History of Absinthe is very entertaining. Absinthe was created in the town of Couvet, in Switzerland, in the late 18th century by a French doctor who used it as an elixir or tonic for his patients. By 1805 the Absinthe recipeshad got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who started distilling it in his factory in Pontarlier in France.

Original Absinthe Recipes

Pernod’s Absinthe, Original Pernod Fils, was distilled from wine and contained many natural herbs and essential oils from plants including grande wormwood, aniseed, melissa, fennel, lemon balm, dittany, angelica root, hyssop, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.

Different manufacturers of the Green Fairy (Absinthe’s nickname) used different recipes and ingredients. Calamus root, mint, cloves, nutmeg, roman wormwood, anise seed, coriander, sweet flag and licorice are the other herbs used in Absinthe production. The herb wormwood, Artimesia Absinthium was the basic ingredient of pre-ban Absinthe which gave Absinthe it’s characteristic bitter flavor and name.

People believed that the thujone chemical and THC in the drug cannabis have the same effects. One can have psychedelic effects due to large quantity of thujone intake. Anise seed and fennel seed both contain anethole which is said to be psychoactive and Angelica root is grown as a drug in Lapland. As Absinthe is a mysterious mix of sedatives and stimulants so a few artists and writers claimed that it enhanced their genius and inspiration! “A clear headed drunkenness” is the description on the way of being drunk on Absinthe.

Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 when Prohibitionists claimed it’s harmful effects. Absinthe is safe same as other strong alcoholic drinks like whisky and vodka. A person cannot be harmed by Absinthe because it is alcoholic drink that contains minute quantities of wormwood and the other herbs.

Homemade Absinthe Recipes

There are many Absinthe recipes on the Internet using different herbs and different methods – steeping, filtering etc. Using plants, dried herbs or essential oils for Absinthe preparation at home is not suggested. Why?
– A person must use distilled Absinthe.
-Knowing the thujone content of drunked Absinthe is not possible.

It is far better to buy either a quality Absinthe, making sure that it’s got the vital ingredient wormwood, or to buy an Absinthe kit which consists of Absinthe essences that have already been distilled.

Buying Absinthe is now legal in the USA.

AbsintheKit.com does great Absinthe kits which consist of:-

– Absinthe essence – choose from classic, white (which makes clear Swiss style Absinthe, Strong 55 (with a 55mg thujone content) and Orange (flavored with orange oil).
-Take a measure.
– Artistic Labels are important to decorate Absinthe bottles.

A single bottle of essence is enough to make 14 bottles of Absinthe!

One can prepare own bottled Absinthe by mixing 20ml of the Absinthe essence with a neutral alcohol.

A person is sure about getting a safe, top-quality product as these essences are similar to the ones sold to distilleries.

A variety of cocktail Absinthe recipes are available on the Internet. Have fun in finding and mixing the cocktails.

There has been a renewed interest in Absinthe liquor about the world in the last decade since Absinthe’s legalization in many countries. From the year 2007 there are certain brands of Absinthe that can be sold in United States.

Information about Absinthe Liquor?

Absinthe is a distilled anise flavored spirit which was created for medicinal purposes as an elixir or tonic by the legendary Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland. It became popular in Switzerland and France in the 19th and early 20th centuries and even overtook wine in popularity in France.

Absinthe is generally prepared from a wine base and is flavored with herbs. Basic herbal ingredients of Absinthe are common wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), which gives Absinthe it’s name and it’s bitter taste, aniseed and fennel. The production of Absinthe also includes the herbs like hyssop, lemon balm, star anise, dittany, juniper, nutmeg and licorice.

There are many different types of Absinthe liquor:-

– Verte – This is the classic green Absinthe of the French La Belle Epoque and the Absinthe favored by the Bohemian culture of Montmartre and consumed by artists and writers such as Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine.

– Everyone knows La Blueu as La Blanche also. Introducing a clear Absinthe. During the ban Bootleg Swiss Absinthe was clear.

Though some Czech Absinthes are normal Absinthes but this term relates to “Absinths” that are wormwood bitters and lack an anise taste.

– Absenta – Spanish Absinthe which has a sweeter flavor because it is made with Alicante Anise.

– The added ingredient of hibiscus flowers gives red color to Rouge or Rose Absinthe.

