Absinthe Fairy

Absinthe was initially invented in Switzerland by way of a French doctor Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Initially it had been considered as a digestive tonic. The initial absinthe distillery was opened up in Switzerland by Henri-Louis Pernod. In 1805, Pernod moved to a larger distillery in Pontarlier, France. By the middle of the nineteenth century, absinthe had become the favored drink of the upper class in France and Europe. It had become passionately called as the green fairy (La Fee Verte) or absinthe fairy.

While in the initial years it had been wine based; however, in 1870’s the destruction of the vineyards forced manufacturers to use grain alcohol. This made absinthe very well liked as now everyone meet the expense of it and the bohemian lifestyle of the nineteenth century embraced it. The green fairy was extremely popular in France and it was common for the French to begin their day with the drink and end the day together with the green fairy. It was widely believed that absinthe had aphrodisiac attributes. Great writers and artists credited their imagination to absinthe.

Absinthe is essentially an alcoholic beverage created with an extract from the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). When poured in a glass it is actually emerald green and extremely bitter. The absinthebook bitterness is because of the presence of absinthium. Traditionally absinthe is taken with sugar cube and also ice cold water. Complex ritual is followed in the preparation of the drink which enhances its aura and mystery.

The conventional French ritual involves pouring an oz of absinthe inside a glass and placing a special flat perforated absinthe spoon on the glass. A sugar cube is then placed on the spoon and ice cold water is slowly dripped on the sugar cube. As the sugar cube dissolves in water it falls to the glass. Ice cold water will then be combined with the glass. As water is added, the absinthe drink turns opaque white. This is called the louche effect. Louching happens as essential oils are precipitated out of the alcoholic solution. The drink is stirred with the spoon and then sipped little by little. The Czech ritual is much more fun and fascinating. In the Czech ritual, absinthe is poured inside the glass and a flat perforated spoon is positioned at the top, a sugar cube will then be placed on the spoon and after that the cube is saturated in absinthe and ignited. As the cube caramelizes and melts it falls in the glass, ice cold water is then added and the drink is sipped slowly.

Absinthe is likewise called as absynthe; it is known as absenta in Spanish. Some of the famous personalities that were avid drinkers of absinthe included Edouard Manet, Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Oscar Wilde. Absinthe has created a sensational comeback these days with a lot of European countries lifting the prohibition imposed at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is actually fine liquor with high alcohol content. Pastis is comparable to absinthe and it was also originally created from wormwood. Nonetheless, licorice is the major flavor in pastis.

Anyone in Europe can now buy absinthe and relish the company of the green fairy or absinthe fairy. People in the USA can get absinthe on-line from non-US producers. It is actually legal to have and drink absinthe in the US.