As Absinthe has become a popular drink and with the legalization of a few brands of it one can experience an Absinthe revival. Yet, some people don’t really know how to use Absinthe correctly or even what Absinthe is.
What is Absinthe
Absinthe is not a hallucinogen or a drug. It is a strong alcoholic beverage with an alcohol by volume of up to 75% and an anise flavor.
Absinthe was created as a medicine by Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland in the 18th century. By the turn of the 19th century Henri-Louis Pernod was distilling Absinthe and selling it commercially. Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), fennel, hyssop, lemon balm, angelica,aniseed, star anise, juniper, dittany, nutmeg and melissa were also used along with a wine alcohol base distilled with different types of natural herbs by Pernod.
People of France prefer Absinthe to wine. Absinthe bars became popular and the “Ritual” or traditional method of using and preparing Absinthe was born.
Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 after it was claimed that Absinthe contained psychoactive chemicals and cause hallucinations, convulsions, insanity and death. All over the world these claims have proven themselves wrong on careful examination. There is no chance of these effects due to Absinthe. Absinthe was authorized in several countries in the 1990s.
How to Use Absinthe the Traditional Way
To prepare Absinthe in the traditional way is to use the “Ritual”.
The requirement is:-
– A large glass or Absinthe glass of appropriate size.
– Absinthe
– An Absinthe spoon– replica glasses and spoons can be purchased online at AbsintheKit.com along with top-quality Absinthe essences to make your own Absinthe. Top-quality Absinthe essences is essential for making one’s own Absinthe.
– Take a sugar cube.
– Sufficient amount of carafe of iced water.
A person has to pour a shot of Absinthe into the glass.
The spoon should be kept motionless on the rim of the glass before putting the sugar cube on it.
Gradually drip the iced water over the sugar to make it soluble.
One can see the Absinthe louche as the water mixes into the Absinthe. The mixture louches due to the insolubility of the essential oils in water.
A person can enjoy the taste of the Green Fairy after stirring his Absinthe.
Remember that although Absinthe will not give you hallucinations, it is a strong drink and it is very easy to get drunk on Absinthe. Herbs that are naturally sedative in nature and stimulants are used to make Absinthe. The drunkness caused by this blend of herbs are different than that caused by other drinks. A few people describe it as a “clear headed” drunkenness.
The Czech or Bohemian Method
With this method, once you have poured the shot of Absinthe into the glass you dip the sugar cube into the alcohol and then set it alight on the spoon with a match. After the caramelization and melting of sugar the iced water van be added into the Absinthe.
A person cannot have that fun with serious method as experienced with the Bohemian method. It can be risky as the whole glass of Absinthe can catch fire, a bit of a waste of Absinthe! Be careful.
Away from the Ritual method one can also search on the Internet for using Absinthe in cocktail recipes.