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Absinthe History |
Absinthe History Absinthe was once believed to stimulate creativity and has long been popular amongst the artistic and gothic communities. Some of the historical figures who regularly indulged in it were Poe, Verlaine, Van Gogh, and Baudelaire. Ernest Hemingway allowed his characters to regularly enjoy absinthe as well. Absinthe had the pleasure of sharing the vain popularity of opium and, as seen with Johnny Depp's character in "From Hell", was commonly consumed with a few drops of Laudanum (opium extract) added. (This site does not condone the use, purchase or transportation of such substances in any shape, manner or form.) However, in the 1850s, concern over the effects of chronic use
began cropping up. Regularly indulging in absinthe was believed to
produce a syndrome, called 'absinthism', which was characterized by
addiction, hyper-excitability, and hallucinations oddly enough, not
unlike garden-variety acute alcoholism. Coincidence? Absinthe had
been unfairly persecuted for many years before it finally fell from
grace in the early 1900s. What is Absinthe? Absinthe is an emerald green distilled alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin) and is, therefore, traditionally poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass of water (if no authentic absinthe spoon is available, a common dinner fork will do). The drink then turns from clear to an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the solution. True absinthe was marked by its green color (which usually came from chlorophyll in the herbs). This lead to cases in which the drink was altered with dangerous copper salts, doubtless to the consumers detriment. The best absinthe contained 70-80% alcohol, which in itself makes a case for why it might be a dangerous drink (although high alcohol content does not guarantee a good absinthe as much as the herbal mixture and process used to make it dictates). The first step resulting product is Macerated Absinthe that is a very bitter, brownish green opaque mixture high in alcohol and wormwood that lends the mixture its extreme bitterness. To avoid having to purchase commercially distilled absinthe, Macerated Absinthe was consumed with MUCH water (sometimes 5:1 ratio or more) and plenty sugar and other aromatic herbs and flavorings to make it palatable. If the macerated mixture was consumed, it was filtered more than once to eliminate as many colloidal particles as possible. Today, this mixture is still consumed in a similar manner. A contemporary twist on the absinthe ritual has been to use your favorite very sweet non-cola soda to dilute the mixture. Of beverages still legally for sale in most places, Campari and Fernet Branca contain wormwood, but are not nearly so alcoholic. Pernod is essentially a much lower alcohol proof of absinthe minus any wormwood. If desired, the macerated mixture was filtered, diluted with water (~1:1 ratio), steam distilled (Be advised that home distilling is illegal in much of the US today.) and re-mixed with anise (for the licorice flavor) and chlorophyll rich aromatic herbs such as peppermint and eucalyptus to reintroduce the green color and underlying essences. For over 200 years, Absinthe has enjoyed the reputation of being a creativity enhancer and aphrodisiac. Said to have been popular with the likes of Van Gogh, Monet, Picasso, Hemingway, bohemians and European Aristocracy, Absinthe is rapidly regaining a wide following...again. It's not easy being green as absinthe has been banned in the U.S. and most other countries since the early 1900s. So, the only legal avenues for procurement involves a trip to Europe (not really a spontaneous possibility), risk an international purchase (that may be confiscated by customs if it is fortunate enough to make it here after several months), or to get a secret recipe mixture to prepare your own Absinthe. Having a bittersweet taste, not unlike that of licorice, Absinthe
is traditionally enjoyed with a LOT of sugar and water. But it is
also becoming more renowned as a base for cocktails (see our recipe
page). Following the success of the absinthe-romanticizing films
"Moulin Rouge" (Translated "red windmill" and based on the greatest
of the Paris music halls founded in 1889 and frequented by the likes
of Toulouse Lautrec.) and "From Hell", the absinthe revival looks
like it's back with a vengeance. |