At the end of the 18th century, Pierre Ordinaire - a French doctor while living in Switzerland , used wormwood (Artemisia absinthium or grande wormwood, an ancient medicinal plant with a variety of uses particulary for stomach and digestive complaints) together with anise, fennel, hyssop and various other herbs distilled in an alcoholic base as a herbal remedy for his patients. Ordinaire’s recipe eventually found its way into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who established the Pernod fils dynasty when he opened his first distillery in 1805, and very soon ‘Extrait d’absinthe.
This spirituous liquor that rose to excessive popularity in France and Switzerland beginning in the 18th century (amongst infamous in artists and Moulin Rouge bohemians including Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Apollinaire,Verlaine,Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso used it for intoxicating, hallucinogenic and erotic effects.) People used to meet for an absinthe at so called “Green Hour” in the late afternoon or prior to meal.
It is an anise and wormwood flavored spirit, distilled from anise, fennel , absinthium wormwood, petite wormwood (Artemisia pontica), melissa (Melissa officinalis) and hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis), angelica root, sweet flag, dittany leaves, star-anise fruit and mint lemon balm,juniper, nutmeg veronica….. Absinthe takes its name from the main adjunct flavoring aside from anise, Artemisia absinthium, the common French name for which is “grande absinthe”. it is often referred to as a “liqueur”, this isn't really accurate today, since according to the modern definition of liqueurs they are pre-sweetened and absinthe is not. Technically, absinthe is an aperitif spirit. Pre-sweetened absinthe was a liqueur known as crème d'absinthe and was of lower proof.
Absinthe is very high in alcohol content, usually in the 55% to 72% range (110 to 144 proof); for comparison, whisky is generally around 40%, or 80 proof. Absinthe, a high-proof concentrate, is intended to be served diluted with iced water at a ratio of approximately three to five parts water to one part absinthe. The flavor of absinthe is often associated with black licorice. The reason for this is that many licorice candies are actually flavored with star anise oil, the inexpensive flavoring used in lower quality absinthes. Premium absinthes use primarily green anise—the common aniseed—which has a much more balanced and mellow flavor and sometimes use whole star anise sparingly to supplement the green anise. The licorice plant and green anise are unrelated. The flavor of licorice root—Glycyrrhiza glabra—comes from the compound glycyrrhizin, while that of anise, fennel and star anise come from anethole. It comes in various shades of Green in colour because of High concentrations of chlorophyll.
Absinthe is a simple drink. Proper preparation consists of slowly diluting it with very cold iced water—whether dripping from a specially made absinthe fountain to a ratio of approximately three to five parts water to one part absinthe, and sweetened to taste. The botanical oils from the anise and fennel do not mix with water but are readily dissolved in the high-proof alcohol during the distillation process. When absinthe is diluted with water, the oils from the anise and fennel come out of solution with the alcohol to form a colloidal suspension (microscopic oil droplets) with the water, causing a beautiful cloudy effect, known as the “louche.” “Louche” is a French word (pronounced “loosh”) meaning variously, “turbulent” “troubled” and “cloudy.”
One should never drink absinthe neat. First of all, it's too strong. More importantly, many of the aromas and flavors are not present until the addition of water brings the herbal oils out of solution and the flavor “blooms.”
One should never drink absinthe neat. First of all, it's too strong. More importantly, many of the aromas and flavors are not present until the addition of water brings the herbal oils out of solution and the flavor “blooms.”
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