Absinthe spoons, Absinthe glasses, fountains, drippers and brouillers are all collectively known as Absinthiana and are the accoutrements used in the preparation of Absinthe. As original items are now highly valued by collectors so these antiques and collectibles are being sold for quite substantial prices.
If original Absinthiana is unaffordable then one can purchase replicas from companies like AbsintheKit.com.A person can go through AbsintheKit.com for the preparation of perfect Absinthe.
Types of Absinthe Spoons
Absinthe spoons, cuilleres, were introduced in the 1880s to make Absinthe preparation easier. In the past perforated cups over Absinthe glasses had been used. To drip water and sugar into the Absinthe slots were made in these spoons.
Absinthe spoons or cuilleres are available in various shapes and size and prepared from many different kinds of metal. 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. In 1889 the opening of the Eiffel Tower was commemorated by the famous spoon having the design of the Eiffel Tower.
One can also get the second group of Absinthe spoons known as “les Grilles” or “Les Grillagees”. One can also buy “Les cuilleres” having a long handle and a cradle to hold the cube of sugar.
“Les Cuilleres de Poilus” is considered as one of the most popular Absinthe spoons. The Cuillere spoons were designed by soldiers at war from the materials like 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. Soldiers designed these spoons to fit their own drinking cups. These beautiful and unique spoons are now considered 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. Several nations legalized Absinthe in the 1990s after it was claimed that Absinthe was no more harmful than any other strong liquor and contained only small quantity of thujone.
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
– An Absinthe Glass
– Absinthe
– Need of iced water
Some people would also say that an Absinthe fountain, brouiller or carafe should be used for the water.
The process of preparing Absinthe
– Take about 25-50ml of Absinthe into a glass.
– Rest Absinthe spoon on the glass and put a sugar cube on it.
– Pour the iced water slowly onto the sugar cube. The louche is visible from the bottom of the glass.
Louching or clouding is caused because of non mixing nature of the essential oils in water. The finished drink should be milky or cloudy looking.
3:1 and 5:1 is the correct ratio of water and Absinthe.
The utilization of Absinthe spoons and other Absinthiana makes the Absinthe ritual enjoyable.