The Absinthe spoon is an important part of the Absinthe Ritual known sometimes as La Louche. Absinthe equipment is known as Absinthiana which includes articles like Asbinthe glasses and glassware (such as carafes and fountains), drippers, brouillers and spoons or cuilleres. It is possible to buy antique items or to purchase replica absinthiana. Absinthiana allows you to enjoy drinking your Absinthe in style, in the traditional way.

Absinthe is an anise flavored alcohol made with herbs including wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Absinthe was banned in the early 1900s due to its thujone content and claims that it caused hallucinations and drove people insane. There are many references to Absinthe in the paintings and writings of many famous people including Oscar Wilde, Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Ernest Hemingway.

Absinthe is now legal in many countries and claims that it is dangerous and toxic have been disproved.

Types of Absinthe Spoon

Cuilleres, or Absinthe spoons, started to be used in Absinthe preparation in the 1880s to replace perforated cups that had previously been used to allow the sugar to dissolve in the water before dripping into the Absinthe. Absinthe spoons are perforated or slotted with holes or slots and are designed to rest on the top of an Absinthe glass.

The spoons came in a variety of sizes and were usually made out of silver, silver plate, nickel or chrome. Replicas today tend to be made from stainless steel. According to the Absinthe historian Marie-Claude Delahaye, owner of an Absinthe museum, there are more than 375 different Absinthe spoons which include:-

– The French Pelle – This spoon is shaped like a trowel and the most famous spoons in this group are the pretty “Les Feuilles d’Absinthe”, with their lovely Absinthe plant foliage designs, and the Eiffel Tower spoons which were designed to commemorate the opening of the Eiffel tower in 1889. The Pelle group of spoons is by far the most common group of spoons.

– Les Grilles or Les Grillages meaning “lattice” – This group of spoons is recognized by its lattice work designs.

– Les Cuilleres – This third group includes designs with a long handle and a cradle to hold the cube of sugar.

Absinthe was a popular drink with French soldiers, in fact French soldiers had been supplied with Absinthe in the 19th century to treat malaria. Soldiers in the Great War made Absinthe spoons from materials which were close at hand – aluminum, shell casings, tin and brass. These spoons are known as “Les Cuilleres de Poilus”, a Poilu being a French soldier. These unique spoons are highly collectible antiques because they were only made at the start of the war – Absinthe was banned in France in 1915. These spoons are beautiful and are all different because they were designed by soldiers for their own personal cup.

The Use of the Absinthe Spoon in the Ritual

The Ritual, or La Louche, is the name given to preparing Absinthe. In an Absinthe bar in the Green Hour, L’heure verte, Absinthe would be served by a waiter or bar man in a large Absinthe glass. The waiter would rest a sugar cube on a slotted Absinthe spoon and use a fountain or carafe to drip iced water over the Absinthe. Once the water mixed in to the Absinthe the essential oils in the Absinthe caused the drink to louche, become cloudy. This is because the oils are soluble in alcohol but not in water.

Replica Absinthe spoons and glasses can be purchased online at AbsintheKit.com along with additional items such as essences to make your very own traditional wormwood Absinthe.

Absinthe has an interesting history. Absinthe was created in the town of Couvet, in Switzerland, in the late 18th century by a French doctor who used it as an elixir or tonic for his patients. By 1805 the Absinthe recipes had got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who started distilling it in his factory in Pontarlier in France.

Original Absinthe Recipes

Pernod’s Absinthe, Original Pernod Fils, was distilled from wine and contained many natural herbs and essential oils from plants including grande wormwood, aniseed, melissa, fennel, lemon balm, dittany, angelica root, hyssop, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.

Different manufacturers of the Green Fairy (Absinthe’s nickname) used different recipes and ingredients. Other herbs used in Asinthe production included calamus root, mint, cloves, nutmeg, roman wormwood, anise seed, coriander, sweet flag and licorice. The herb wormwood, Artimesia Absinthium, was always used in the making of pre-ban Absinthe because it was the ingredient that gave Absinthe its characteristic bitter taste, as well as its name.

