Absinthe Blog

Absinthe cocktails are as numerous and varied as the myths and legends that surround the distilled adult beverage. The cocktails listed here are all creations of enthusiasts of The Green Fairy from times near and far. Let it be known that absinthe in its traditional form is a highly alcoholic, twice-macerated distillate that is flavored heavily of anise. Modern spins have been induced upon the original recipes and methods of production defiling the authentic properties of absinthe proper. First, the traditional drink in pure form, Absinthe louche:

Traditional Louche
1 shot (1 to 1 ½ ounces) of Absinthe is poured in a glass.
A special slotted spoon is the placed in a centered fashion atop the glass. (In absence of such a spoon, a tea strainer can be used.)
A sugar cube is placed upon the slotted spoon.
Ice cold water is slowly drizzled over the sugar cube until it is completely dissolved and the Absinthe is diluted to a ratio between 3:1 and 5:1.
*True connoisseurs of absinthe would used no sugar*
The exposure of certain non water-soluble herbal components of absinthe causes the concoction to cloud up. The resulting mixture, in its now opaque form, is called a louche.

And now, some of the modern spins:

Absinthe Minded
1 shot Absinthe.
1 shot coffee liqueur.
1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream.
Layer these ingredients in a chilled Collins glass and sip slowly. To skip the sipping will most probably lead you to the floor!

The Absinthe Eye
1 shot Absinthe.
1 shot peppermint liqueur.
Shake together with ice and serve in a whiskey glass.
Too many of these and at least one of your eyes will lose the ability to see!

The Sea Captain
2 shots Absinthe.
The juice of ½ lemons.
Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the Absinthe into a chilled glass. Sip with ease or fall to your knees, mate! Prevents more than scurvy.

Why should anyone want to drink absinthe? Why should a person wish to drink a solution of wormwood, fennel, and anise macerated in high concentrations of ethanol? The reasons are uncountable!

Many are attracted to the act of drinking absinthe through the repetition of stories of its consumption by many a famous historic character: Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Hemingway, and Oscar Wilde to name a few. Known to many as “The Green Fairy”, absinthe is reported to have aphrodisiacal and hallucinogenic traits. It is said that Vincent van Gogh was drinking absinthe at the time of his famous ear-lopping incident. At the time of the aforementioned nearly global ban, it was commonly called “madness in a bottle”. The rebel-spirited of the planet are no doubt enticed by such a sorted history.

As a solution created by combining herbs including wormwood, fennel, anise, hyssop, coriander, angelica, veronica, and Sweet Flag, absinthe is a virtual mega-remedy of uncountable ailments for believers in the healing qualities of herbs. It is also reported to pack quite a wallop of a buzz. How many more reasons does one need to get in on the act of drinking absinthe and absinthe-based cocktails? Here are a few modern recipes to try out for you:

The Absinthe Eye
1 shot Absinthe
½ shot peppermint liqueur
Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass. Drink a few of these and at least one of your eyes will go shut!

Absinthe B-55
1 shot Absinthe
1 shot coffee liqueur
1 shot Bailey’s Irish Cream
Layer these shots in a whiskey glass. Sip slowly or you may end up licking the floor!
 

Absinthe-minded Martini
½ shot Absinthe
3 shots gin
½ shot Grand Mariner
Dry vermouth
Chill a cocktail glass and swirl with ½ shot dry vermouth. Shake together the Absinthe, gin, and Grand Mariner with ice. Pour into chilled glass.

This is not for the weak, or the innocent!

Many people have praised absinthe over the years, adoring its intriguing effects. People have long referred to the drink as the “green fairy” of La Fee Verte. This is a beverage that has a high alcohol content and this beverage is also made with wormwood. Wormwood is a plant that makes the thujone in the beverage. It is the thujone that the FDA disapproves for human consumption. The drink was first used, long ago, as a medical tonic. The wormwood that is used to make the drink is responsible for the bitter taste that the drink has. This is why (the bitterness) most people dilute the absinthe and usually they dissolve sugar into it as well.

Traditional French Absinthe Ritual

This is the absinthe recipe in which an individual has an absinthe spoon and places it over the glass. This spoon usually contains one or two sugar cubes. Water is poured over the sugar and this sweetened combination is added to absinthe. This will usually cause the absinthe to become milky because the various oils are coming out of the absinthe because the alcohol content has been lowered. A sign of poorly made absinthe is the lack of this milky texture to the absinthe. This occurs because some manufacturers add color to make the absinthe dark green.

Modern Absinthe Ritual

In this absinthe recipe, the drinker only has a shot glass full of absinthe. This absinthe recipe has recently become quite popular. A sugary spoon is dipped in the shot of absinthe and then lit on fire. This sugar is set on fire until the sugar caramelizes. The spoon is then stirred into the drink to give the drink its sweetness.

Many absinthe recipes can be found online very easily. The Internet is a great way to find all kinds of absinthe drink recipes.

While browsing Youtube for Absinthe videos I found this great video that shows you step by step how to drink Absinthe. This is the traditional ritual for drinking absinthe which involves the spoon, sugar, cold water, etc…