Absinthe has once again become a popular drink and, with the legalization of a few brands of Absinthe in 2007 in the United States, it can even be said that we are experiencing an Absinthe revival. Yet, some people don't really know how to use Absinthe correctly or even what Absinthe is.

What is Absinthe

Absinthe is not a hallucinogen or a drug. It is a strong alcoholic beverage with an alcohol by volume of up to 75% and an anise flavor.

Legend has it that Absinthe was created by Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Couvet, Switzerland in the 18th century as an elixir for his patients. Henri-Louis Pernod was distilling Absinthe and selling it commercially by the turn of the 19th century. A wine alcohol base distilled with different types of natural herbs including wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), fennel, aniseed, star anise, hyssop, lemon balm, angelica, juniper, dittany, nutmeg and melissa was used by Pernod.

People of France prefer Absinthe to wine. Absinthe bars became popular and gave rise to the “Ritual” or traditional procedure of using and preparing Absinthe.

France banned Absinthe when it was claimed that Absinthe contained psychoactive chemicals and cause hallucinations, convulsions, insanity and death. Everybody now knows that these claims were false. One cannot suffer with such effects due to intake of Absinthe. Absinthe was legalized in many countries in the 1990s.

How to Use Absinthe the Traditional Way

To prepare Absinthe in the traditional way is to use the “Ritual”.
A person will need:-
- A large glass or Absinthe glass.
- Absinthe
- An Absinthe spoon– replica glasses and spoons can be purchased online at AbsintheKit.One can visit the site AbsintheKit.com to make his own Absinthe. To prepare own Absinthe a person will require top-quality Absinthe essences.
- One has to use a sugar cube.
- Sufficient amount of carafe of iced water.

Pour a small quantity of Absinthe into the glass.
Put the sugar cube on the resting spoon.
Slowly drip, rather than pour, the iced water over the sugar to dissolve it.
The Absinthe louche appears when the water is mixed into the Absinthe. The essential oils in the Absinthe are not soluble in water so cause the mixture to louche or go cloudy.
One can stir Absinthe to feel the taste of the Green Fairy.

Remember that although Absinthe will not give you hallucinations, it is a strong drink and it is very easy to get drunk on Absinthe. Herbs that are naturally sedative in nature and stimulants are used to make Absinthe. The drunkness experienced by this blend of herbs are away from other drinks. It is also popular as a “clear headed” drunkenness.

The Czech or Bohemian Method

With this method, once you have poured the shot of Absinthe into the glass you dip the sugar cube into the alcohol and then set it alight on the spoon with a match. A person can add the iced water after the sugar has caramelized and melted from the spoon into the Absinthe.

The Bohemian method is a modern method and is a bit of fun really rather than a serious method of drinking Absinthe. There are some risks as the fire can catch the whole Absinthe glass! A person should be attentive.

Although the Ritual is the well known method of using Absinthe but cocktail recipes can also be made by it.

The Absinthe fairy was used on Absinthe label and posters. Singer Kylie Minogue famously played the Green Fairy in the film Moulin Rouge which was based on the french Bohemian culture of Montmartre in Paris where Absinthe, the Green Fairy, was the favorite drink of artists and writers. 

Absinthe Fairy Followers

Famous devotees of La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy, were Vincent Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Charles Baudelaire, Paul Gauguin, Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway who created his own Absinthe cocktail “Death in the Afternoon” - a mix of Absinthe and champagne. Many pieces of art of the time feature Absinthe or Absinthe drinkers and writers and artists also said that Absinthe gave them their genius and their inspiration. Absinthe's hey day was the Belle Epoque period of history.

Absinthe, also known as Absynthe, is a strong liquor made from herbs and essential oils. The basic ingredient of it is the herb wormwood, an extract from the plant wormwood or artemisia absinthium. Wormwood is used to give Absinthe it's characteristic bitter taste and herbs like aniseed, anise and fennel to give it's anise flavor.