Wormwood contains the chemical thujone which was thought to be similar to THC in the drug cannabis. Thujone is psychoactive and can cause psychedelic effects when consumed in large quantities. Anise seed and fennel seed both contain anethole which is said to be psychoactive and Angelica root is grown as a drug in Lapland. Absinthe is a mysterious mix of sedatives and stimulants, no wonder that artists and writers like Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde claimed that it gave them their genius and inspiration! “A clear headed drunkenness” is how being drunk on Absinthe has been described.

Absinthe was famously banned in France in 1915 when Prohibitionists claimed that it was going to ruin the country and send everyone insane. However, studies have shown that drinking Absinthe is just as safe as drinking any of the other strong alcoholic drinks such as whisky and vodka. Absinthe is mainly alcohol and only contains minute quantities of wormwood and the other herbs so, if consumed in moderation, is no real health risk.

Homemade Absinthe Recipes

There are many Absinthe recipes on the internet using different herbs and different methods – steeping, filtering etc. but making Absinthe at home from plants, dried herbs or essential oils is not to be recommended. Why?
– Absinthe should be distilled.
– You have no way of knowing the thujone content of your finished Absinthe – a bit risky.

It is far better to buy either a quality Absinthe, making sure that it’s got the vital ingredient wormwood, or to buy an Absinthe kit which consists of Absinthe essences that have already been distilled.

You can even buy Absinthe in the USA now – Breaux’s label “Lucid” is legal in the USA.

AbsintheKit.com does great Absinthe kits which consist of:-

– Absinthe essence – choose from classic, white (which makes clear Swiss style Absinthe, Strong 55 (with a 55mg thujone content) and Orange (flavored with orange oil).
– A measure.
– Artistic Labels to decorate your Absinthe bottles.

One bottle of essence will make 14 bottles of Absinthe!

To make Absinthe using these kits you simply mix 20ml of the Absinthe essence with a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka and that’s it – finished, your won bottle of Green Fairy.

Simple and easy to use and, because these essences are the very same as the ones sold to distilleries, you know that you are getting a safe, top-quality product.

If you search online you will find lots of cocktail Absinthe recipes such as Ernest Hemingway’s famous “Death in the Afternoon” – Absinthe and champagne. Enjoy finding and mixing your cocktails.

Absinthe is a mind altering alcoholic beverage that is said to bring the drinker into an illuminated state of being and has do so to many, through out history.. There are different recipes that will instruct you on how to create this specialty in the comfort of your home.

There are three main ingredients that make up absinthe; this trio has been dubbed by some as the holy trinity, wormwood, anise and fennel. In any recipe that you find these three ingredients will always be present.

Artemisia absinthium, which is a species of wormwood is an herbal plant that contains thujone. Thujone is the component that is responsible for inducing drinkers with an illuminated perception. Wormwood is mainly grown in Europe but has been known to grow in some parts of the United States. If you plan on buying wormwood instead of growing your own do not buy massively produced wormwood from places like Turkey.

Anise is a flowering plant that is found through out the Mediterranean region. The seeds are what gives absinthe it’s licorice taste and cause the drink to cloud over, during the La Louche ritual. Anise also contains a substance called anethole that has mild psychedelic effects.

The last herb of the trinity is fennel. Fennel seeds play a balancing act between wormwood an anise; it sweetens wormwood’s bitterness and tones down anise’s sweetness.

Other then the three main herbs there are many other different herbs used in making absinthe, these herbs add flavor, aroma and color to absinthe: star anise, calamus, hyssop, coriander, mint, veronica, chamomile and Melissa.

There are a few websites that have different absinthe recipes that you can make at home. If you do plan on making your own homemade absinthe, remember that it is a very bitter drink, highly flammable and if your drinking it to get a buzz, drink it fast.

