Absinthe has long been misunderstood despite its rich history and captivating allure, from its supposed hallucinogenic properties to the amount of wormwood it may contain, making this spirit appear dangerous or even deadly. Yet the reality of absinthe is much more complex; you should welcome its presence into your bar!
Blanc absinthe starts as a clear distillate that’s enhanced with various herbs and spices for an intoxicating combination of botanical flavors, creating its characteristic green hue. Verte absinthe, also known as la fee verte, takes this approach one step further with its secondary maceration process whereby herbs steeped separately are steeped into the clear spirit before bottling; this increases alcohol content due to botanical oils only being miscible with certain concentrations of water, so vertes tend to come at higher proof than their blanche counterpart.
Absinthe, being a high-proof spirit, should be consumed carefully. Traditionally it has been served using a fountain – an ice water container with multiple spigots designed to facilitate multiple drinks at the same time – which slowly drips onto absinthe until its milky translucent liquid turns milky white and translucent with each droplet from dripping slowly over. Sugar may then be added for flavour. Served on its own it should usually be enjoyed using a spoon.
Wormwood (Artemesia absinthium), the herb responsible for absinthe’s hallucinogenic properties, contains thujone. This chemical was exploited by temperance movements to get absinthe banned across Europe until early in this century when it was reintroduced with limited levels of thujone.
