Absinthe- an alcoholic drink based on an extract of bitter wormwood. It is also known as the "green fairy" or "green snake", which is due to the fact that the drink has an emerald green color due to the presence of chlorophyll.
It got its name due to the high content of alcohol, from the Greek language the word "absinthe" is translated as "undrinkable".
Absinthe is the strongest drink, if you do not take into account pure alcohol.
The first mention of absinthe dates back to ancient Egypt, around 1500 BC. At that time, it was a drink made from wormwood leaves and flowers, infused with alcohol or wine. It was used exclusively for medicinal purposes. Absinthe has always been more than just an alcoholic drink or a drug. So, there was a tradition according to which the winner had to drink a glass of wormwood drink as a sign that even fame has a taste of bitterness.
The history of the origin of this drink in its modern form begins in Switzerland in 1792 in the city of Couve. The Hernier sisters, who were involved in the preparation of medicines, worked on the creation of a wormwood-anise tincture, which they called "Bon Extrait d'Absinthe". Then it began to be sold as a medicinal elixir. According to other sources, the recipe for absinthe was invented by the physician Pierre Ordiner. He recommended that his patients take this elixir for almost all diseases.
Then the recipe for the drink was bought by Henri Dubier, who set up the production process together with his friend. Since the elixir sold very well, it was decided to expand its production. Soon, Dubier's friend, Henri-Liou Pernod, opened the Pernod factory. The drink has gained popularity both in France and around the world. Absinthe was used even by French soldiers as a prevention of malaria, as well as dysentery.
Absinthe became more and more popular not only among soldiers, but also among civilians. At the beginning of his history, he belonged to the class of expensive drinks and was considered elite alcohol. This was the so-called "golden era" of absinthe. Thanks to the special taste, the drink quickly conquered the French. Unfortunately, women drank it undiluted, which negatively affected their health. The taste of absinthe is quite pleasant, connoisseurs often compare it with the taste of menthol cigarettes.
Admirers of absinthe claim that after it even white wine seems "impure".
In the 60s of the 19th century, due to cheaper production and deterioration in quality, absinthe turned into a drink for the working class. Reducing the cost of its production was more a necessity than a whim of the manufacturers themselves. At this time, winemakers noted the infection of the famous French vineyards with diseases, which led to a rapid rise in the price of wine. Since absinthe was produced from wine alcohol, due to a poor grape harvest, it was decided to make it from industrial alcohol. This replacement made it possible to additionally reduce the cost of the production of the drink by 7-10 times. So absinthe turned into "alcohol for the poor", it was served in taverns, where, as a rule, workers ate.
Fortunately, the drink soon regained its former glory. He began to be considered the most extravagant and dangerous alcohol. A whole culture of spectacular drinking has formed around absinthe. This drink quickly became a necessary component of youth parties. The hallucinogenic properties of absinthe began to bring its producers big profits.
At one time, they tried to ban this drink, because it had a very strong effect on human health. Absinthe addiction has been compared to drug use.
It has been proven that thujone, which is part of absinthe, is a very hallucinogenic substance, and the drink itself has narcotic properties similar to the effects of marijuana.
In connection with this absinthe interested health organizations in many countries. So, in the USA, it was decided to put on sale exclusively purified drink. It has been proven that if absinthe is cleansed of thujone, then it will lose its hallucinogenic properties.
Absinthe belongs to the group of anise drinks. It contains wormwood, anise, fennel, mint, chamomile, hyssop and other herbs.
Thujone, which is considered the main component of absinthe, is a substance obtained from bitter wormwood. It has hallucinogenic properties.
Absentine, which is also part of absinthe, gives the drink a noticeable bitterness.
Absinthe is usually classified by color. So, there is yellow, emerald, as well as brown or black absinthe.
There are also strong (70% -85% alcohol) and weak (about 55% alcohol) absinthe.
Absinthe can be made at home.
