Movies have a lot to answer for don’t they? Just think what Jaws did for sharks. This is what ‘From Hell‘ starring Johnny Depp did for Absinthe. Being a big Johnny fan and never having tried Absinthe before, I was filled with just a little trepidation, feeling nervous and excited; such is the myth that surrounds this drink.
The Alchemy of setting fire to transform a simple fluid into something much more compelling I now realise is for effect and not at all the correct and traditional way to drink absinthe. The dear people at the Absinthe Shop, who supplied me with my delicious sample of white Clandestine Absinthe, recommend the traditional method. I on the other hand, could not resist the drama and pyromania of the Bohemian method, purely for effect. Both techniques are described below.
The taste test
Using an antique Swedish schnaps glass with a tiny bit of water in it, I poured the clear, sweet, Anise smelling liquid over a cube of sugar placed on a beautiful Absinthe spoon. I think this is the most delicate and precious part of the ritual. The sugar dissolved ever so gently. The drink turned slightly cloudy and looked very pretty. Being a drama queen, I lit the sugar cube soaked in alcohol. A pretty blue flame glowed gently and the sugar warmed and dripped sensually into the glass below. I removed the spoon and raised the glass to my lips. The contents was warm, herby, sticky, and just slightly syrupy. It was utterly divine, with a slightly eye opening strength to it. Fragrant with Anise, and the caramel stickyness of the sugar, I was happy to sip it steadily down. Dare I say it was even comforting. I did not hallucinate, I did not trip, instead, I sat back and enjoyed the warm embrace of my new best friend.
The mysterious thujone effect
The mythological mind-altering effects of absinthe – and more specifically, thujone – have been exaggerated and hyped by many modern producers of absinth as a way to increase sales of their products to those looking for a drug experience.
The artists and writers of the 19th century could be blamed for starting the wild claims that absinthe expanded consciousness with mind-altering and psychedelic effects. The Green Fairy (or, The Green Muse) was elevated from tipple to trippy, and the legend stuck. By 1915, most countries that had absinthe had banned it, further cementing legend and mystery. In reality, after much scienfic investigation, as suspected, ethanol alcohol was much more likely to have caused the hallucinations, numbness, facial contractions, and dementia formerly blamed on thujone content. The “absinthe madness” and “absinthism” of the Belle Époque was likely nothing more than alcoholism and its side effects.The traditionally-made French or Suisse absinthe we drink now is not remarkably different than that sipped by Van Gogh, Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Verlaine, Toulouse-Lautrec, or countless others throughout history.
Enjoy the Traditional Method
A 1 ounce / 30 ml measure (also known as a ‘dose’) of absinthe is poured into a glass. A flat, slotted spoon is placed across the rim of the glass and a sugar cube added on top of the spoon. Add — slowly — 3 to 5 parts iced water to the drink, pouring directly onto the sugar cube. The sugar will dissolve and mix into the absinthe below. As the absinthe dilutes, you will witness a change in the translucency of the drink— the louchewill form. A good louche occurs when the herbal chemicals of the absinthe react with the water to form a cloudy and often opalescent beverage
The Bohemian method — or Fire Ritual
This is a modern creation from the late 1990’s and is typical of Czech absinth consumption. The preparation order is reversed and water is added to the glass first, a sugar cube placed on a spoon across the rim, then absinth poured over the cube. The flammable sugar is then lit on fire and after several seconds of cooking the bubbling cube, it is dumped and stirred into the beverage. This inauthentic preparation has been popularised in several movies and is practised in many bars, especially for party crowds. Absinthe-Shop does not recommend this potentially dangerous method of preparation and it should especially never be carried out with a quality absinthe as the burnt sugar will eliminate many of the herbal nuances of a traditional absinthe.
Would I drink absinthe again? Absoloutely! I intend to buy a bottle to enjoy with friends on occasion. So big thanks to Jen and Neil at the Absinthe Shop. They have a wonderful variety of Absinthe with glorious names like Gothica, Clandestine, Opaline and Muse, and all the accessories that make the experience so unique, including the beautiful Absinthe spoons.
Enjoy!
