There is much renewed interest in Absinthe, which is also known as the Greeny Fairy or La Fee Verte. People ask questions about how to buy Absinthe, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the amount to use when preparing a drink.
First be certain to buy a quality Absinthe which is rich in oils and that contains worm wood. There are Absinthe substitute and fake Absinthes on sale that contain southernwood or roman wormwood instead of common wormwood (artemisia absinthium). Be sure you buy a real Absinthe. If you live in a country where it is hard to find a good quality Absinthe then you could make your own Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com.
After you have your Absinthe, you will need to learn the Ritual called La Louche. This traditional way of preparing Absinthe using one shot of Absinthe. Instructions:-
You need the following to perform the Ritural, lump of suger, a slotted Absinthe spoon, iced water and and Absinthe glass.
- Pour between 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
- Rest the special spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
- By either pouring from a carafe or dripping from the tap of the fountain, slowly drip iced water over the sugar. After giving the sugar a chance to dissolve and drip it slowly through the slots of the spoon. You will see a "louche" effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The Absinthe louches because the oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not water and make the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
- Sit down, relax and enjoy your Absinthe.
The Czech or Bohemian Method is very similar to the Ritual but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is scorned by many Absinthe followers.
Tips and instructions for using the Bohemian method:-
- Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into the glass then dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
- Place the sugar cube on the spoon and rest the spoon on the rim of the glass.
- Set the sugar cube on fire for one minute to allow the sugar to melt and caramelize. The sugar will drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
- Place the spoon into the glass and pour the iced water into the Absinthe to put out the flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
- Enjoy the Absinthe drink.
For real enjoyment of your Absinthe then you will want some Absinthiana - Absinthe glasses, spoons and perhaps even an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. Online you can find replicas of antique spoons and glasses for purchased from AbsintheKit.com.
When preparing Absinthe drink, what is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use? A US shot or about 45 ml. You can search online for recipes to use Absinthe in cocktails.