This is a recipe from the site www.newspeakdictionary.com it explains the process and ingredients in detail, for making your very own homemade absinthe concoction. The site also has some great absinthe drink mix recipes that you can experiment with.

1.5 oz Wormwood
1/3 oz Hyssop
1/3 oz Calamus Root
1/8 oz Fennel Seed
1 tsp Mint
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
2 Star Ansise fruits
Bottle of Everclear or 151 rum

• Grind up fennel, cloves and coriander (best way is to use a mortar & pestle)
• Mix mixture from step 1 with the rest of the dry ingredients and put in airtight container with 1000ml for stronger absinthe and 750ml for less potent
• Let mixture seep for a min of 2 weeks
• Strain liquid through a thin cloth to remove solids

Add in the following ingredients which will add some flavor to it

1/2 Dropper full of Wormwood Essential Oil
1/3 – 2/3 Bottle of Anise Extract
1 tsp Mint Extract
2-10 shots Ouzo

If you can make it past the first sip you are on your way to meet the infamous Green Fairy as the notorious absinthe drinker/poet Oscar Wilde said “The first stage is like ordinary drinking, the second when you begin to see monstrous and cruel things, but if you can persevere you will enter in upon the third stage where you see things that you want to see, wonderful curious things.”

There has been a renewed interest in Absinthe liquor about the world in the last decade since Absinthe’s legalization in many countries. Absinthe, also known as the Green Fairy or La Fee Verte, has only been legal in the United States since 2007, and only certain brands can be sold, so there is much interest in the liquor in the US.

What is Absinthe Liquor About?

Absinthe is a distilled anise flavored spirit which was created for medicinal purposes as an elixir or tonic by the legendary Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland. It became popular in Switzerland and France in the 19th and early 20th centuries and even overtook wine in popularity in France.

Absinthe is usually made from a wine base and is flavored with herbs. Its main herbal ingredients are common wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), which gives Absinthe its name and its bitter taste, aniseed and fennel. Other common herbs used in the production of Absinthe include hyssop, lemon balm, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg and licorice.

There are many different types of Absinthe liquor:-

– Verte – This is the classic green Absinthe of the French La Belle Epoque and the Absinthe favored by the Bohemian culture of Montmartre and consumed by artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine.

– La Blueu – Also known as La Blanche. This is a clear Absinthe. Bootleg Swiss Absinthe was clear during the ban.

– Czech Style Absinth – Some Czech Absinthes are normal Absinthes but this term refers to “Absinths” which are actually wormwood bitters and do not have an anise flavor.

– Absenta – Spanish Absinthe which has a sweeter flavor because it is made with Alicante Anise.

– Rouge or Rose Absinthe – This Absinthe has a naturally red color because of the added ingredient of hibiscus flowers.

You can buy many different types and styles of Absinthe online – traditional styles and modern classics which are based on vintage Absinthes but have a modern twist.

As well as buying these different types of Absinthe beverages, you can also make your own Absinthe from Absinthe essences. AbsintheKit.com supply essences to the Absinthe industry and to consumers. They make 4 different essences – a classic green Absinthe essence, a clear Absinthe essence, a strong essence which makes an Absinthe with a stronger bitter wormwood flavor, and an orange flavored essence which is flavored with orange oil and makes a lovely orange-yellow colored Absinthe. All the essences are made using top-quality herbs and are distilled so you don’t have to worry about distilling, simply order online and then mix with vodka or Everclear for your own wormwood Absinthe.

AbsintheKit.com also sell Absinthiana such as replicas of famous Absinthe glasses and spoons such as the Eiffel Tower spoon.

Absinthe is a very strong alcoholic beverage, up to 75% alcohol by volume, and is much stronger than whisky or vodka. Care should be taken when consuming such a strong spirit especially if it is being mixed with other strong spirits in cocktails – it is very easy to get drunk on Absinthe!

There are not many drinks like Absinthe liquor about which there are many myths, legends, lies and falsehoods – it has a very colorful and interesting history and is a lovely beverage to enjoy.

