Absinthe History
Absinthe
Absinthe is a strong liquor which is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), which is about twice as strong as other types of alcoholic beverages such as whisky and vodka.
Often known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It was first given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they bought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars opened in Paris and special Abinthe hours or “L’heure verte” begin taking place daily. In the middle of the 19th century Pernod who were the distillers of Absinthe, were making almost 30,000 liters of this drink every day for the French people to buy!
Absinthe All About the History of Absinthe
Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet in the 18th century as an elixir or tonic for his patients. The Absinthe recipte eventually reached the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled Absinthe in Couvet and later in Pontarlier, France using the name of Pernod Fils.
Pernod used a base of wine and various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.
Famous drinkers of the Green Fairy were Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, and Ernest Hemingway.
In France Absinthe became more popular than wine, and the prohibition movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-
- Thujone, in wormwood, was thought to be very similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
- Absinthe was linked with the loose morals of the artists, writers and courtesans of Montmartre.
- Absinthe was thought to have psychedelic effects, to cause hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane.
It was claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – which was just the excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The buying, selling and consumption of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in many other countries around this same time.
Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very small amounts of thujone and is safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in many countries since the 1990s and here has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA which has only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.
About Absinthe The Essences in Absinthe
To enjoy Absinthe, you can either order bottles of Absinthe online or you can make your own Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and are made using traditional herbal ingredients such as aniseed, wormwood, and fennel. To make your own Absinthe, simple mix with Everclear or vodka. Essence is available in four different types.
Prepare Absinthe
This ritural should be followed to prepare Absinthe:-
- Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
- Rest a slotted Absinthe spoon on the top of the glass.
- Put a sugar cube on the slotted spoon.
- Drip water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
- Watch the louche.
- Drink your wonderful Absinthe drink.
I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.
