Absinthe is a powerful liquor that is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), about two times as strong as other kinds of alcohol based drinks like whisky and vodka.
Also known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the refreshment linked to La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It had been presented to French soldiers during the 1840s to treat malaria and they brought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars opened across Paris and special Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” happened daily. By the middle of the nineteenth century Pernod, distillers of Absinthe, were making over 30,000 liters of Absinthe each day for the French people to purchase!
With regards to Absinthe History
Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire developed Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet during the 18th century being an elixir or tonic for his customers. The Absinthe recipe in due course got int the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who initially distilled Absinthe in Couvet after which later in Pontarlier, France as of Pernod Fils.
Pernod utilized a wine base and various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.
Famous customers of the Green Fairy had been Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Degas, Gauguin, Verlaine and Baudelaire.
Absinthe became more widely used than wine, In France, and the prohibition trend campaigned to get Absinthe banned simply because:-
– Thujone, in wormwood, was believed to be akin to THC in cannabis and believed to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was connected with the loose morals of the artists, writers and courtesans of Montmartre.
– Absinthe was believed to have psychedelic effects, to result in hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane.
It was even alleged that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – only the excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to influence the government to ban Absinthe. The buying, selling and use of Absinthe in France was made outlawed in France in 1915 as well as in many other countries around this time.
Numerous studies have demostrated that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains small amounts of thujone and is completely safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in several countries since the 1990s and there has been an Absinthe rebirth in many countries, like the USA who may have only recently allowed a number of brands to be on sale.
With regards to Absinthe Essences
To experience Absinthe, you can either order bottles of Absinthe on the web or you can produce your own Absinthe making use of essences from AbsintheKit.com. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and are generally made using conventional herbal ingredients including wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Just mix with either Everclear or vodka to make your very own Absinthe. You’ll find four different types of essence available.
Concerning Absinthe Preparation
The right way to make Absinthe is to observe the ritual:-
– Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Rest a slotted Absinthe spoon on top of the glass.
– Put a sugar cube in the spoon.
– Drip iced water over the sugar utilizing an Absinthe fountain or pour gradually from a carafe.
– View the Absinthe louche.
– Drink your excellent Absinthe drink.
I wish that you’ve now learned information about Absinthe, the mysterious drink that has a very interesting past as well as a great taste.