You can buy many different types and styles of Absinthe online– traditional styles and modern classics which are based on vintage Absinthes but have a modern twist.

As well as buying these different types of Absinthe beverages, you can also make your own Absinthe from Absinthe essences. AbsintheKit.Essences are supplied to the Absinthe industry and to consumers from the site AbsintheKit.com. They make 4 different essences – a classic green Absinthe essence, a clear Absinthe essence, a strong essence which makes an Absinthe with a stronger bitter wormwood flavor, and an orange flavored essence which is flavored with orange oil and makes a lovely orange-yellow colored Absinthe. A person can prepare wormwood Absinthe from the essences available on the websites.

AbsintheKit.AbsintheKit.com can be visited by an individual to purchase replicas of famous Absinthe glasses and spoons such as the Eiffel Tower spoon.

Whisky or vodka is less stronger than Absinthe. It is necessary to be attentive when consuming such a strong spirit especially if it is being mixed with other strong spirits in cocktails!

Only a few drinks like Absinthe liquor have their many myths, legends, lies and falsehoods.

An Absinthe revival can be experienced due to the authorization of some brands of Absinthe in 2007 in the United States. Yet, some people don’t really know how to use Absinthe correctly or even what Absinthe is.

What is Absinthe

Absinthe is not a hallucinogen or a drug. It is a strong alcoholic beverage with an alcohol by volume of up to 75% and an anise flavor.

According to the legend Absinthe was created by Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland in the 18th century as a tonic for his patients. Henri-Louis Pernod was distilling Absinthe and selling it commercially by the turn of the 19th century. Pernod used a wine alcohol base distilled with variety of natural herbs and also fennel, aniseed, star anise,wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium),  hyssop, lemon balm, angelica, juniper, dittany, nutmeg and melissa.

In France the popularity of Absinthe is more than wine. The traditional process of using and preparing Absinthe was born with the Absinthe bars.

After presuming that Absinthe contained psychoactive chemicals and causes hallucinations, convulsions, insanity and death, the drink was banned in France. There is no truth in these claims. There is no chance of these effects due to Absinthe. Absinthe was authorized in several countries in the 1990s.

How to Use Absinthe the Traditional Way

To prepare Absinthe in the traditional way is to use the “Ritual”.
You will need:-
– Take a large glass or Absinthe glass.
– Absinthe
– An Absinthe spoon– replica glasses and spoons can be purchased online at AbsintheKit.A person can also prepare his own Absinthe with top-quality Absinthe essences. To prepare own Absinthe a person will require top-quality Absinthe essences.
– Take a sugar cube.
– A carafe of iced water.

A person has to pour a shot of Absinthe into the glass.
After resting the spoon on the rim of the glass put the sugar cube on it.
Gradually drip the iced water over the sugar to make it soluble.
As the water mixes into the Absinthe a louche is visible. The essential oils cause the mixture to louche or go cloudy because they are not soluble in water.
One can stir Absinthe to feel the taste of the Green Fairy.

It is very easy to get drunk on Absinthe though it does not give hallucinations. The herbs used in the preparation of Absinthe are sedative in nature and stimulants. Other spirits, wine or beer can not give the same drunkness as caused by this blend of herbs. Some call it as a “clear headed” drunkenness.

The Czech or Bohemian Method

With this method, once you have poured the shot of Absinthe into the glass you dip the sugar cube into the alcohol and then set it alight on the spoon with a match. As the sugar has caramelized and melted from the spoon and into the Absinthe one can add the iced water.

The Bohemian method is a modern method that is a bit of fun in comparison to a serious method of drinking Absinthe. As the whole glass of Absinthe can catch fire so it can be a bit risky! It is necessary to take care.

The Ritual is the most popular way of using Absinthe but Absinthe can also be used in cocktails – make up your own or search online for cocktail recipes to give you inspiration on how to use Absinthe.

It is not easy to believe on so many contradictory Absinthe informations.

Misleading Absinthe Information

One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writersin Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, compares Absinthe to drugs such as cocaine because it was said to be addictive, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties.

Absinthe became popular at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, a time known as “The Great Binge”. Several today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were in use by normal everyday people at this time. In drinks also. Absinthe, Vin Maraiani and Coca Cola were a few famous drinks in bars. These drugs and drinks were claimed to be harmless and were widely consumed all over Europe.