Thujone, a chemical found in wormwood oil, was thought to be psychoactive and to give psychedelic effects, cause hallucinations and eventually insanity. Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 due to the loose morals of the drinkers in Montmartre. One had no right to buy or sell Absinthe. It was illegal in many other countries also. Countries like Spain, Portugal, the UK and the Czech Republic did not restrict the Green Fairy.

Absinthe Fairy and Prohibition

During the prohibition period, distilleries, such as the Pernod Fils distillery, started producing Absinthe substitutes such as Pernod Pastis to market to the people who were missing the anise flavor of Absinthe. Ricard was among the Absinthe substitutes.

In most of the countries bootleg absinthe was still available after distillation which focused that Absinthe distillation process has never been disappeared.

During 1900 Absinthe was made legal in most of the countries except in Switzerland which was home of Absinthe. You can now buy Absinthe and Absinthe essence kits online along with Absinthiana such as glasses, spoons and fountains. One can add to the Absinthe preparation ritual by drinking it out of a special antique or replica glass with a proper spoon.

Studies showed that the thujone content in Absinthe was safe so it was legalized in many countries. In comparison to other spirits Absinthe is much higher in alcohol then also it was never prepared to drink neat. It solution with iced water gives the clouding effects.

One can prepare his own bottled Absinthe by ordering real wormwood Absinthe and essences from many websites.com.

Absinthe Green Fairyis an alcoholic drink with an interesting history. Developed as an elixir or tonic in the 18th century it is now one of the most controversial and famous drinks of all time.

Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit which is incredibly strong, between 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume. The “Green Fairy” is so called because it is emerald green in color. It is a distilled liquor made from herbs. Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), green aniseed and fennel (fennell) are the main herbs. Henri-Louis Pernod produce his famous original Pernod Absinthe recipe by utilizing herbs like hyssop, lemon balm, nutmeg, juniper, veronica, star anise and dittany. A few producers also used the herb calamus which was believed to be psychoactive along with wormwood and nutmeg. When the chilled water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon the essential oil extract from the herbs causes Absinthe to louche. The reason of Absinthe to cloud or louche is the insolubility of oils in water.

Absinthe Green Fairy and the Art World

Absinthe is famous for inspiring many artists and writers associated with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. Famous Absinthe drinkers include Vincent Van Gough, Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Charles Baudelaire, Edgar Degas, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde. Many writers and artists were convinced that Absinthe gave them inspiration and gave them their genius. Painters like Van Gogh and Picasso gave emphasis on Absinthe and Absinthe drinkers in their paintings.

Absinthe's association with old Montmartre, the Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect, was simply the explanation that prohibition campaigners required. Absinthe was linked with the murder of a family and the growing problem of alcohol addiction in France so the campaigners raised their hands against the legalization of Absinthe in France. It was restricted in most of the countries.

The chemical thujone, present in wormwood was thought to be the reason behind the psychedelic effects. Thujone and THC in cannabis were believed to be the same. Absinthe only contains minute quantities of thujone. A person can have the risk from the alcohol content in Absinthe and not from the thujone. A number of studies and articles have been written on the subject. One should remember it's strongness and drink it with care and in balance amount.

During the time of prohibition many people enjoyed buying and drinking vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic, served in the classic Absinthe large glassesand in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. Absinthe is legal in various nations with thujone levels controlled by the EU and the United States only allows marketing of Absinthe with trace quantity of thujone.

Internet is the best way of getting Absinthe by the bottle or for ordering Absinthe essences.com) to make your own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. The vital ingredient wormwood is the content of real Absinthe and Absinthe essences but some new Absinthes do not contain thujone.

Absinthe Green Fairy can also be used in cocktails – mix with champagne for a truly decadent drink!

There are disreputable Absinthe effects. Absinthe is famous throughout the world for its colorful history and the hidden myths.

Absinthe was made in Switzerland in the 18th century as an elixir or tonic. It's main ingredient has been used in medicine from ancient times in the following ways:-
- A Good tonic
- Antidote to poisoning caused by hemlock and toadstools
-Used to stimulate digestion
- Parasitic intestinal worms are treated by it.

