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The Story Of Absinthe

August 23rd, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

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.

Calories In Wine - What Is The Truth

January 19th, 2008    Subscribe To Our Feed

The truth is that, yes, there are calories in wine. Indeed, unless the product you are drinking is a glass of water or produced entirely from man-made chemicals there are indeed calories in all the foods and drinks that we consume. However, calories provide fuel for the body and we require calories to survive. So, given that we must consume calories to survive, perhaps it’s a good thing that there are calories in wine, otherwise there would be many winos and other wine enthusiasts who would not be with us today. Although, for those trying to lose some extra weight, perhaps there should be some consideration given to the number of calories in wine.

Wine As A Fuel Source

There is typically about 70-90 calories in an average glass of wine. In a 750ml bottle there are perhaps five to six glasses of wine at most, depending on the size of the glass. Some of today’s red wine glasses can in fact hold almost a complete bottle. So, therefore, in a typical bottle of wine there is typically anything from 300 to 500 calories for the sweeter reds and whites. The existence of calories in wine is a fact, but compared with other things we eat it is perhaps it should be a minimal consideration. A hamburger can have up to one thousand calories in it, and if you add bacon, almost as much fat as your body needs in a month. There is not a lot of fat in wine, if any at all. There is sugar and some small amount of carbohydrates, but even the amount of carbohydrates is relatively small compared to a slice of bread. Hence, one should consider wine as a good source of calories and with an appropriate choice of varietals, a worthwhile human fuel source.

An additional benefit to wine is the general feeling of wellness it provides to the digestive system and brain, this can not be overlooked when considering the amount of calories in wine as part of dieting plan.

The Benefits Of Drinking Wine

Regardless of the fact that calories exist in wine, wine in moderation can be beneficial to health, and can, therefore, be considered as part of a normal person’s diet. Wine can aid in digestion, enhance the food we eat, and certain red wines may even provide enough antioxidants and other goodies that the issue of calories in wine should be a second tier discussion.

Are There Many Calories In Wine?

December 30th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Well, yes there are calories in wine. But the good news is that there are really not a lot of calories in wine. If you enjoy wine in moderation - say a glass or two at dinner - then you will not be adding too much to your daily caloric intake. That said, if you are on a calorie-restricted diet then you certainly need to count the calories in wine.

An average sized glass of wine, i.e. around 125-150mls or about 4 fl oz, contains 80 to 100 calories. Therefore a full bottle of wine contains between 300 and 500 calories. Dry white wines contain fewer calories than red wines. For example, Chablis, Sauvignon Blanc and white Zinfandel generally contain around 80 calories per glass, while full-bodied red wines like Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon will contain around 95 calories per glass.

Fortified wines like Port, Muscat and Tokay are much higher in calories - often between 165 and 185 calories per glass, although they are generally served in smaller glasses.

The good news, of course, is that wine has health benefits along with the calories. Red wine in particular has potential benefits in that it is believed to help protect against certain forms of cancer and heart disease. Studies have shown a reduction of 30%–50% in heart disease in people who drink a glass of red wine each night and a 20% reduction in death from certain cancers.

The health benefits of drinking wine are often attributed to what is known as the “French Paradox”, whereby the French – even with a high fat diet – don’t suffer from heart disease at the same rate as North Americans. This has been attributed to their moderate, though steady, wine consumption.

So, whilst you need to be aware of the calories in wine, a glass of two of wine with dinner can be quite beneficial!

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