Apr 28 2011
Information About Absinthe
Absinthe is a 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.
Often known as “The Green Fairy” , 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 all over Paris and special Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. During the middle of the 19th century, Pernod, the distillers of Absinthe, were making over 30,000 liters of abinthe every day for the French people to buy!
All About Absinthe All About the History of Absinthe
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 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 began with a wine base together with several herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.
Among famous or semi famous 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:-
- Thujone, in wormwood, was thought to be very similar to THC in cannabis and considered to be psychoactive.
- Absinthe was linked with the loose morals of the artists and courtesans of Montmartre.
- Absinthe was thought to have psychedelic effects, to cause convulsions 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 was made illegal in france in 1815 and in other countries around this time.
Studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very small amounts of thujone and is perfectly safe to drink. Legalized in most all countries since the 1990s, there has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA which has recently allowed a few brands to be marketed and sold.
All About Absinthe Essences
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.
Preparing Absinthe
The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the following ritural:-
- Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
- Slotted Absinthe spoon may be rested on top of the glass.
- On the spoon, put a sugar cube.
- Drip water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
- Watch the Absinthe louche.
- Drink your great tasting Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.