To do this, we need 1.75 liters of alcohol, 3 tsp each. bitter wormwood and angelica root, as well as anise seeds, coriander, 16 cardamom pods. Wormwood insist on alcohol for 48 hours. You can insist in a cold or hot way. To speed up the infusion, the mixture can be heated in a water bath. Then, these spices and herbs are added to the tincture of wormwood and infused for 7 days. Next, you need to overtake the resulting tincture and filter. The result is approximately 1.25 liters of absinthe with a strength of 65%. Distilled absinthe has a transparent color, which is not entirely correct. It needs to be given an emerald color by adding a little crushed mint, wormwood, lemon balm, anise, fennel to the drink.
Homemade absinthe is not subjected to special cleaning, so it retains thujone.
A drink prepared at home will be exactly as it was intended at the beginning of its history. But it is very important to carefully adhere to the recipe for preparing absinthe and in no case change the proportions. It is not recommended to replace alcohol with vodka or moonshine as it will spoil the taste of the drink.
All ingredients are absolutely available, herbs can be bought at any pharmacy. Preparation of absinthe does not require much time.
Absinthe is a very tasty drink if you drink it correctly. All the rules for its use come down to reducing bitterness, as well as providing the process itself with maximum entertainment. There are several ways to consume that allow you to fully enjoy its taste.
Absinthe is often used undiluted, although this is not easy, since not everyone will like its specific taste. Before use, absinthe is cooled to 0 degrees Celsius, and then drunk in one gulp. Absinthe, as a rule, is not eaten, but if desired, it can be combined with dark chocolate, citrus fruits and even seafood.
In what glasses is it customary to serve absinthe? The drink belongs to aperitifs, its should drink from small narrow glasses.
french method involves the use of a spoon with holes. A piece of refined sugar is placed in a spoon, and then placed on top of a glass, ice water is poured over sugar. The taste of the drink becomes softer, it is also believed that water with sugar can enhance the effect of thujone, but scientists question this statement.
Czech method drinking absinthe is considered the most spectacular and exciting, it is also known as the "fiery method".
To begin with, a quarter of a glass is filled with absinthe, as in the French method, a spoonful of sugar is placed on the glass, and then set on fire. What is the right way to burn absinthe? If a spoon is used, then the sugar is set on fire with a match or lighter. In this case, it is necessary to use glasses with thick walls. Under the influence of fire, sugar begins to melt, and its drops fall into the glass. After all the sugar burns out, the contents of the glass are thoroughly mixed with the same spoon, after which the absinthe is diluted with ice water to soften the taste.
The Czech method is considered both the most popular and the most dangerous. If you set fire to sugar is not quite right, then the flame can easily spread to other objects.
In Russia they drink absinthe together with sugar syrup. Sugar is diluted with water 1:2, and then mixed with absinthe. This method allows you to soften the taste of the drink in a short time. Sometimes the Russian method also involves igniting. Undiluted absinthe is set on fire, covered with a glass. After that, the absinthe is poured into another container, and the glass is turned over, putting a straw under it. The whole point of the method is to first slowly inhale absinthe vapor through a straw, and then drink it in one gulp.
The beneficial properties of absinthe are due to the herbal extracts that make up its composition. Initially, the drink was conceived as a medicine.
Even small doses of absinthe cause severe intoxication, so it is recommended to consume no more than 30 grams in one evening.
The drink stimulates digestion and also increases appetite. Sometimes a little absinthe was added to the wine in order to make it even more intoxicating.
Absinthe in ancient times was even considered a drink for all diseases.
In cooking, absinthe is used to make alcoholic cocktails. "Green Fairy" goes well with cola, juices, tonic.
A popular cocktail is sweet contrast". To prepare it, we need absinthe, berry syrup, apple juice, ice. The juice is mixed with syrup and absinthe, ice is placed on top.
Absinthe goes great with cappuccino. In order to prepare a cocktail with this coffee drink, you need to pour absinthe into a glass, add sugar to it. After that, a glass of absinthe is set on fire, a burning drink is poured into a glass of cappuccino. The cocktail should be drunk in one gulp.
It is considered a very interesting drink. gin or vodka cocktail. It is made from gin, rum, absinthe, cola, lemon juice. To begin with, 20 ml of rum, gin, absinthe are poured into a glass, then 30 ml of cola are poured into one side of the glass, and 30 ml of juice into the other. The cocktail is set on fire, a little cinnamon is added.
