Process Of Using Absinthe
An Absinthe revival can be experienced due to the authorization of some brands of Absinthe in 2007 in the United States. 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.
In the 18th century Absinthe was made as a medicine by Dr Pierre Ordinaire of Switzerland for his patients. Absinthe was distilled and sold by Henri-Louis Pernod commercially by the turn of the 19th century. Pernod used a wine alcohol base distilled with variety of natural herbs and also fennel, aniseed, star anise,wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), hyssop, lemon balm, angelica, juniper, dittany, nutmeg and melissa.
People of France prefer Absinthe to wine. As the Absinthe bars became famous 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. These effects are not caused by Absinthe. In most of the nations Absinthe was legalized in the 1990s.
How to Use Absinthe the Traditional Way
To prepare Absinthe in the traditional way is to use the “Ritual”.
These are necessary items :-
– One must have the Absinthe glass or a large 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. One can prepare his own Absinthe by using top-quality Absinthe essences.
– A sugar cube is needed.
– Chilled carafe iced water.
A shot of Absinthe is needed to flow into the glass.
One has to rest the spoon on the rim of the glass and then put the sugar cube on it.
One has to drop slowly the iced water over the sugar to dissolve it.
The Absinthe louche is seen as the water mixes into the Absinthe. The mixture louches due to the insolubility of the essential oils in water.
One can stir Absinthe to feel the taste of the Green Fairy.
However Absinthe will not give hallucinations but it is a strong drink and can be consumed easily. Absinthe is made out of a curious blend of herbs – some are naturally sedative in nature and others are stimulants. One can feel a very different drunkenness with this blend of herbs. It is also popular 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. After the caramelization and melting of sugar the iced water van be added into the Absinthe.
A person cannot have that fun with serious method as experienced with the Bohemian method. It can be dangerous as the Absinthe glass can burn also! It is necessary to take care.
Though the Ritual is the most popular way of using Absinthe but it can also be used in cocktails.