Absinthe liquor is a strong alcoholic drink which originated in Switzerland. It is an anise flavored spirit which has approximately twice the alcohol content of alcohol beverages such as whisky and vodka. Absinthe has a high ABV (Alcohol By Volume) but is usually diluted with water for drinking.

Absinthe is famous for its association with the french Bohemian crowd of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was a popular drink and Van Gogh is the most famous Absinthe drinker. It is said that Van Gogh cut off his ear under the influence of Absinthe. Other historical drinkers include Oscar Wilde, Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire and writer Ernest Hemingway who created an Absinthe cocktail called “Death in the Afternoon” which was made by mixing Absinthe with champagne.

Absinthe was also a popular drink in the Czech Republic, the USA and Catalonia in Spain.

What is Absinthe Liquor?

Absinthe is a spirit whose main ingredients are the herbs grande wormwood (Artemesia Absinthium), green anise and florence fennel. Other herbs and ingredients, such as licorice, star anise, angelica root, hyssop and sweet flag, are sometimes used in the production of Absinthe. These herbs give it its characteristic sour, bitter and aniseed taste It is available clear as Blanche Absinthe or La Bleue, but is generally emerald colored and that is why it was nicknamed “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”.

The banning of Absinthe in 1915 was a historic event. It was banned in many countries worldwide due to the alleged harmful effects of the chemical thujone present in the wormwood in Absinthe. The drinking of Absinthe was blamed for driving people insane and there was even a case where a heavy Absinthe drinker murdered his entire family. No regard was given to the fact that he was an alcoholic violent man anyway – his “insanity” was blamed on the two glasses of Absinthe he had consumed before drinking other alcohol. Absinthe was also thought to be addictive and a hallucinogen causing psychedelic effects similar to cannabis. These claims were entirely unsourced and Absinthe contained only minute quantities of thujone.

The French people very much missed the taste of Absinthe and so drinks such as Pernod Pastis and Ouzo became popular. These alcoholic beverages had the aniseed flavoring without the wormwood. The Absinthe industry was able to carry on in countries such as Spain. Portugal and the Czech Republic where Absinthe was never banned.

There was an Absinthe revival in the 1990s when studies showed that Absinthe was no more harmful than any other strong alcoholic drink. Many countries repealed their Absinthe ban and people were once again able to buy Absinthe by the bottle or in bars.

Making the Perfect Absinthe Liquor

There is a ritual to be followed in making the perfect Absinthe:-
– Pour Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Place a sugar cube on an Absinthe spoon and rest on top of glass.
– Pour ice cold water slowly over the spoon into the Absinthe.
– Watch the Absinthe louche and become milky.
– Enjoy your perfect Absinthe!

Absinthiana such as Absinthe glasses and Absinthe spoons are available to order online from companies such as AbsintheKit.com. Absinthe liquor essence is also available from AbsintheKit.com.

Absinthe liquor is also a great addition in cocktail recipes – search on the Internet for Absinthe cocktail recipes.

There are different types of Absinthe kits available to buy online, all of them designed to make your very own “Green Fairy” bottled Absinthe drinks.

With some kits you have to follow a recipe and steep a selection of traditional Absinthe herbs, such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel, for a few days or use a special 2 step steeping process. With other Absinthe kits, you have to mix Absinthe herbs with a neutral alcohol base, such as vodka, and then filter the mixture after a few days. Neither of these methods will make real Absinthe because there is no distillation involved.

Some of these Absinthe kits could also be dangerous. One available online claimed to make an Absinthe liquor with a thujone content of 80-90mg. Studies have shown that vintage Absinthe from the 19th century and early 1900s contained only a small amount of thujone, nowhere near 80mg! Thujone is a chemical found in wormwood which can be toxic and affect the GABA receptors in the brain causing muscle spasms and convulsions when consumed in large quantities.

Absinthe was banned in the early 1900s because it was thought to have psychedelic effects, cause insanity and hallucinations. This has now been totally disproved and Absinthe is legal in most countries. Absinthe is no more harmful than any of the other strong spirits such as whisky and vodka.

