Ingredients

• Absinthe recipes can vary from one brand to the next, but the three main ingredients are always alcohol, wormwood, and anise. Wormwood is a bitter herb that has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Anise, a strong-smelling Mediterranean herb, is the ingredient that gives absinthe its distinctive licorice taste. Other ingredients that are sometimes used in absinthe recipes include fennel, hyssop, star anise, veronica, lemon balm and nutmeg.

History of Absinthe

• There are conflicting reports as to who created modern-day absinthe. Dr. Pierre Ordinaire is often credited for the recipe, as are two sisters with the surname Henroid. Both parties were cultivating the drink in Switzerland during the late 18th century. The beverage was called absinthe because the botanical name for wormwood, the main ingredient, is Artemisia absinthium. This potent drink was often prescribed to people as a cure-all for many ailments. However, it was the drink's intoxicating effects that made it popular in the area.
  The first commercial absinthe distillery was established just before the beginning of the 19th century. Major Dubied, along with his son and son-in-law, opened the distillery in Switzerland and brought national attention to absinthe. Whether the men obtained the recipe from Dr. Ordinaire or the Henroid sisters is unclear. By the early 19th century, however, an even larger absinthe factory was established in France, and the drink became very fashionable among local artists and writers.

Controversies

• Absinthe has been a controversial drink since it gained popularity over a century ago. This is due to a number of reasons. First, it is a very potent drink with an average alcohol content of 120 to 160 proof. The wormwood in absinthe also contains a substance called thujone, which can cause delirium if taken in high doses. Although absinthe is safe to consume in moderation, a few people have been known to overindulge and have violent fits. That, combined with the drink's association with bohemian artists, has made absinthe a notorious substance.
  In the early 20th century, absinthe was popular in Europe as well as America. This was also a time when alcohol prohibition movements began. Absinthe, being a very inexpensive yet strong liquor, was a target for this prohibition. Some people who suffered from alcoholism were being diagnosed with "asbsinthism" and institutionalized in sanitariums. After a drunken farmer in Switzerland killed his family in 1905, absinthe was blamed for the incident, and bans began to take effect in certain countries. To this day, the drink is still held to strict regulations in America and Europe.

Effects

• Absinthe is credited for having a dual effect on people. Not only does absinthe intoxicate a person very easily with its high alcohol content, it is also known for its uplifting sensation. Drinkers of absinthe claim to feel clear-headed and enlightened. Famous people such as Vincent Van Gogh and Oscar Wilde even claimed to be more creative while drinking absinthe.

Absinthe Rituals

• Because absinthe is a naturally bitter drink, people adopted rituals over the years for making it more bearable for consumption. A special spoon with holes in it, known as an absinthe spoon, is often used. By placing a sugar cube on the spoon and pouring cold water over the sugar into a glass of absinthe, the drink becomes sweeter and more tolerable. That is a classic French ritual that began in the preban days of absinthe. A newer ritual involves setting the sugar on fire and allowing it to melt a bit before it is stirred into the absinthe.