Absinthe is a strong liquor that is usually produced at between 45 and 75% alcohol by volume (ABV) –  around twice the alcohol strength of other spirits like scotch, gin or vodka.

Also known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque in Bohemian Paris. It was to treat malaria in French soldiers in Northern Africa in the 1840s and they brought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars opened all over Paris and special absinthe hours or “l’heure verte” took place daily … perhaps this was the forerunner to the happy hour! By the middle of the nineteenth century, Pernod, distillers of absinthe, were making over 30,000 liters of absinthe every day for the French population!

About Absinthe History

History suggests that Dr Pierre Ordinaire first created absinthe from the wormwood plant in the Swiss town of Couvet in the eighteenth century as an elixir or tonic for his patients. The recipe for absinthe eventually arrived in the hands of Swiss distiller Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled absinthe commercially in Couvet and then later in Pontarlier, France under the name of Pernod Fils.

Pernod used a wine base and various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), anise, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.

Famous drinkers of the Green Fairy were Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Degas, Gauguin, Verlaine and Baudelaire.

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 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.

There were even claims that an absinthe drinker murdered his entire family – just the excuse that the prohibition movement was looking for to persuade the government to ban absinthe. The buying, selling and consumption of absinthe in France became illegal in France in 1915 and also in many other countries around the same time.

Recent studies have shown that absinthe, including vintage absinthe, contains only small amounts of thujone and is safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in many countries since the 1990s and that has led to a revival in several countries including the USA where several brands are now on sale.

Absinthe Essences

To enjoy Absinthe, you can either order it 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 wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Simply mix with either Everclear or vodka to make your very own Absinthe. There are four different types of essence available.

About Absinthe Preparation

The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the ritual:-

- Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
- Rest a slotted Absinthe spoon on the top of the glass.
- Place a sugar cube on the spoon.
- Drip iced water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
- Watch the Absinthe louche.
- Drink your wonderful Absinthe drink.

Enjoy the mystery and history of absinthe in moderation.

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