Absinthe Blog

How does Czech absinthe differ from traditional absinthe? The world is in the midst of a new surge in the popularity of absinthe in general, but is important to differentiate between real absinthe and the faux types. This is not to insinuate that Czech-style absinthes are never the real deal; however most generally they are lacking certain key ingredients: namely, anise. These varieties have come to be known as Bohemian-style as they are produced in the Czech Republic. They often are called absinth, the lacking “e” at the end signifies the Bohemian-style recipes.

While traditional absinthes are named after grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), they contain a relatively small amount of the plant by volume. The main ingredients of traditional absinthe, named the “Holy Trinity” by connoisseurs, are wormwood, fennel, and anise, with anise being the predominate herb. Thus anise also lends absinthe its dominant flavor. Czech/Bohemian absinths generally lack anise or contain very little.

The primary component that all absinthes contain is ethanol – common drinking alcohol; and they contain it in large amounts. Czech absinthes also contain wormwood, which when combined with ethanol is extremely bitter. Traditional absinthes such as those produced in France and Switzerland are not bitter, but yield a much smoother, anise-flavored experience. In essence, Bohemian-style absinths are not really absinthes at all. They are simply wormwood-containing ethanol marketed under the guise of traditional absinthe in order to reap the profits generated by the new surge of absinthe consumption.

Another important difference in Bohemian-style absinths is that they are generally not produced by the process of distillation. They are simply high-proof alcohol or vodka cold mixed with herbal extracts and tinted with artificial coloring. Traditional varieties are distilled and twice macerated herbal/alcohol blends. In order to compete in the ever-discerning market of absinthes, some Czech absinthe producers are embracing the traditional methods of distillation/maceration along with traditional ingredients, thus breaking away from the Bohemian absinth stigma.