Absinthe is also used to prepare some dishes. Its bitter taste goes well with meat dishes. It is also used to make savory sauces. It goes well with poultry and game.
The benefits of absinthe are rather questionable.
To date, in its pure form, the drink is not sold because of its hallucinogenic properties.
Hippocrates used it as a medicine. He recommended the use of absinthe for the treatment of rheumatism, as well as jaundice, anemia. Also in ancient Greece, absinthe was used for menstrual pain, to stimulate childbirth.
Modern medicine does not recognize these properties of the drink and does not use it for medicinal purposes.
A drink can cause harm to the body with individual intolerance, excessive consumption. It is not recommended to use absinthe for children, pregnant and lactating women.
Absinthe was not the first alcoholic beverage to feature wormwood in prominent roles. Such alcohol experiments have their roots in the pre-Christian era. So, the first written evidence of wine, which, among other components, included wormwood, was made by the hand of the ancient Roman writer Pliny and dates back to the first century BC.
In the same Czech Republic, wormwood tinctures and liqueurs have been prepared by housewives since ancient times. That is why it is the second most popular drink. Other European countries can also boast similar medieval examples of alcohol. However, to absinthe in its modern sense, those drinks had an extremely indirect relationship.
The history of absinthe dates back to the small Swiss town of Couve. This place was located near the Swiss-French border. Nevertheless, Switzerland should be considered the birthplace of absinthe.
There are two versions of the appearance of this strong drink. According to one of them, the Enrio sisters came up with the recipe for absinthe. The main occupation of these women was the preparation of medicinal potions from medicinal herbs. One of these remedies was Bon Extrait d'Absinthe. The technology of its preparation was simple. At first, wormwood, anise, fennel and other herbs were infused with alcohol. After that, they were distilled in a moonshine still. The sisters sold this medicine of their own through Monsieur Ordinier.
According to the second version, the creator of absinthe is Pierre Ordiner himself. This French doctor fled to Switzerland from the upheavals of the French Revolution. Monsieur Ordinier prescribed absinthe as a universal and tonic drug that healed the digestive system and the whole body as a whole.
Now no one knows for sure how it all happened in reality. However, the fact remains. In 1792, absinthe appeared precisely at the doctor Pierre Ordinier. It was he who came up with its second name, under which this strong alcoholic drink is known in our time. Please love and favor the "green fairy" or La Fee Verte.
Despite the fact that the end of the 18th century was in the courtyard, the inhabitants of Europe still believed in the existence of witchcraft and otherworldly forces. Witches, vampires, kobolds, gnomes and fairies were still not recognized in the mass public consciousness as fiction and elements of folklore.
Monsieur Ordinier came up with an ingenious commercial move by naming his medicine "fairy". Absinthe quickly became associated with miracles and magic. He was tacitly recognized as a panacea for any disease.
The fairy became green because of the color of the drink. Agree, it would be rather strange if the green medicinal tincture had a fairy of a different color.
One way or another, the name stuck. Moreover, after a while it became simply inseparable from the alcohol itself.
In 1797, a distant relative of Ordinier, Henry-Louis Pernot, opened two factories in . One of them was in Switzerland, and the second in France. So, strong alcohol from wormwood came out. And gradually began to gain more and more fame and popularity.
Historians argue that the main historical milestone in the popularization of absinthe was the colonial wars of the mid-19th century, which France waged with varying degrees of success in North Africa. At this time, absinthe began to enter the daily ration of the French soldier. It was issued to protect against various infectious diseases.
Meanwhile, the drink was gaining more and more popularity in Europe. He was loved not only by men who dreamed of meeting a green fairy, but also by women.
When absinthe became cheaper than wine in 1870-1880, real hysteria began. Everyone drank it without exception. Rich bourgeois, bohemian people and simple factory workers.
However, as the volume of absinthe drunk grew, it became obvious that in large quantities it poses a serious danger to human health. The green fairy intoxicated consciousness, caused hallucinations and simply drove you crazy. More and more deaths were caused by the use of this alcohol.
