Absinthe is the legendary liquor of nineteenth and early twentieth century Europe. It had been a drink which was favored by great artists and intellectuals before being banned by almost all countries for most of the twentieth century www.absinthebook.com
. Absinthe or the “Green Fairy” has produced a very good comeback since most countries have now lifted the ban in the wake of new discoveries that proved it doesn’t contain substances that are unhealthy for humans. Since the lifting of the ban great deal of interest has been generated in the drink and the sophisticated serving ritual. In this article we will see how to drink absinthe following two traditional rituals.
Absinthe is anise flavoured bitter liquor produced from various alpine herbs. Wormwood or Artemisia absinthium is the main herb utilized in its preparation. Wormwood is made up of thujone a chemical which is widely thought to produce effects similar to cannabis. However, new research has proved that the outcomes of thujone are largely over-stated. Absinthe was very popular among great painters and writers, some popular names involved Vincent van Gogh, Ernest Hemmingway, Pablo Picasso, as well as Oscar Wilde.
Absinthe is not like every other spirit and an intricate ritual is followed in its preparation. Traditional French and Czech rituals are the two most implemented traditions used when serving absinthe.
The traditional French ritual needs a bottle of absinthe, absinthe spoon, absinthe fountain, sugar cube, absinthe glass, and cold water. A shot of absinthe (1.5 ounces) is poured in a unique absinthe glass. An absinthe slotted or perforated spoon is put above the glass and a sugar cube placed above it. Ice cold water is gradually dripped on the sugar cube from an absinthe fountain. As the water drips above the sugar cube it dissolves the sugar and falls in the glass. Once the sugar has entirely dissolved some more ice water is added in the glass to further dilute the absinthe. Generally two parts of water to one portion of absinthe is used. As absinthe gets diluted it turns cloudy white or opaque, this is called the louche effect. This happens as the essential oils from herbs contained in absinthe precipitate. The absinthe is now ready to be served.
The Czech ritual is much more modern and even more fun. One shot of absinthe (1.5 ounces) is poured inside the absinthe glass and absinthe spoon is put over the glass with a sugar cube. The sugar cube and the spoon is then dipped in absinthe and withdrawn. The absinthe soaked sugar cube will then be lighted with a lighter. As the flames engulf the sugar cube it caramelizes. The spoon is then dipped in the glass and cold water is added to further water down the absinthe. As water is added the absinthe becomes opaque white due to louche effect. The drink will then be served.
A note of extreme caution, absinthe has high alcohol content (about 140-proof) and ought to be consumed sparingly. The best way to drink absinthe is to sip it slowly to see the subtle and different outcomes of the herbs.
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