There is much renewed interest in Absinthe, which is also known as the Greeny Fairy or La Fee Verte. People want to know how to buy it, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the amount of Absinthe to use when preparing a drink.
First be certain to buy a quality Absinthe which is rich in oils and that contains worm wood. Be sure to buy Absinthes that contains wormwood instead of the many fake or substitute Absinthe that are on sale. Be sure you buy a real Absinthe. If you are in a country where it is hard to find a good quality Absinthe then you can make your own using essences from AbsintheKit.com.
When you have your Absinthe, you will need to learn The Ritual or La Louche. This traditional way of preparing Absinthe using one shot of Absinthe. Here are the instructions to follow:-
To perform the Ritual, you will need a lump of sugar, a slotted Absinthe spoon, iced water, and Absinthe glass.
– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– Place the special Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar in it.
– Slowly drip iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. Dripping it slowly will give the sugar time to dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. You will probably see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The absinthe louches because the oils of the herbs are solube in alcohol but not in water so therefore makes the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
– Sit down and enjoy your drink.
The Czech or Bohemian Method is very similar to the Ritual but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. Absinthe followers rather scorn the Bohemian method.
Tips and instructions for using the Bohemian method:-
– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the cube of sugar into it and soak the sugar.
– Plcace the cube of sugar on the Absinthe spoon and rest the spon on the rim of the glass.
– Set the sugar cube alight for one minute to allow the surgar to melt and caramelize. The sugar should drip thru the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
– Place the spoon into the glass while pouring the iced water into the Absinthe to put out flames and to cause the liquid to louche.
– Enjoy.
To properly enjoy your Absinthe then you will want some Absinthiana – Absinthe glasses, spoons and even an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. Replicas of antique spoons and glasses can be purchased from AbsintheKit.com.
So, when preparing Absinthe drink, what is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use? About 45 ml or a shot glass full in the US. Obviously, Absinthe can be used in cocktails – search for recipes online.