Due to it’s popularity with Bohemian artists and writers and with the courtesans of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre Absinthe was linked with these drugs.

Thujone was claimed both psychoactive and similar to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the drug cannabis. The essential oils contain THC and Thujone which affects the central nervous system and the GABA receptors in the brain respectively. The heavy amount of wormwood intake causes hallucinations and fantasies, make the person feel euphoric, relieve pain and act as an aphrodisiac.

Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in the early 1900s and was made illegal to buy and sell in many countries around the world. Banning it was just a part of the hysteria of the time. Most of the people and websites are there today who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy.

Absinthe Information – What we now know

We know that medical studies on Absintheand wormwood in the past were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of the time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent studies have shown that Absinthe, once it is distilled, only contains very small amounts of thujone – not enough to cause any harmful side effects or hallucinations, that is just a myth. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has shown that it hardly contained any thujone at all. Thujone is not so harmful as the alcohol.

As many countries has authorized Absinthe so it can now be drunk anywhere across the world.

Even though it may not make you trip or get high, it is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of its high proof. It has twice the alcohol content of spirits such as vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. The intoxication experienced from Absinthe is very different from other spirits or fermented beverages. It is said to be a “lucid” or “clear headed” type of drunkenness. This can be described by the blend of herbs and the alcohol. These qualities are also enhanced by preparing cocktails containing Absinthe and the caffeine loaded drink!

The false Absinthe information can create confusion to a person. There is fun to make this great anise flavor herbal alcoholic beverage. A person can also enjoy making his very own wormwood Absinthe at home by using real, top-quality Absinthe essences.A person can enjoy Absinthe in an economical way on AbsintheKit.com.

Since there has been an Absinthe revival in many countries over the past few years, many people are seeking Absinthe info.

Absinthe is known as “La Fee Verte” or “The Green Fairy” because of its characteristic green color. Different from the alcoholic beverages beer and cider it is distilled generally with a wine base and a variety of herbail ingredients.

Absinthe got it’s name and it’s distinctive bitter taste from the wormwood, artemisia absinthium. Some “fake” Absinthes do not contain wormwood because thujone, from wormwood, was strictly regulated in countries like the USA and proper wormwood Absinthe was banned.

Fennel, green aniseed, star anise, hyssop, lemon balm, juniper, angelica, licorice, dittany, coriander, nutmeg and sweet flag are the different types of herbs and essential oils used in Absinthe production. Due to the essential oils Absinthe louches when coming in contact with water. The oils are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so cause the drink to go cloudy.

Absinthe Info about the Ban

The prohibition movement claimed that Absinthe was harmful and that drinking Absinthe led to “Absinthism” which was characterized by convulsions, fits, madness, brain damage and ultimately death. Thujone, the chemical found in wormwood, was claimed to cause psychedelic effects and to be dangerous. It was believed that Absinthe had a large amount of thujone content because of which it was extremely toxic and dangerous. In the beginning of 1900s lots of nations banned Absinthe.

The facts about Absinthe is entirely different from the statements given about it. Thujone can be dangerous when taken in large amounts. There is a great difference between the thought of 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries and recent studies about the thujone content in Absinthe. One has to drink sufficient amount of Absinthe for thujone to be of any danger!

Absinthe has now been legalized in most countries and there are many types and styles available:-

– Clear Absinthe – This is known as La Bleue or Blanche Absinthe and is commonly distilled in Switzerland.

– La Verte – This is traditional green Absinthe, the Green Fairy.

Absenta is a Spanish Absinthe which tends to be sweeter than normal French or Swiss Absinthe.

– Bohemian or Czech style Absinthe is a wormwood bitter than an Absinthe which lacks other herbs such as aniseed or fennel.

Thujone or wormwood is the important content of real Absinthe.
You can also make your own Absintheby using Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com. Modern carbon dioxide distillation is used to distill these essences. Absinthe with real wormwood can be prepared by making a solution with a neutral alcohol.

One can visit AbsintheKit.com to get more Absinthe info and info about Absinthe kit.com.