In the summer of 1905, Swiss farmer Jean Lanfrey, while intoxicated with absinthe, shot and killed his family. Journalists picked up this story and gave it wide publicity. No one was interested in the fact that in addition to absinthe, Jean Lanfey drank a large amount of other alcoholic beverages that day.
In 1906, the farmer was convicted. And in 1908, the famous 32nd article was added to the Swiss constitution, prohibiting the production and sale of this wormwood alcohol. This event was preceded by a referendum in which the majority of the Swiss supported its ban. In 1915, France followed suit.
I must say that this ban did not appear out of nowhere. It was all about the psychotropic substance thujone or monoterpine, which in large quantities were part of absinthe. It was believed that they were responsible for the harmful effects of this alcohol on the human body. The prohibition of absinthe in the form in which it existed at the beginning of the 20th century was an undoubted blessing.
In 2004, the Swiss Parliament officially repealed Article 32 of the Constitution and called for the legalization of absinthe. This decision was quickly supported in other European countries.
Of course, this alcoholic drink was allowed to return for a reason. Its manufacturers were charged with strict control of the content of thujone in the finished product. According to current standards, the concentration of this substance should not exceed 10 grams per liter of absinthe.
Of course, the history of absinthe does not end there. We live in the age of a new flowering of the green fairy. Who knows if it will end in a new oblivion.
At the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, the popularity of absinthe was so high that it was reflected in the immortal works of the best artists and writers of that time. They simply could not pass by this strong alcoholic drink in their works.
The surrealist artist Giger is known for painting some of his paintings while intoxicated with absinthe.
Also, this alcohol is reflected in the paintings of Vincent van Gogh, Edouard Manet, Jean Bero, Edgar Degas, Victor Oliva.
However, for my taste, the main painter of absinthe is Pablo Picasso. His "Absinthe Drinker" still amazes the imagination of art historians and critics.
In literature, this strong wormwood spirit also left its mark. The brilliant Erich Maria Remarque mentions him in his main novels Arc de Triomphe and Three Comrades.
Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Burroughs, Aleister Crowley and others did not ignore absinthe.
He was loved by such creative personalities as: Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Baudelaire and Picasso. Absinthe is a drink with an extract of bitter wormwood, containing a huge proportion of thujone. It is thujone that is the main component due to which this drink is famous for its excellent effect. In addition, the composition of the alcoholic drink includes: mint, fennel, star anise, anise, lemon balm, Roman wormwood and other herbs.
It usually has an emerald green hue, and it can also be clear, yellow, blue, brown, red, or black. To find out which country is the birthplace of absinthe, let's delve into the history of past centuries.
In 1792, the physician Pierre Ordiner, guided by the words of a healer, restored the recipe for a healing potion from wormwood. This tincture was made as a remedy for all diseases, able to improve the functioning of the digestive tract, increase appetite and strengthen the immune system. Absinthe, or as it is otherwise called "Green Fairy" and "Green Witch", received popular recognition for one of the reasons - this is a label depicting a girl tempting a man. In those days, it was with these qualities that the drink was associated.
In 1797, a relative of Ordinier, Henry-Louis Pernot, created the very first plant for the production of a green drink in Switzerland. After that, the European country began to be called the birthplace of absinthe. Since that moment, the production of the drink has been increased several times, and sales have increased every day.
However, the healing drink gained real popularity during the war in northern Africa. The French colonial wars involved a large number of soldiers who suffered from malaria. Absinthe helped get rid of African diseases, and was a wonderful prophylactic against malaria. Also, alcohol was used to save from amoebas, which teemed with the dirty waters of Africa. Thanks to its beneficial properties, the French troops were spared from intestinal disorders and eventually conquered African lands.
In the middle of the XIX century, the "green fairy" becomes an ordinary drink. Alcohol is consumed as an aperitif for lunch, and in the evening it marks the transition to rest. There was even a term “green hour”, a time around 17-19 hours, when after drinking a glass of strong tincture, a pleasant relaxed mood was created.