Absinthe Kits from AbsintheKit.com

The Absinthe kits from AbsintheKit.com contain an Absinthe essence, made from distilling traditional Absinthe herbs (wormwood, aniseed, fennel and star anise), bottle labels and a measure to measure out the essence. These essences are the very same essences which the company also sell to the Absinthe industry.

A 280ml bottle of essence makes 14 bottles of Absinthe and four types of essence are available:-

– Absinthe Classics Essence – The number one seller and the one that is sold the most to the Absinthe industry. This essence makes classic green Absinthe and a 750ml bottle of Absinthe made using this essence will contain 35mg of thujone.

– White Absinthe Pro – This essence will make a 35mg thujone content Swiss style clear Absinthe like a La Bleue. If you like the Swiss clandestine styles of Absinthe then this is the one for you.

– Orange Absinthe Pro – Flavored with real orange oil, this essence will make a wonderful orange flavored yellow-orange Absinthe with a 35mg thujone content. Absinthe with a twist!

– Absinthe 55 Strong Pro – This Absinthe essence makes a stronger and greener Absinthe with a higher thujone content – 55mg. This essence contains more wormwood and so gives a more bitter flavor.

All of these essences have a safe level of thujone and are easy to use following the instructions provided. All you have to do is measure out 20ml of essence and mix with 730ml of neutral alcohol such as vodka or Everclear. You can add sugar if you like a smoother Absinthe. There you have it, your very own Green Fairy!

As well as Absinthe kits, AbsintheKit.com also sell beautiful replica Absinthe glasses and spoons. The Ritual just isn’t right without a traditional glass and spoon because to prepare proper Absinthe you have to drip iced water over a sugar cube on a slotted spoon to gradually mix with the Absinthe and cause the Absinthe to louche.

There is so much contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books, it’s hard to know what to believe.

Misleading Absinthe Information

One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writers in Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, compares Absinthe to drugs such as cocaine because it was said to be addictive, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties.

Absinthe became popular at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, a time known as “The Great Binge”. This was a time in history when many of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were developed and used by normal everyday people for medicine, on prescription for coughs etc. and in drinks. Popular drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani (cocaine and wine) and Coca Cola (then made from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). These drugs and drinks were all thought to be harmless and were widely consumed throughout Europe.

Absinthe was linked with these drugs because of its popularity with Bohemian artists and writers, who liked to overindulge to help their creativity, and with the loose morals of the courtesans of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.

Thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was also claimed to be psychoactive and similar to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the drug cannabis (marijuana). Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids and are both from essential oils but THC affects the central nervous system whereas thujone affects the GABA receptors in the brain. When wormwood is smoked as a joint or consumed in large quantities, it has been known to cause effects similar to cannabis intoxication – to cause hallucinations and fantasies, to make the person feel euphoric, to relieve pain and to act as an aphrodisiac.

Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in the early 1900s and was made illegal to buy and sell in many countries around the world. We now know that its ban was just part of the hysteria of the time. People lumped Absinthe, the Green Fairy, together with drugs like heroin (the White Fairy), cannabis and cocaine and even now there are many people and websites who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy.

Absinthe Information – What we now know

We know that medical studies on Absinthe and wormwood in the past were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of the time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent studies have shown that Absinthe, once it is distilled, only contains very small amounts of thujone – not enough to cause any harmful side effects or hallucinations, that is just a myth. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has shown that it hardly contained any thujone at all. A person would die of alcohol poisoning long before suffering any side effects from thujone.

Results from studies and research have caused many countries to legalize Absinthe again so the Green Fairy can now be enjoyed in bars and in homes across the world.

Even though it may not make you trip or get high, it is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of its high proof. It has twice the alcohol content of spirits such as vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. If you do get drunk on Absinthe you will probably experience a very different intoxication than you would experience from other spirits or fermented beverages. Many describe it as a “lucid” or “clear headed” kind of drunkenness. This can be explained by the blend of herbs and the alcohol – a mix of sedatives and stimulants. Some people enhance these qualities by making cocktails containing Absinthe and the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!