When you have bought or made your own Absinthe how to prepare it is the next issue because Absinthe is not like any other alcoholic beverage, it is usually served diluted with iced water. This way of serving Absinthe is the traditional way that Absinthe was served in La Belle Epoque in France and Switzerland. There is no problem in studying “The Ritual” or “La Louche”.

Absinthe How to Prepare using The Ritual

To perform the Ritual, you will need the following:-

– Absinthe – A good quality Absinthe containing real herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. One must get the Absinthe having the thujone content.
– There is necessity of an Absinthe glass – An antique Absinthe glass or replica one. Replicas of antiques like Pontarlier glasses and Eiffel Tower spoons are available at AbsintheKit.com.
– Use a slotted Absinthe spoon.
– Take a cube of sugar.
– Iced water in a carafe or in an Absinthe fountain.

Instructions for preparing the perfect Absinthe drink:-

– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– A cube of sugar is needed to be placed the resting Absinthe spoon.
– Either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a carafe one can drip iced water over the sugar. By slowly dripping it sugar will dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. You should see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. As the essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water so the Absinthe louches.
– A person can have fun with Absinthe commonly known as the Green Fairy.

The Bohemian or Czech Method

This method of preparing Absintheis not traditional but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. Various Absinthe followers detested the Bohemian method.

You will need:-

– Absinthe
– Buy an Absinthe glass
– Importance of an Absinthe slotted spoon
– Use a cube of sugar
– Take a lighter or match
– Iced water

Instructions and tips for using the Bohemian method:-

– Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– The process is to place sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
– Burn the sugar cube for few seconds to allow it to caramelize and melt. The sugar should drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
– A person is able to put out any flames and cause the Absinthe to louche by putting the spoon and pouring the iced water into it.
– A person can enjoy his Absinthe drink.

* Care should be taken with this method because the Absinthe in the glass may set alight too *

Absinthe can also be used in many cocktails. Ernest Hemingway always mixed it with champagne, he called it “Death in the Afternoon”.

A large number of legends, mysteries and stories are there encircling different aspects of Absinthe. Enjoy drinking this famous mythical drink.

Absinthe Green Fairy is an alcoholic drink with an interesting history. Although it was developed as an elixir in the 18th century it is one of the most controversial and well known drinks of everytime.

Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit which is incredibly strong, between 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume. It is emerald green in color, hence the name “Green Fairy” or in French “La Fee Verte”. Herbs are used to prepare this distilled liquor. The common herbs tend to be wormwood, green aniseed and fennel. Henri-Louis Pernod used other herbs like hyssop, lemon balm, nutmeg, juniper, veronica, star anise and dittany to produce his famous original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some manufacturers used the herb calamus along with wormwood and nutmeg which were assumed to be psychoactive. Because of the essential oil extract Absinthe louche when iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon. The oils are insoluble in water that’s why cause Absinthe to cloud.

Absinthe Green Fairy and the Art World

Absinthe is famous for inspiring many artists and writers associated with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde are popular Absinthe drinkers. Many writers and artists were convinced with the effects of Absinthe. Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers was featured by some painters in their paintings.

Absinthe’s association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was just the excuse necessary for prohibition campaigners. The link with the murder of a family and the growing problem of alcohol addiction in France were responsible for the restriction of Absinthe in France. Other countries also banned it but it remained legal in the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal.

People believed that the chemical thujone was responsible for the psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy. Thujone was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis. The main contents of Absinthe are alcohol, ethanol and minute quantities of thujone. Research has shown that the alcohol content in Absinthe is dangerous and not the thujone. There are various studies and articles written on the subject. If you remember that it is about twice as strong as vodka or whisky and drink it with care and in moderation, it is simply a drink which gives pleasure.

During the time of prohibition many people enjoyed buying and drinking vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic, served in the classic Absinthe large glassesand in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. At present Absinthe is legal in several countries although thujone levels are controlled in the EU and the United States only allows Absinthe with trace amounts of thujone.

Internet is the best way of getting Absinthe by the bottle or for ordering Absinthe essences.com) to make your own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. Some new Absinthes which are made for the US market do not contain thujone.

Absinthe Green Fairy can also be used in cocktails – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!

The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. The film Moulin Rouge was focused on the french Bohemian culture of Montmartre in Paris where the Green Fairy Absinthe was the favorite drink of artists and writers.