By the 80s of the 19th century, the history of absinthe reached its highest peak. The prevalence of the drink was on par with the popularity of wine. And by the beginning of the 20th century, the consumption of alcohol by French citizens increased several times compared to wine.
Real absinthe is quite bitter and strong in taste. The drink stands out with a specific aftertaste, similar to menthol cigarettes. On sale there are alcohol with a strength of 55%. It is usually sweetened. These types of spirits are made from a purified wormwood extract called thujone-free, which excludes the presence of essential oils. It is useless to expect special impressions from such "absinthe". The only thing that can be noted is its softness of drinking, compared to vodka.
If you decide to buy absinthe, or cook it yourself, you should know that its strength must be at least 70%. Because it is this concentration of alcohol that can retain the essential oils of a tart plant and recreate the real taste of absinthe.
In early times, liquor was made very bitter. And if used improperly, it can cause nausea. Now many have already adapted to its use, and dilution with sweetened cold water has become the norm.
Always know the measure when drinking this green drink. And the stories about the absence of a hangover in the morning, after a large amount of alcohol - consider complete heresy.
Absinthe is the most decadent, mysterious and misunderstood drink of the 19th century. In this article, we will consider the history of its creation, influence on world culture, decline and oblivion. And of course, the composition and recipes of absinthe.
Absinthe is from the French Absinthe, the name of Artemisia absinthium. Wormwood is not the only component of the drink; the recipe, depending on the brand and time of manufacture, includes many other components.
Let's designate at once: there are three basic recipes for strong alcohol, which are called absinthe, and only one of them is real.
Prohibitions on the production of absinthe according to traditional recipes do not mean at all that they are observed. And in our time there are several brands of absinthe, corresponding to the tradition. But more on that below.
Technically, absinthe is close to balsams and bitters (bitters), but in fact it is an old pharmacy form of alcohol tincture - tincture. No wonder: it appeared as a drug and was used for medical purposes. A distinctive feature is the additional distillation of herbal infusion, which makes absinthe related to liquors. But unlike liqueurs, the "green fairy" does not contain sugar.
You may be interested Liqueurs: history, production, brands
It is not known who exactly created that classic absinthe recipe. Wormwood has been used as a medicine and an ingredient in alcoholic beverages since the time of Ancient Greece - wormwood was used to mask the smell of low-quality alcohol, as a remedy for worms and a tonic component. There was wormwood wine (vermouth, "absinthite"), wormwood purl beer, pharmacy tinctures and extracts. Thus, the appearance of strong alcohol on wormwood was simply a foregone conclusion, and it is possible that similar drinks existed before the recipe of Pierre Ordinaire and the Enrio sisters, just wormwood tinctures were not found by poets who appreciated their properties.
Other ingredients (anise and fennel) have been used to flavor liquor and for medicinal purposes just as widely. Strictly speaking, absinthe cannot be called a wormwood tincture - the anise in the composition is important to the same extent, if not more.
Be that as it may, traditional absinthe appeared in Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. According to one version, it was created by the royalist Pierre Ordiner, who fled the French Revolution to Switzerland. Ordinaire treated this tincture to his patients, and they noted mental clarity, composure, and improved mood among the effects.
According to another version, Ordiner himself did not invent anything, and local herbalists, Enrio's sisters, shared the recipe with him. Be that as it may, after the death of Ordinaire, it was the Enrio sisters who sold the recipe to Major Dubier, who began industrial production. The brand of absinthe according to the oldest recipe was "Perno" - by the name of Major Dubier's son-in-law. Production from Switzerland was transferred to France, and soon the daily production of absinthe was 20,000 liters per day.
The proportions of the ingredients are unknown, such nuances were kept secret for obvious reasons. High-quality grape alcohol was used for production. Anise, fennel, dried wormwood were soaked in alcohol overnight, after which the mixture was distilled. Hyssop, lemon and some other herbs and spices were added to the distillate to improve the taste properties.
Subsequently, different absinthe producers made their own amendments to the traditional technology, for example, re-distillation and their own components. The principle remained unchanged: there was no fermentation stage, and the connection of the components is almost mechanical in nature.