So, you will be disappointed if you believe some of the misleading Absinthe information and buy Absinthe to give you vivid hallucinations. However, it is a great tasting herbal alcoholic beverage which is fun to prepare and has a great anise flavor. You can even enjoy making your very own wormwood Absinthe at home by using real, top-quality Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com – a fun and economical way to enjoy Absinthe.

Since there has been an Absinthe revival in many countries over the past few years, many people are seeking Absinthe info.

Absinthe is a strong herbal liquor which is nicknamed “La Fee Verte” or “The Green Fairy” because of its characteristic green color. It is distilled usually with a wine base and a variety of herbail ingredients, unlike the alcoholic beverages beer and cider which are fermented.

The main herb in Absinthe is common wormwood, artemisia absinthium, which gives Absinthe both its name and its distinctive bitter taste. Some “fake” Absinthes do not contain wormwood because thujone, from wormwood, was strictly regulated in countries like the USA and proper wormwood Absinthe was banned.

Other types of herbs and essential oils used in Absinthe production include Fennel, green aniseed, star anise, hyssop, lemon balm, juniper, angelica, licorice, dittany, coriander, nutmeg and sweet flag. It is the essential oils in Absinthe which cause the drink to louche when water is added. The oils are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so cause the drink to go cloudy.

Absinthe Info about the Ban

The prohibition movement claimed that Absinthe was harmful and that drinking Absinthe led to “Absinthism” which was characterized by convulsions, fits, madness, brain damage and ultimately death. Thujone, the chemical found in wormwood, was claimed to cause psychedelic effects and to be dangerous. It was thought that Absinthe contained a high quantity of thujone and was extremely toxic and dangerous. Absinthe was banned in many countries around the world in the early 1900s.

We now know that these statements and claims regarding Absinthe are entirely false. Thujone can be dangerous but only in large quantities. Absinthe from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries was thought to contain as much as 350mg of thujone per kg, recent studies have shown that it contained a maximum of 6mg per kg – a huge difference. You would have to drink an impossible amount of Absinthe for thujone to be of any danger to you – you would die of Alcohol poisoning first!

Absinthe has now been legalized in most countries and there are many types and styles available:-

– Clear Absinthe – This is known as La Bleue or Blanche Absinthe and is commonly distilled in Switzerland.

– La Verte – This is traditional green Absinthe, the Green Fairy.

– Absenta – Spanish Absinthe which tends to be sweeter than normal French or Swiss Absinthe because it is made with Spanish Alicante Anise.

– Bohemian or Czech style Absinthe – Also known as Absinth, it is a wormwood bitter, rather than an Absinthe, which does not contain other herbs such as aniseed or fennel.

All of the above Absinthes contain wormwood but some Absinthes are fake or substitutes which were developed during the ban If you want real Absinthe you need to look for an Absinthe which contains thujone or wormwood.

You can also make your own Absinthe by using Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com. These essences are distilled using modern carbon dioxide distillation and contain the classic Absinthe herbs – aniseed, wormwood and fennel. They are easy to use – just mix with a neutral alcohol such as vodka or Everclear to make your very own Absinthe with real wormwood.

To find out more Absinthe info and info about buying essences, replica spoons and Absinthe glasses, just visit AbsintheKit.com.

Absinthe has once again become a popular drink and, with the legalization of a few brands of Absinthe in 2007 in the United States, it can even be said that we are experiencing an Absinthe revival. Yet, some people don’t really know how to use Absinthe correctly or even what Absinthe is.

What is Absinthe

Absinthe is not a hallucinogen or a drug. It is a strong alcoholic beverage with an alcohol by volume of up to 75% and an anise flavor.

