Green with Envy.
Editor’s Note: Rosanne is experiencing some technical difficulties this week so Sal is stepping in to cover “Drinks Around the World“. Rosanne will return next week.
Here in Spain, Absinthe (aka, “Absenta”) is both legal and widely-available.
So to all you college-aged men reading this from the US, let me say just one thing: “Nah nah na nah nahhhhh!”
I know that was childish, but I couldn’t help it. Few spirits have the mystique of Absinthe—or generate so much envy between the Have’s and Have Not’s. Why? Because in many countries—including the US—Absinthe is illegal. And that, my friends, is part of its allure. Nothing tastes quite as sweet as forbidden fruit.
But Absinthe isn’t sweet at all. I know this, because I have a glass of it in front of me as I’m typing these words. Nah nah na nah nahhhhh!
Let’s start with the basics. What is Absinthe? It’s a strong, green-colored liquor distilled from anise and wormwood; plus a number of other herbs and spices unlikely to be found in a Kentucky Fried Chicken storeroom. It’s a drink that amassed a loyal following amongst such legendary artists and writers as Van Gogh, Manet, Lautrec, Wilde, Hemingway and DeTraglia.
Absinthe smells and tastes strongly of liquorice; much like Ouzo, Anís and other anise-flavored spirits. But it’s the wormwood that makes Absinthe special.
Wormwood contributes two important things to the drink. First, it gives it an assertive, underlying bitterness. And second, it gives it a chemical compound called thujone. Thujone is reputed to be highly addictive and—if taken in sufficient quantities—hallucinogenic.
It was the wormwood/thujone connection that proved Absinthe’s downfall early in the twentieth century. Press reports at the time (rightly or wrongly) blamed excessive consumption as the cause of madness, suicide and a number of grisly, high-profile murders. The drink was eventually deemed a public menace, and legislated out of existence in a number of countries—although not Spain or Portugal, where it’s production continues to this day.
But alas, Absinthe is enjoying something of a revival lately. Some European countries have relaxed their laws concerning the drink, and new Absinthe brands are popping-up from places like the Czech Republic.
Because of its high alcohol content and biting flavor, Absinthe is rarely taken neat. Rather, it is typically diluted with ice water and tempered with sugar in the manner described below. Before mixing a batch for yourself, however, The Spirit World recommends that all chainsaws, pickaxes, wood-chippers and samurai swords be stored in a locked garden shed and the key deposited with a trusted neighbor.
You know…just in case.
TRADITIONAL ABSINTHE COCKTAIL
1 part Absinthe
3-5 parts ice water
1 sugar cube
1 Absinthe spoon, slotted spoon or suitable utensil with holes.Step 1: Pour Absinthe into a cocktail glass.
Step 2: Lay the spoon across the rims of the glass.
Step 3: Place sugar cube on the spoon.
Step 4: Slowly drip ice water onto the sugar cube.The water will gently dissolve the cube—trickling sugared ice water through the spoon’s holes and turning the Absinthe below a milky-white.
It is important to remind people that the hallucinogenic properties of thujone in general, and of Absinthe in specific, are for the most part just a myth.
Thujone, when taken in high quantities can result in seizures, and is in fact poisonous (but then, so is alcohol). Far too much attention however is paid to the thujone in absinthe, because in fact real absinthe, when made properly, has very little. The distillation process removes most of the thujone, as well as most of the bitterness.
Virtually all absinthes coming out of the Czech Republic is made in a manner similar to “Bathtub Gin”, in which oils or “essences” are simply added to gain alcohol, or the herbs are simply soaked in the alcohol before bottling. Properly made absinthe will be distilled again after the herbs are macerated in it, which is essentially the same process used for making gin, just with different botanicals.
There are a wide variety of absinthes available for ordering on-line from countries where it is still legal to manufacture. US law doesn’t make it illegal to order, purchase, or own absinthe, but it can be confiscated if transported into the US.
One of the better brands to look for is “Jade”, which is currently being made in France by a chemist from New Orleans who reverse engineered the authentic recipes, but there are many other great brands available if you look carefully enough.