There was no question of any “tinting”, which now means available recipes for absinthe at home, was out of the question: the drink contained chlorophyll, which gave absinthe an olive-green hue. Chlorophyll fades in the light, so real absinthe has always been bottled in dark glass.
If you see green absinthe in a white, clear glass bottle, it is a dye. Perhaps it will look good in a layered cocktail, but the drink in the bottle is either not absinthe, or it was prepared from extracts, and not according to traditional technology.
Essential oils in alcohol solution are unstable. Adding cold water to absinthe reduces the alcohol concentration and releases the essential oils, breaking the weak chemical bonds. As the essential oils are released, forming an emulsion, the drink loses transparency and changes color, becoming milky green.
Different aromatic esters are released at a certain concentration of water, and absinthe in the process of dilution gradually changes its properties, changing aromas and tastes. Finding the right concentration is a connoisseur's skill. In any case, absinthe does not tolerate haste either in dilution or in drinking.
Absinthe quickly became fashionable: they drank it in the evenings as an aperitif. The period from 17:00 to 19:00 began to be called the "green hour", the time for absinthe. A single portion was considered decent: in this way, the bourgeois ritually completed their daily chores and tuned in for an evening rest. The fortress of the then brands was great (60-90%), so a single portion was more than enough not to risk health and reputation. The bitterness contained in the drink awakened the appetite, and the drink itself gave energy.
The main preachers of absinthomania were the Parisian decadents, writers and artists. Absinthe properties were attributed to awaken visions, concentration, a sense of inner solitude, he was considered a source of inspiration. Did absinthe really have such properties? — Not excluded. Essential oils are also credited with psychoactive properties, and in combination with strong alcohol, they can really manifest themselves.
You may be interested Gin. History, types, application
Be that as it may, by the end of the 19th century in France, absinthe managed to practically displace other alcohol. At the time of the ban, only in the tiny town of Pontarlier, where the production began, 25 factories were operating, and in 1913 the French drank 40 million liters of abstention. The scale of the passion for the "green witch" took on a frightening character. After a series of major scandals, including criminal ones, in 1912 absinthe was banned in the United States, and after the outbreak of the First World War, in 1915, in France.
With the ban on absinthe, the era of decadence ended. The "spirit of the Parisian boulevards" is a thing of the past.
End of the Green Fairy
But it cannot be said that the ban on absinthe in the United States, France and Switzerland put an end to both the drink itself and its spirit. Not all countries joined the ban: absinthe continued to be produced in the Czech Republic, Spain, and after the easing of legislation in the EU since 2004, varieties of absinthe with a thujone content of up to 10 mg per liter and even higher became available almost everywhere.
Some manufacturers have developed absinthe-like drinks that contain neither wormwood nor thujone at all. So, in the pastis tincture, instead of wormwood, star anise is used, and in the "white pernod" - white. Such drinks are ersatz: they remotely resemble the taste of the prototype, without possessing its properties.
The re-legalization of absinthe by the end of the 20th century began with the Czech brand Hill's Absinth. Experts assess its quality as very low, but it contained thujone already at 1.5 mg per liter. The brand took off with Johnny Depp talking about his experience of drinking Hill's while filming Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in a 1998 interview. Since 2004, Hill's Absinth has gained popularity in the UK, and after it - in other countries.
However, the brands that reproduce historical recipes are of the greatest interest to the consumer. A lot has changed in technology, and not always for the worse. It is already clear that absinthe will not disappear, like some other alcoholic drinks, undeservedly forgotten and disappeared.
The Internet has evolved from a source of information to a source of disinformation. How many nonsense can be found on the request "Absinthe" in any search engine, moreover, on popular sites! We will analyze only the wildest ones.
French anti-alcohol propaganda of the late 19th century. Instead of dancing with the Green Fairy, the drinker plays with death, haunted by gloomy visions
What not to focus on:
The ceremony is an essential part of absinthe culture. Perhaps it was she who attracted people of art in her time. It is clear that the French soldiers could not afford to waste time on any rituals, but by the middle of the 19th century traditions and rules had already been created. Here are the main traditional methods applicable to real absinthe. They are not suitable for modern ersatz, since such “absinthe” does not contain essential oils in the required concentration.
