About Absinthe
All About Absinthe
Absinthe is a very 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” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It was first given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they bought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars opened over Paris and Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. During the middle of the 19th century, Pernod, the distillers of Absinthe, were producing over 30,000 liters of Absinthe daily for sale to the French people!
About Absinthe About the History of Absinthe
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 recipte eventually reached the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled Absinthe in Couvet and later in Pontarlier, France using the name of Pernod Fils.
Pernod began with a base of wine adding several herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.
Famous drinkers of the Green Fairy were Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, and Ernest Hemingway.
When in France, Absinthe became more popular than wine, the prohibition 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 have psychedelic effects, to cause hallucinations, and to drive people insane.
It was even claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – just the excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The buying, selling and consumption of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in many other countries around this time.
Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains 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 who have only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.
Absinthe About 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 herbs such as wormwood, fennal and aniseed. Simply mix with either Everclear or vodka to make your very own Absinthe. Essence is available in four different types.
Preparing Absinthe
The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow a ritural:-
– Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Slotted Absinthe spoon may be rested on top of the glass.
– A sugar cube is put on the slotted spoon.
– Drip ice water over the sugar with a Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Watch 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.
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