First Absinthe was distilled and sold by Pernod then it became well known in La Belle Epoque period and linked with the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area of Paris. Absinthe inspired several popular artists and writers so they relied on it's effects. The Green Fairy Absinthe barred Van Gogh to cut off his ear.

Many people began to think that Absinthe was harmful because of the effects caused by it. It is also famous about Absinthe that a French man had murdered his whole family after drinking it. In fact, he had consumed a vast amount of other alcoholic beverages after drinking the Absinthe.

The Absinthe effects were blamed on the wormwood extract in the drink which contained a chemical called thujone. Similarities are there between thujone and TCH which is found in the drug cannabis. Absinthe was banned and made illegal in France in 1915 and im many other countries at around the same time. It was never restricted in Spain, Portugal, the UK or the Czech Republic.

Many people researched thujone and Absinthe and it was found that drinking Absinthe was just as safe as drinking any strong spirits, and liquor with a high alcohol by volume, and that Absinthe contained only very minute quantities of thujone. Absinthe was, therefore, made legal again in many countries in the 1990s. EU legislation refers that bottled Absinthe having 10mg/kg or less of thujone can only be sold and US law gives the right only to the sale of Absinthe with trace amounts of thujone.

The Absinthe ban meant that many new Absinthe-like products had been created to replace Absinthe, such as Pernod Pastis which satisfied people's appetite for an anise flavored alcoholic beverage. One can get these beverages along with artificial Absinthes which have been created for the US market. If you want real Absinthe you need an Absinthe which contains the vital ingredient, wormwood, which gives Absinthe it's characteristic bitter flavor. One should buy Absinthes or Absinthe essences containing wormwood and which can be mixed with vodka or Everclear to produce one's very own bottled Absinthe. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and can be bought online through sites like AbsintheKit.com. They are available with instructions on how to use them and Absinthe spoon and glass is necessary for using them.

One must think about Absinthe effects if drinking it in heavy amount. As Absinthe is twice strong than whisky so one should drink it in moderation!

There is renewed interest in Absinthe, which is also known as the Greeny Fairy or La Fee Verte. People want to know how to buy it, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the amount of Absinthe to use when preparing a drink.

First you will need to buy quality Absinthe which is rich in essential oils and that contains wormwood. There are Absinthe substitute and fake Absinthes on sale that contain southernwood or roman wormwood instead of common wormwood (artemisia absinthium). Make sure you buy a proper 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 Ritural, or La Louche. This is the traditional French way of preparing Absinthe which uses one shot. The instructions:-

To perform the Ritual, you will need a slotted Absinthe spoon, a lump of sugar, an Absinthe glass, and iced water.

- Pour between 25 - 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
- Rest the special Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar in it.
- Slowly drip iced water over suger either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. Give the sugar a chance to dissolve and drip slowly through the shots of the spoon. You will see a "louche" effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The Absinthe louches because the essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so make the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
- Sit down and enjoy.

Another method similar to the Ritual is the Czech Method which is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. Absinthe follwers generally scorn the Bohemian method.

Instructions for the Bohemian method:-

- Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass and dip the cube of sugar into it and soak the sugar.
- Place the sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest the spoon on the rim of the glass.
- To allow the sugar to carmelize and melt, set the sugar cube on fire for one minute. The sugar will drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
- Place the spoon into the glass while pouring the iced water into the Absinthe to put out flames and to cause the liquid to louche.
- Enjoy the Absinthe drink.

If you want to enjoy your Absinthe properly the you will want some Absinthiana – Absinthe glasses, spoons and perhaps even an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. You can find replicas of antique spoons and glasses for purchased from AbsintheKit.com.

To Prepare Absinthe drink, what is the rcommended amount of Absinthe to use? About 45 ml or a shot glass full in the US. Obviously, you can use Absinthe in cocktails too – search for recipes online.