Absinthe is poured into the glass (usually two fingers). Cold water is added to taste. The recommended proportion is 1 measure of absinthe to 5 measures of water, depending on the strength of the drink. Sugar is not provided in this case, because we are soldiers, right?
For this method, you will need a special absinthe spoon (it is perforated, it is convenient to put it on a glass) and a bar fountain (drink tank). Pour a little absinthe into an absinthe glass (the recommended dose is 75 ml), put a spoon on the glass, a piece of lump sugar on the spoon, and slowly begin to drip cold water from the fountain onto a piece of sugar. When the sugar has melted and the absinthe has turned cloudy, you can start tasting.
If you don’t have a bar “fountain”, you can get by with an ordinary small decanter, the main thing is not to rush. The ratio of absinthe to water can vary from 1:2 to 1:7 depending on the manufacturer: they usually recommend certain proportions that allow the taste to best reveal itself.
A glass filled with absinthe is placed in a wide glass (for bourbon or whiskey) with a flat bottom. Start pouring cold water into the absinthe in a thin stream, so that the liquid begins to overflow into the glass.
The method is suitable for visual aesthetes: you can watch how a transparent green liquid gradually changes color, turning to an opal opaque. Of course, ersatz are not suitable for this: a colloidal suspension of ethers is not formed in them, there is nothing to look at. Sugar is also not included.
As we said above, modern technologies for the production of wormwood-anise tinctures are fundamentally different from traditional ones, and therefore such an “absinthe” only remotely resembles the real one. So, the culture of its use is completely different. Firstly, it should be drunk undiluted: only in this form you will get a fairly rich range of herbal flavors associated with strong alcohol. Yes, this "absinthe" is quite strong (on average - 70% vol), but despite this it is easy to drink. Do not drink it in one gulp, sip it. And follow the norm: the drink is quite insidious, because it is easy to drink.
I do not recommend diluting modern brands of pseudo-absinthe with water: in a diluted form, you will get a rather nasty liquid with the taste of dental elixir: notes of wormwood, mint, lemon are lost, anise dominates - moreover, with sweetish notes, without bitterness. And of course, there will be no haze caused by the release of essential oils, since there are either no essential oils here at all, or there are too few of them.
We do not consider modern delights with burning sugar or alcohol and other bar tricks, considering them vulgar and superfluous. Only on Wikipedia you can find a couple of dozen ways like “Tambov style”, “Squatting”, “Running”, etc. With such things, bartenders can entertain tipsy bastards, but this has nothing to do with absinthe culture.
You may be interested How to drink vodka
French absinthe of the 19th century has become history, there is no new dependence on absinthe. One of the main problems remains uncertainty: should absinthe be considered just an aperitif or a toxic drink that destroys personality and health? There is practically no research. But it is known that even classic absinthe is more dangerous as a strong alcoholic drink, and not because of the presence of thujone.
What is absinthe and how is it produced? It is to these questions that we will devote today's article. In addition, you will find out what components are included in this drink, the history of its occurrence, properties and other information.
What is absinthe? This is an alcoholic drink that contains from 54 to 86% alcohol. Its name comes from the French word absinthe (according to some sources, from the Greek ἀψίνθιον). Translated into Russian, the name of this drink literally means "bitter wormwood". And this is no accident, because its most important component is the extract of this particular plant, in the essential oils of which there is a large amount of such a substance as thujone.
There are several versions of how exactly absinthe appeared. Some historians claim that for the first time this drink was produced in 1792 in a Swiss town called Couve, which was located near the border with France. Two Enrio sisters lived in the presented settlement. They were actively engaged in the manufacture of various medicinal potions. As a result of distillation in a homemade distillation apparatus, they obtained an unusual liquid, which was given the name Bon Extrait d'Absinthe.
After some changes, this included ingredients such as fennel, chamomile, veronica, hyssop, coriander, parsley root, spinach and lemon balm. The finished elixir of the Enrio sisters began to be sold through the healer Pierre Ordiner, who fled to Switzerland during the French Revolution.
