How To Use Absinthe

Absinthe has once again turned into a popular drink and, with the legalization of a few brands of Absinthe in 2007 in America, it could even be declared that we are experiencing an Absinthe rebirth. Yet, some people don’t fully realize how to use Absinthe correctly or even what Absinthe is.

What Exactly is Absinthe

Absinthe is not a hallucinogen or a drug. It’s actually a strong alcoholic drink with an alcohol by quantity of as much as 75% and an anise flavor.

Legend has it that Absinthe was created by Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland during the 18th century as being an elixir for his patients. Through the turn of the 19th century Henri-Louis Pernod was distilling Absinthe and selling it commercially absinthe legal. Pernod made use of a wine alcohol base distilled with different types of herbal plants for example wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), fennel, aniseed, star anise, hyssop, lemon balm, angelica, juniper, dittany, nutmeg and melissa.

Absinthe, or La Fee Verte (Green Fairy) while it became known in France, became such a popular drink that it even becamevery popular than wine in France. Absinthe bars become popular and the “Ritual” or traditional technique of using and preparing Absinthe was born.

Absinthe was forbidden in France in 1915 after it had been claimed that Absinthe contained psychoactive chemicals and cause hallucinations, convulsions, insanity and death. Now it is known that these claims were false. Absinthe cannot and does not cause such effects. Absinthe was legalized in a lot of countries during the 1990s.

How to Use Absinthe the Common Approach

To prepare Absinthe in the standard technique is to utilize the “Ritual”.

You should have:-
– A large glass or Absinthe glass.
– Absinthe
– An Absinthe spoon – replica glasses and spoons are available online at AbsintheKit.com together with top-quality Absinthe essences to produce your own Absinthe.
– A sugar cube.
– A carafe of ice cold water.

Pour a shot of Absinthe in the glass.
Rest the spoon about the rim of the glass and place the sugar cube on the spoon.
Carefully drip, rather than pour, the iced water above the sugar to dissolve it.
Watch the Absinthe louche as the water mixes to the Absinthe. The essential oils inside the Absinthe are not soluble in water so result in the mixture to louche or go cloudy.
Blend your Absinthe and like the taste of the Green Fairy.

Remember that although Absinthe will not present you with hallucinations, it is a strong drink and it’s also very easy to get drunk on Absinthe. Absinthe is manufactured from a curious blend of herbs – some are naturally sedative naturally and others are stimulants. This combination of herbs can grant a very different drunkenness than that caused by other spirits or wine or beer. Some describe it as being a “clear headed” drunkenness.

The Czech or Bohemian Approach

With this method, after you have poured the shot of Absinthe in the glass you dip the sugar cube in the alcohol and then set it alight to the spoon using a match. After the sugar has caramelized and melted in the spoon and into the Absinthe, you add the iced water.

The Bohemian technique is a contemporary method and is also a bit of fun really rather than serious method of drinking Absinthe read here. It can also be slightly dangerous because the whole glass of Absinthe can catch fire, somewhat of a waste of Absinthe! Be careful.

The Ritual is easily the most popular method of using Absinthe but Absinthe may also be used in cocktails – make up your own or search on the internet for cocktail recipes to offer you inspiration on how to use Absinthe.

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