Different Absinthe Spoons

Absinthe spoons, Absinthe glasses, fountains, drippers and brouillers are all collectively known as Absinthiana and are the accoutrements used in the preparation of Absinthe. The price of such antiques and collectibles are quite substantial because of highly valued original items.

If you cannot afford original Absinthiana then you can buy replicas from companies such as AbsintheKit.To prepare the perfect Absinthe in style one can visit AbsintheKit.com.

Types of Absinthe Spoons

Absinthe spoons, cuilleres, were introduced in the 1880s to make Absinthe preparation easier. In the past perforated cups over Absinthe glasses had been used. To drip water and sugar into the Absinthe slots were made in these spoons.

Absinthe spoons or cuilleres come in various forms and are also made out of numerous different kinds of metal including silver, nickel and chrome. There are over 375 varieties of Absinthe spoon according to Marie-Claude Delahaye.
Among all the types of spoon the French Pelle is the most common type includes “les feuilles d’Absinthe” which have got Absinthe foliage designs on them. In 1889 the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower was also admired by the famous spoon design featuring the Eiffel Tower.
There is also available a second group of Absinthe spoons popular as “les Grilles” or “Les Grillagees”. One can also buy “Les cuilleres” having a long handle and a cradle to hold the cube of sugar.

Absinthe spoon “Les Cuilleres de Poilus” is among the well known Absinthe spoons. A Poilu was a French soldier from the Great War and these Cuillere spoons were fashioned by soldiers at war using materials which were close at hand – shell casings, aluminum, tin and brass. These spoons were only made at the start of the war because Absinthe was banned in France in 1915. Soldiers prepared these spoons to fit their own drinking cups. Now a person can get these beautiful and unique spoons as highly collectible antiques.

Absinthe was banned because of the alleged psychedelic and psychoactive effects of thujone, the chemical found in the herb wormwood which is a major ingredient in Absinthe. Absinthe was legalized in many countries in the 1990s after it was claimed of having no harmful effects.

The Absinthe Ritual

There is a ritual to be followed by lovers of the Green Fairy (Absinthe). It is necessary to have these items to prepare the perfect Absinthe
– An Absinthe spoon
– An Absinthe Glass
– Absinthe
– One has to take iced water
An Absinthe fountain, brouiller or carafe can be used for the water according to a few people.
The process of preparing Absinthe
-25-50ml of Absinthe should be poured into the glass.
– After resting Absinthe spoon on the glass place a cube of sugar on it.
– The iced water should be slowly dripped onto the sugar cube. You should begin to see the louche happening from the bottom of the glass.
Due to insolubility of the essential oils in water louche is visible. The finished drink should appear milky or cloudy.

The accurate ratio of water and Absinthe lies between 3:1 and 5:1.

Using Absinthe spoons and other Absinthiana makes the Absinthe ritual full of fun.