It should also be noted that some sources believe that it is the above-mentioned doctor who is the author of the unique one. As you know, he prescribed it to almost all of his patients, arguing that this liquid is almost a panacea for all existing diseases.
A few years later, namely in 1798, the successful businessman Henri Dubier bought out the secret method of preparing this elixir and in a short time set up its mass production. In this he was helped by his best friend Henri-Louis Pernot.
As a result, the implementation of the magic drink went well, and almost every inhabitant of Europe already knew what absinthe was and how to drink it. Thanks to such popularity, Henri Dubier had an urgent need to open a new factory. So, in 1805, mass production of absinthe was established in the French city of Pontarlier. Subsequently, it was this enterprise that became the main center for the manufacture of alcoholic beverages. By the way, the plant for its production was called "Perno". And until now, absinthe is sold under this brand name.
The popularity of absinthe especially increased during the French Wars, which took place in North Africa. At the same time, military personnel were given a small amount of this drink almost every day to prevent whooping cough, dysentery, malaria and other diseases, as well as to disinfect water.
It should be noted that absinthe proved to be quite effective in the fight against various diseases. In this regard, he firmly entered the army life from Indochina to Madagascar.
It is impossible to ignore the fact that the popularity of this drink in France was almost equal to the popularity of wine and champagne. At one time, the New York Times newspaper noted that French women from 19 to 21 years old are more likely to suffer from cirrhosis of the liver than in other countries, due to uncontrolled addiction to this drink. After all, young girls drank it undiluted, since they could not drink a lot of liquid because of the tight and narrow corset.
As mentioned above, a substance such as thujone is the main component of the presented drink. It is this ingredient that creates the effect of absinthe, which distinguishes it from other types of alcohol. But, in addition to thujone, this drink also includes the following ingredients (plants):
Absinthe, whose degrees can vary between 54-86 units, most often has an emerald or greenish color. But, despite the fact that such a drink is commonly called a "green witch" or "fairy", in reality its shade may be different from the above. For example, yellow, blue, black, red or brown absinthes are quite common today. Moreover, some manufacturers make it completely transparent. However, the most natural color of this drink is considered to be green, which is due to the presence of chlorophyll, which is found in the plants used in the production. It should be noted that this substance decomposes rather quickly in the light. That is why this drink is almost always produced in dark glass bottles.
By the way, absinthe, whose degrees are 70 or more units, quickly becomes cloudy from the addition of water to it. Such a reaction is due to the fact that the essential oils of wormwood form an emulsion during the dilution of a strong alcohol solution.
Over the years, the production of absinthe stopped and then resumed. This fact is due to the fact that many people under the influence of this committed a large number of crimes. In addition, mass alcoholism among ordinary workers greatly reduced the French economy and increased mortality. It is also worth noting that numerous bans on the production of this drink came from the fact that there were huge shortfalls in the French army due to the deteriorating health of conscripts.
After a long “persecution” of absinthe, its new place of revival was Great Britain, where to this day this drink is very popular.
Currently, there are several types of this strong alcoholic drink. It is classified according to different principles: by strength (55-65% and 70-85%), by color (green, black, red, yellow) and by thujone content (high, low or no).
By the way, today absinthe is produced in different countries (in France, Italy, the Czech Republic and Spain) and under different brands. The following types have gained particular popularity among connoisseurs of alcoholic beverages: Superior, Jacques Senaux, Teichenne, and Red Absinth.
What is absinthe, we found out. Now I want to talk about how this drink is made.
The classic way to prepare absinthe is the method of Pierre Ordiner. To do this, dried wormwood, fennel and anise should be soaked in alcohol, and then boil the mixture to form a distilled liquid in combination with terpenoids from herbs (that is, essential oils). To improve the taste of the drink, it is recommended to add other plants to it. After that, the liquid must be insisted and filtered.
It should be noted that the recipe and production technology of a particular brand of absinthe can vary quite a lot. However, the main idea of their preparation is still the same. So, in the production of this drink, not ordinary strong alcohol is created, as, for example, in the case of brandy or whiskey. Indeed, during its preparation, wormwood and other plants are used, which are combined together and give all their flavor to alcohol.
