Absinthe
Absinthe is a strong liquor which is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), which is 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. Absinthe bars opened in Paris and special Abinthe hours or “L’heure verte” begin taking place daily. During the middle of the 19th century, the distiller Pernod, who distilled Absinthe, were making almost 30,000 liters of Absinthe every day for the French people to buy!
About Absinthe The History of Absinthe
History says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet in the 18th century as a tonic for his patients. The original Absinthe recipe eventually got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled Absinthe in Couvet and then later in Pontarlier, France under 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.
Known 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:-
– Wormwood contains Thujone, thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was linked with artists, writers 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 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 selling, buying 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 safe to drink. Legalized in most all countries since the 1990s, there has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA.
Absinthe 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. To make your own Absinthe, mix with either vodka or Everclear. Essence is availabe in four types.
The Prepartion of Absinthe
The proper way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the following ritural:-
– Pour between 25 – to ml of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Slotted Absinthe spoon can be rested on top of the glass.
– A sugar cube is placed on the spoon.
– Drip ice water over the sugar with a Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Watch the louche.
– Drink your Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.