The Drink Absinthe Absinthe is a uniquely strong liquor which is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), about twice as strong as other types of alcoholic beverages such as whisky and vodka. Otherwise known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It was given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they brought the drink home with them. Special Absinthe bars opened over Paris and Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. During the middle of the 19th century, the distiller Pernod, who distilled Absinthe, were making almost 30,000 liters of Absinthe every day for sale to the French people! Absinthe All About the History of Absinthe Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the town of Couvet in the 18th century as a tonic for his patients. The Absinthe recipe got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled the drink in Couvet and later in Pontarlier, France un the name of Pernod Fils. Pernod began with a base of wine adding several herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper. Known 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:- - Wormwood contains Thujone, thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive. - Absinthe was linked with the loose morals of the artists and courtesans of Montmartre. - Absinthe was thought to cause hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane. It was claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – an excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The consumption, buying and selling of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in many other countries around this time. Studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains small amounts of thujone and is safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in many countries since the 1990s and here has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA who have only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale. About the Drink Absinthe The Essences in Absinthe To enjoy Absinthe, you can either order bottles of Absinthe 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 herbs such as aniseed, wormwood and fennal. Your own Absinthe can be made by simply mixing with either vodka or Everclear. There are approximately four types of essence available. The preparing of Absinthe The proper way to prepare Absinthe is to follow a ritural:- - Pour between 25 - to ml of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass. - Slotted Absinthe spoon can be rested on top of the glass. - Place a sugar cube on the slotted spoon. - Drip water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe. - Watch the louche. - Now drink your Absinthe drink. I hope you have now l earned all about Absinthe , the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.

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Information about Absinthe