir or 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.
Pernod used 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.
When Absinthe became more popular than wine, in France, the prohibition movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-
– Wormwood contains Thujone, thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was linked with artists and courtesans of Montmartre and their loose morals.
– Absinthe was thought to have psychedelic effects, and to drive people insane.
It was even claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – which was just the excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The selling, buying and consumption of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in many other countries around this same time.
Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very small amounts of thujone and is 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.
Absinthe Drink About the Essences in Absinthe
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 herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Simply mix with either Everclear or vodka to make your very own Absinthe. Essence is available in different types.
Preparation of Absinthe
The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow this interesting ritural:-
– Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– The slotted Absinthe spoon is rested on top of the glass.
– A sugar cube is put on the spoon.
– Drip iced water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or by pouring slowly from a carafe.
– Look for the Absinthe louche.
– Drink this wonderful Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.