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” , Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It was given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they brought the drink home with them. Special Abinthe bars opened over Paris and 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!
Absinthe Absenthe History
Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the town of Couvet in the 18th century as an elixir or tonic 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 using a wine base with various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium). aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.
Among known drinkers of the Green Fairy were Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Degas, Gauguin, Verlaine and Baudelaire.
When in France, Absinthe became more popular than wine, the prohibition movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-
– Wormwood contains Thujone, thought to be very 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, to cause hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane.
It was claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – an 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 several other countries around this time.
Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very 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 who have only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.
All About 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 herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. To make your own Absinthe, mix with either Everclear or vodka. There are four types of essence available.
How to Prepare Absinthe
The proper way to prepare Absinthe is to follow this ritural:-
– Pour 25 – 50 ml of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– The slotted Absinthe spoon is rested on top of the glass.
– Put a sugar cube on the slotted spoon.
– Drip water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Look for the Absinthe louche.
– Drink your wonderful Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.