Absinthe Fairy Followers

Famous devotees of La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy, were Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway who created his own Absinthe cocktail “Death in the Afternoon” – a mix of Absinthe and champagne. Absinthe not only gave writers and artists their genius and their inspiration but also most pieces of art of the time highlight Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers. The Belle Epoque period of history was the hey day for Absinthe.

Absinthe is prepared from herbs and essential oils. The basic ingredient of it is the herb wormwood, an extract from the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. Absinthe gets it characteristic bitter taste from wormwood and it’s anise flavor from herbs.

Thujone, a chemical found in wormwood oil, was thought to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. Due to the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre prohibition campaigners ammunition banned Absinthe in France. Buying or selling Absinthe was not legal. Several other countries also restricted it. Spain, where Absinthe was called Absenta, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic did not ban the Green Fairy.

Absinthe Fairy and Prohibition

During the prohibition period, distilleries, such as the Pernod Fils distillery, started producing Absinthe substitutes such as Pernod Pastis to market to the people who were missing the anise flavor of Absinthe. Ricard was one of the substitute of Absinthe.

In many countries bootleg absinthe was still distilled and sold which proves that the knowledge with respect to distillation of Absinthe has never been lost.

In the 1990s Absinthe was made legal in many countries, although Switzerland, home of Absinthe, had to wait until 2005 for legalization. You can now buy Absinthe and Absinthe essence kits online along with Absinthiana such as glasses, spoons and fountains. Drinking Absinthe out of a special antique or replica glass with a proper spoon is added attraction to the Absinthe preparation ritual.

Absinthe contained minute quantities of thujone which cannot harm a person so it was legalized in many places. Although Absinthe is much higher in alcohol than other spirits but it was never designed to drink neat. To enjoy La Louche a person should mix it with iced water.

For making own bottled Absinthe one can get the real wormwood Absinthe and essences from several websites.com.

Absinthe effects are ill-famed among the people. People know the colorful history and the secret myths of Absinthe.

Absinthe was created in Switzerland in the 18th century as an elixir or tonic. There were several ways of using the herb wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) from ancient times
– Same as a tonic
– To counteract poisoning caused by hemlock and toadstools
– To improve digestion
– Known treatment of parasitic intestinal worms.

In the 19th century Absinthe started to be distilled and sold by Pernod after which it became popular in La Belle Epoque period and joined with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. According to many popular artists and writers Absinthe freed their minds and inspired them. The Green Fairy Absinthe barred Van Gogh to cut off his ear.

Several people started thinking that Absinthe was harmful because it had psychedelic and intoxicating effects which could cause violence and mental disorder. According to a description a French man had murdered his whole family after drinking Absinthe. After drinking the Absinthe one had definitely drunk other alcoholic beverages in large amount.

The Absinthe effects were blamed on the wormwood extract in the drink which contained a chemical called thujone. Thujone had similarities with TCH, found in the drug cannabis. In France and many other countries Absinthe was banned and made illegal during the year 1915. It was never restricted in Spain, Portugal, the UK or the Czech Republic.

Many people researched thujone and Absinthe and it was found that drinking Absinthe was just as safe as drinking any strong spirits, and liquor with a high alcohol by volume, and that Absinthe contained only very minute quantities of thujone. The ban was removed from Absinthe in many countries due to this reason. As per EU legislation the bottled Absinthe with 10mg/kg or less of thujone can be sold and US law only allows the sale of Absinthe with suggested amounts of thujone.

The Absinthe ban meant that several new Absinthe-like products had been made to replace Absinthe for satisfying people’s appetite. Along with the artificial Absinthes which have been made for the US market these beverages are still sold. A real Absinthe is that which contains the vital ingredient, wormwood for giving Absinthe it’s characteristic bitter flavor. To make bottled Absinthe it is necessary to purchase Absinthes or Absinthe essences which contain real wormwood and which can be soluble with vodka or Everclear. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and can be bought online through sites like AbsintheKit.com. They come with instructions on how to use them and are to be used with your Absinthe spoon and glass.

It is necessary to think about Absinthe effects for one who is going to consume a significant amount of Absinthe. Absinthe is twice strong in comparison to whisky and must be drunk in moderation!