Many individuals all over the world are asking “What is Absinthe alcohol?” because we appear to be experiencing an Absinthe revival at this time. Absinthe is viewed as a stylish and mysterious drink that is linked to Bohemian artists and writers, films for instance “From Hell” and “Moulin Rouge” and celebrities such as Johnny Depp and also Marilyn Manson. Manson has even had his personal Absinthe created called “Mansinthe”!
Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway talked of Absinthe offering them their creativity and genius. They even named the Green Fairy their muse. Absinthe features in lots of creative works – The Absinthe drinker by Picasso, The Absinthe Drinker by Manet and L’Absinthe by Degas. The writer Charles Baudelaire also wrote about that in his poetry too. Absinthe has undoubtedly inspired great works and it has had an amazing effect on history.
What is Absinthe Alcohol?
Absinthe is an anise flavored, high proof alcohol. It usually is served with iced water to dilute it and also to allow it to louche. Henri-Louis Pernod distilled it in the early 19th century simply by using a wine alcohol base flavored with natural herbs and plants. Standard herbs used in Absinthe production comprise wormwood, aniseed, fennel, star anise, hyssop and lemon balm, and also a great many others. Spanish Absenta, the Spanish term for Absinthe, is often a lttle bit sweeter than French or Swiss Absinthe as it works with a unique form of anise, Alicante anise.
Legend has it that Absinthe was created while in the late eighteenth century by Dr Pierre Ordinaire as being an elixir for his patients in Couvet, Switzerland. The recipe subsequently got into the hands of two sisters who began selling it as a a drink in the town and finally sold it to a Major Dubied whose daughter married in the Pernod family – the remainder is, as we say, history!
By 1805, Pernod had opened up a distillery in Pontarlier, France and started out producing Absinthe under the name “Pernod Fils” and, by the middle of the 19th century, the Pernod company was creating over 30,000 liters of Absinthe a day! Absinthe even grew to become more common than wine in France.
Absinthe had its glory days throughout the Golden Age of La Belle Epoque in France. However, it became connected with drugs like heroin, cocain and cannabis and was charged with having psychedelic results. Prohibitionists, doctors and wine makers, who have been upset with Absinthe’s level of popularity, all ganged up in opposition to Absinthe and was able to convince the French Government to suspend the beverage in 1915.
The good thing is, Absinthe has since been redeemed. Studies and tests have indicated that Absinthe is no more dangerous than almost every other strong liquor and therefore it does not induce hallucinations or harm people’s health. The claims of the early 20th century are now thought to be mass hysteria and untrue stories. It had been legalized within the EU in 1988 and the USA have granted various brands of Absinthe to be distributed in the US from 2007.
You can read more about its past and interesting facts on absinthebuyersguide.com and also the Buyer’s Guide and forum at lafeeverte.net. The forum is effective since there are reviews on different Absinthes. You can buy Absinthe essences, which make real wormwood Absinthe, together with replica Absinthe glasses as well as spoons at AbsintheKit.com.
So, what is Absinthe alcohol? It is a mythical, mysterious drink with an incredible history.