How Do You Serve Absinthe
If you are a beginner, a new Absinthe drinker, you will want to know “how do you serve Absinthe?”. Absinthe is a strong liquor, stronger than other spirits, and is not usually consumed “straight” but is diluted with iced water.
Absinthe has had an interesting history being blamed for being psychoactive like cannabis and being famously banned in many countries. It has now been legalized in most countries.
There are two main special methods for preparing Absinthe: The Ritual, or La Louche, which is the traditional French way of serving Absinthe, and the modern Bohemian method also known as the Czech Method. Absinthe is a specialty drink requiring special preparation. Here is a guide to preparing Absinthe using the two different methods:-
The Ritual
The method used in the cultural history of Absinthe in France and Switzerland before the ban in the early 1900s.
For this method, you will need the following equipment:-
- Absinthe
- An Absinthe glass
- An Absinthe spoon – A slotted spoon specially designed for use with Absinthe.
- A cube of sugar
- A carafe or Absinthe fountain of iced water.
Here is the ritual recipe:-
Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
Rest your Absinthe spoon on top of the glass and place the sugar cube on it.
Drip the ice cold water over the sugar cube or set the tap on the fountain to a slow drip. The sugar cube will slowly dissolve into the water and mix into the Absinthe.
As the water mixes with the Absinthe, the drink will louche (go cloudy or milky). The “louche” effect is caused by the essential oils in the Absinthe, such as wormwood, which are soluble in alcohol but not in water.
Stir and enjoy your Absinthe.
(The ratio of water to Absinthe should be between 3:1 and 5:1)
An adaption of the Ritual is the “Glass in a Glass” method. With this method you place a small glass containing the Absinthe into a larger glass and drip water into the small glass which then overflows into the larger glass. Remove the small glass once it contains just water and all of the Absinthe is in the larger glass.
The Bohemian Method
For this method you will need:-
- Absinthe
- An Absinthe glass
- An Absinthe Spoon
- A cube of sugar
- A lighter or match
- Iced water
Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
Soak the sugar cube in Absinthe and then rest on the spoon.
Set light to the sugar cube and allow it to caramelize, melt and drip into Absinthe.
Add iced water to the Absinthe and watch it louche.
This method has become very popular in recent times especially in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic. Many Absinthe drinkers scorn this method because it is not traditional.
* Care should be taken when setting alcohol alight *
For the Absinthe to louche properly, you will need a quality Absinthe which contains real essential oils. If you cannot buy quality bottled Absinthe you can buy essences from AbsintheKit.com to make your own top-quality, classic wormwood Absinthe by mixing the distilled herb essence with vodka or Everclear.
Once you have your quality Absinthe you can enjoy learning how do you serve Absinthe and even use it in cocktails.
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