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

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

Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 after it was claimed that Absinthe contained psychoactive chemicals and cause hallucinations, convulsions, insanity and death. It is now known that these claims were false. Absinthe cannot and does not cause such effects. Absinthe was legalized in many countries in the 1990s.

How to Use Absinthe the Traditional Way

To prepare Absinthe in the traditional way is to use the “Ritual”.
You will need:-
– A large glass or Absinthe glass.
– Absinthe
– An Absinthe spoon – replica glasses and spoons can be purchased online at AbsintheKit.com along with top-quality Absinthe essences to make your own Absinthe.
– A sugar cube.
– A carafe of iced water.

Pour a shot of Absinthe into the glass.
Rest the spoon on the rim of the glass and put the sugar cube on the spoon.
Slowly drip, rather than pour, the iced water over the sugar to dissolve it.
Watch the Absinthe louche as the water mixes into the Absinthe. The essential oils in the Absinthe are not soluble in water so cause the mixture to louche or go cloudy.
Stir your Absinthe and enjoy the taste of the Green Fairy.

Remember that although Absinthe will not give you hallucinations, it is a strong drink and it is very easy to get drunk on Absinthe. Absinthe is made out of a curious blend of herbs – some are naturally sedative in nature and others are stimulants. This blend of herbs can give a very different drunkenness than that caused by other spirits or wine or beer. Some describe it as a “clear headed” drunkenness.

The Czech or Bohemian Method

With this method, once you have poured the shot of Absinthe into the glass you dip the sugar cube into the alcohol and then set it alight on the spoon with a match. Once the sugar has caramelized and melted through the spoon and into the Absinthe, you add the iced water.

The Bohemian method is a modern method and is a bit of fun really rather than a serious method of drinking Absinthe. It can also be slightly dangerous because the whole glass of Absinthe can catch fire, a bit of a waste of Absinthe! Take care.

The Ritual is the most popular way of using Absinthe but Absinthe can also be used in cocktails – make up your own or search online for cocktail recipes to give you inspiration on how to use Absinthe.

When you have bought or made your Absinthe how to prepare it is the next issue because Absinthe is not like any other alcoholic beverage, it is usually served diluted with iced water. This way of serving Absinthe is the traditional way that Absinthe was served in La Belle Epoque in France and Switzerland. It is known as “The Ritual” or “La Louche” and is easy to learn.

Absinthe How to Prepare using The Ritual

To perform the Ritual, you will need the following:-

– Absinthe – A good quality Absinthe containing real herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. The Absinthe should contain thujone.
– An Absinthe glass – An antique Absinthe glass or replica one. AbsintheKit sell replicas of antiques like Pontarlier glasses and Eiffel Tower spoons.
– A slotted Absinthe spoon (also known as a cuillere).
– A cube of sugar.
– Iced water in a carafe or in an Absinthe fountain.

Instructions for preparing the perfect Absinthe drink:-

– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– Rest the Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
– Slowly drip iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. Dripping it slowly will give the sugar chance to dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. You should see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The Absinthe louches because the essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so make the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
– Sit back and enjoy the Green Fairy, as Absinthe is commonly known.

The Bohemian or Czech Method

This method of preparing Absinthe is not traditional but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is scorned by many Absinthe followers.

You will need:-

– Absinthe
– An Absinthe glass
– An Absinthe slotted spoon
– A cube of sugar
– A lighter or match
– Iced water

Instructions and tips for using the Bohemian method:-

– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– Place sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
– Set the sugar cube alight for one minute to allow the sugar to caramelize and melt. The sugar should drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
– Put the spoon into the Absinthe and pour the iced water into the Absinthe to put out any flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
– Enjoy your Absinthe drink.

* Care should be taken with this method because the Absinthe in the glass may set alight too *

Absinthe can also be used in many cocktails. Ernest Hemingway is known to have liked mixing it with champagne, he called it “Death in the Afternoon”.

There are many mysteries, stories and legends surrounding Absinthe how to prepare it, its history, the ban and the revival. Enjoy drinking this famous mythical drink.