Knowing What is Absinthe Made Of?
Everyone has heard of the marvelous mythical drink, Absinthe – the drink considered to be hallucinogenic, the Green Fairy which may allow you to see fairies, the anise flavored herbal spirit well-liked in Bohemian Montmartre buy-absinthe.com. But, not many people can answer the question “What is Absinthe made of?”. They might say wormwood but not many will be able to expand on that!
So, what is Absinthe made of?
Well, Absinthe was developed by the famous Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Switzerland while in the late 18th century as being an elixir for his patients. Henri-Louis Pernod began selling Absinthe from the commercial perspective at the turn of the 19th century and employed a wine base and macerated herbs as well as common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), fennel, green aniseed, hyssop, angelica root, lemon balm, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, veronica and juniper to flavor and color the alcohol.
Other herbs employed in Absinthe production consist of: calamus root, mint, cloves, sweet flag, licorice, caraway seeds, coriander seeds as well as roman wormwood (artemisia pontica) also referred to as petite wormwood. Claude-Alain Bugnon, the well-known bootlegger who now distills Absinthe in Switzerland, also flavors his La Clandestine Absinthe with local Alpine herbs which provide his Absinthe a taste of honey and also a bouquet of Alpine meadows.
It’s the essential oils of the herbs in Absinthe which make the Absinthe to louche when water is added. The oils are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so precipitate if the water is put in making the drink turn cloudy or milky. If your Absinthe does not louche then it is probably not a genuine Absinthe or a top quality Absinthe rich in essential oils.
AbsintheKit.com, who produce distilled Absinthe essences for folks to make real Absinthe from home, make use of classic Absinthe herbs to flavor their essences. This signifies that Absinthe produced from their essences will taste beautifully and will also louche superbly.
Some Czech Absinth doesn’t comprise anise or aniseed and it’s really merely a form of wormwood bitters. Make certain you purchase real anise and wormwood Absinthe to discover the real classic flavor.
The common wormwood plant is regarded as the most popular Absinthe ingredient, the ingredient that gives Absinthe its somewhat bitter taste as well as the ingredient which caused Absinthe to be banned in several countries in early 1900s. Formerly used since ancient times as a medicine, it started to be called a psychoactive neurotoxin which trigger psychedelic effects like hallucinations, convulsion and spasms. Wormwood oil includes a chemical substance called thujon or thujone which has been compared to THC in cannabis. Absinthe was thought to contain quantities of thujone and to result in driving individuals to insanity as well as to death.
However, recent studies and tests have demostrated that vintage Absinthe actually only contained small quantities of thujone, nowhere near enough to become at all dangerous. EU and US laws only allow Absinthe with small quantities of thujone to be traded so Absinthe is completely safe to consume and enjoy.
Absinthe is a spirit or liquor not a liqueur as it doesn’t have added sugar. It’s a high proof alcoholic beverage but is generally served diluted with iced water and sugar. Though it remains safe and secure to use, you have to remember that it is an incredibly strong spirit and will quickly allow you to get drunk specifically if you blend it with other spirits in cocktails!
So, the response to the question “What is Absinthe made of?” is easily answered – alcohol and a mixture of herbs.
