Knowing How To Serve Absinthe
Ever since the legalization of Absinthe in several countries during the late 1980s and 90s, and 2007 in the USA for several brands, many people happen to be curious about how to serve Absinthe to take pleasure from the right Green Fairy of history, the drink enjoyed by Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso as well as Oscar Wilde.
Firstly, you have to make sure that you have got a real Absinthe. Fake Absinthes and substitutes won’t taste right and does not louche properly. True Absinthe is made up of essential oils from herbs similar to wormwood, aniseed, fennel, hyssop and also lemon balm. These oils are soluble in Absinthe alcohol however when the Absinthe is prepared in the right way, with cold water, the Absinthe louches (becomes cloudy or milky) because the oils are not water soluble.
Be sure that the Absinthe you buy is referred to as “Absinthe”, Absenta (from Spain) or “Absynthe” and that it has real wormwood. If you find it difficult to find real wormwood Absinthe, you could make your personal Absinthe using the special Absinthe essences sold by AbsintheKit.com. These essences are the same ones that the company sell to the Absinthe Industry and therefore are specially created using top-quality herbs and carbon dioxide distillation. Purely mix some essence with vodka or Everclear to create your very own Absinthe.
AbsintheKit sell 20ml bottles of essence which make one 750ml bottle of Absinthe and they also sell kits which feature enough essence to create 14 bottles of Absinthe, bottle labels and a handy measure. See the website for further details plus a guide on how to make Absinthe utilizing their essences.
How to Serve Absinthe
The proper culinary term for the cultural preparation of Absinthe is “The Ritual”. To be properly “cultured” you should have:-
– An Absinthe glass – classic or replica.
– An Absinthe slotted spoon (cuillere).
– Absinthe.
– Ice cold Water.
Pour a shot of Absinthe (25-50ml) of Absinthe into the glass. Rest the Absinthe spoon on top of the glass and rest a cube of sugar upon it. Using either an Absinthe fountain or a carafe which has a steady hand, gradually drip or pour the water above the sugar. As the water mixes in the Absinthe the drink will louche. This effect can be fairly extraordinary depending on the Absinthe and the concentration of essential oils. The proportion of water to Absinthe liquor should be between 3:1 and 5:1. Stir the drink when all the water has dripped in and after that enjoy your Absinthe.
Make sure to drink Absinthe sparingly, it is a very strong spirit. Many people comment on the very different sort of drunkenness they encounter when drinking Absinthe. It has been described as a “clear headed” or “lucid” drunkenness. This may be brought on by the blend of herbs utilised in Absinthe production – some have got a sedative effect while some work as stimulants, very strange!
Enjoy understanding how to serve Absinthe using the ritual.