Understanding How To Drink Absinthe

How to drink Absinthe properly is the issue lots of people have when they have managed to get hold of a bottle of the Green Fairy. In La Belle Epoque in France everyone knew how to serve and drink Absinthe, it was part of the way of life and was even more popular compared to wine.

The information of how to drink Absinthe was lost until recent times due to ban on Absinthe in many countries for several decades. In the United States it was banned in 1912 and Absinthes like the “Lucid” brand only have just gone on sale in the US www.absinthe-kits.com in 2007.

How To Drink Absinthe Utilizing the Traditional “Ritual”

This is the authentic technique for preparing Absinthe employed in pre ban times in the 19th century in France and Switzerland. There’s an art to using this method and it lies in utilizing a steady hand.

– Pour a shot of Absinthe straight into an Absinthe glass or huge glass.
– Rest a slotted Absinthe spoon on the top of the glass and place a cube of sugar over the spoon.
– Slowly drip iced water on the sugar in order that the sugar dissolves and drips throughout the slots in to the Absinthe. Either make use of an Absinthe fountain or dripper to manage the dripping or use a very steady hand to pour the water coming from a carafe.
– Observe the Absinthe louche (become cloudy) as the water mixes in the alcohol.
– Enjoy your Absinthe.

How To Drink Absinthe While using Modern day Bohemian or Czech Technique

This is a more sophisticated method which is a bit of fun and is scorned by many Absinthe drinkers. It’s often used in combination with cheaper Czech Absinthes and Absinthes which have a lower alcohol content. Care has to be taken when setting alcohol alight.

– Pour a shot of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Saturate the sugar cube in the Absinthe and then place on an Absinthe spoon resting on the rim of the glass.
– Employing a lighter or match, set the sugar on fire and observe it as it caramelizes , melts and drips in to the Absinthe, it may set the Absinthe on fire too.
– Carefully pour iced water to the Absinthe to extinguish the flames and to make the Absinthe louche.
– Ingest your Absinthe.

Percentages of water to Absinthe depend on taste but a ratio which is between 3:1 and 5:1 water to Absinthe is the advised dilution.

How To Drink Absinthe in Cocktails

Ernest Hemingway famously created “Death in the Afternoon” – a cocktail of Absinthe plus champagne, but there are several other cocktail recipes for Absinthe. You do have to remember that Absinthe is certainly a strong Alcoholic drink and is approximately twice the potency of other spirits like vodka and whisky.

Cocktail ideas:-

Absinthe and Vodka – Blend 3 parts Absinthe with one part good quality vodka inside an iced glass (out of the freezer) and garnish by using a sprig of mint.

Absinthe Explosion – Blend 3 parts Tequila, 4 parts vodka, 3 parts whisky and 7 parts Absinthe. Include ice and after that stir.

Absinthe Bloody Mary – Put 1 shot of Absinthe right into a cocktail glass with ice and top up with tomato juice. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce and season with salt and pepper.

There are plenty of other ways of how to drink Absinthe and you can even invent your own personal cocktails.