Today, there’s a handful of specialist bars in London if you fancy a night on the town with the green fairy, while in continental cities like Paris, Prague and Barcelona, it’s practically a rite of passage. Contrary to popular opinion, absinthe was never actually banned in Britain – there’s was simply little appetite for it outside high-society circles and supply pretty much dried up in the wake of WWI. And, despite apocryphal tales of absinthe-fuelled debauchery and madness, it’s more likely that the drink’s historically high ABV (55-75%) is responsible for the dangerously taboo reputation that persists today.Ībsinthe is still a niche drink in the UK. Although it’s true that absinthe incorporates extracts from the aromatic herb wormwood (artemisia), alongside anise and fennel, it contains only trace amounts of the potent chemical compound – thujone – believed to cause psychoactive symptoms. In fact, National Absinthe Day (yes, it is a thing) is celebrated on 5 March because it marks the precise date in 2007 when absinthe went back on sale in the US after being outlawed in 1912.Ībsinthe’s colourful history, while wonderfully entertaining, is built on a myth. Partly because of the arcane rituals around its preparation – the ‘louching’ process that involves drizzling iced water into a shot of absinthe over a sugar cube balanced on an ornate slotted spoon – and partly because of the alleged hallucinatory properties that saw it banned in many countries for much of the twentieth century. The brouilleur is removed before drinking the prepared absinthe.Perhaps surprisingly, absinthe retains its mystique more than a century later. The water will gradually drip through the brouilleur into the absinthe. The brouilleur is placed over the glass, and water, ice cubes, or ice water (as well as sugar if desired) is added to it. Brouilleur devices can also be used to automatically drip the water into individual glasses.Absinthe fountains were traditionally used to drip the ice cold water into absinthe drinks.As the water is added to the absinthe, the absinthe should gradually louche.Ice cubes can be added to the pitcher of water if desired, but be sure that they don't fall into the glass of absinthe.Three or four ounces of water are added per ounce of absinthe.Very high quality absinthe can be expertly experienced simply with the ice cold water. When using sugar, the cold water is dripped over the sugar and into the drink, causing the sugar to slowly dissolve into the absinthe. This very slow and gradual addition of the water forms the heart of the absinthe ritual, and is done with or without the sugar. These circumstances may have led to absinthe's poor reputation.ĭrip very pure ice cold water into the absinthe from a small pitcher. Vintage bottles of pre-ban absinthe can be obtained, and it is reputed that some of the lesser quality versions contained inordinately high levels of thujone and harmful adulterants such as copper salts, aniline dye and antimony trichloride. Thujone is illegal as a food additive in the United States, but authentic absinthe containing negligible amounts of thujone can be legally sold.If an absinthe is labeled as a bitter, it will probably contain 10 to 35 mg/kg thujone. International standards require that alcoholic beverages that contain greater than 25 percent alcohol by volume contain no more than 10 mg/kg thujone, while bitter spirits may contain up to 35 mg/kg thujone. See the Tips below for more about the role of thujone in absinthe. Different brands of absinthe will contain anywhere from negligible amounts of thujone up to about 35 mg/kg thujone. ![]() It is also possible to make absinthe, although this is dangerous and not recommended. There are several standards that help one to determine if a particular brand of absinthe is authentic and of high quality. Absinthe is made using many different methods and ingredients.
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