The primary ingredient in absinthe is common drinking alcohol, ethanol. The hard beverage is classified as liquor, not a liqueur as commonly misconceived. It is created through a double macerating and distilling process. The three ingredients most universally accepted for the making of absinthe are green anise (Pimpinella anisum), wormwood (Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia pontica), and Florence fennel (differing cultivars of Foeniculum vulgare). These three ingredients of traditional absinthe have come to be known as the “Holy Trinity”. The beverage, although named after wormwood, has relatively little of it in its final composition with anise being the predominant herb utilized.
The “Holy Trinity” ingredients of absinthe are crushed and macerated in alcohol. This resulting substance is then distilled to yield a colorless alcoholic distillate called a Blanche or a Bleue. This substance is then secondarily macerated with chlorophyll containing herbs such as petite wormwood, hyssop, melissa, lemon balm, veronica, angelica, coriander, and Sweet Flag. The resulting green-colored absinthe is called verte. The green color was most likely not the desired result of these additional herbs; however it contributed greatly to the popularity of the beverage. This substance is then reduced with water to yield the desired alcohol content.
The most notorious component of absinthe is thujone. Thujone, a ketone, is a fragrant, oily chemical (C10H16O) found in many plants including wormwood. It was believed to be a neurotoxin, and therefore became the scapegoat reason for the international ban of absinthe by 1915. However, only by modern chemical analysis techniques has it be discovered that very little thujone survives the process of distillation. It turns out that the high alcohol concentration of absinthe was the only “poison” that the concoction contained. With the production ban lifted in most countries, the ingredients of absinthe are once again combined to create one of the worlds most sought after adult beverages. With moderation in mind, Enjoy!
