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Absinthe



My first experience with absinthe was on Halloween, 1997. I had read about this green liquor in a magazine article, and I looked forward to trying it for myself. But unfortunately, Absinthe has been banned in the U.S. since the early 1900s. So, the only legal avenues for procurement involved a flight to Europe - something that wasn't really an option. But I wasn't about to let a little leftover piece of prohibition come between the green fairy and me. The article said that it was possible to make your own absinthe, but unfortunately the article did not include the recipe. So, I was forced to scour the Internet in search of the recipe. At the time, I was only able to find a couple recipes.



The thing that concerned me was both of the recipes involved the use of a still. I realize that this the only "proper" way to make absinthe is by stilling the mash, but I wasn't too interested in the prospect of accidentally creating a bomb, so I decided to skip that step. If you do not still your absinthe, your end product with end up having a more "herbal" taste, but this can generally be overcome by adding more Anise.



In the beginning, I had a hard time finding a few of the ingredients. So I was forced to improvise. Of course, my first batch was all wrong - horribly wrong. I couldn't find Everclear, so I substituted vodka. I couldn't find Anise extract, so I used the Essential oil of Anise instead.



What I ended up with was a raunchy brown liquid. Not only did it taste nasty, it really didn't give you much more than an alcohol buzz. But, if at first you don't succeed...



So I'm glad to say that 40+ batches later, I finally have come up with something that taste halfway decent -- Well, at least it taste good to me. And recently, it has improved to the point where I think it taste pretty close to the "professionally" made stuff. My absinthe is a little rougher on the taste buds, but I think my absinthe works a little better ;)





It's quite possible that I have just gotten used to the taste. But it doesn't matter - I don't drink it for the taste. I drink it for the effects.



It is difficult to describe exactly what absinthe does to you. The effects are mild when compared to some other drugs available out there, but are very nice none-the-less. The best way I can describe the effects of drinking 5 glasses of absinthe is that it is similar to drinking several shots of liquor, eating a single mushroom cap, and smoking a tiny amount of opium at the same time -- For the most part it just gets you drunk, but it also gives you a nice, warm, relaxing, slightly narcotic buzz.



As most people already understand, different alcohols will give you a slightly different kind of buzz. Absinthe is no exeption. But I think the secondary effects of Absinthe are a little more obvious than with other Alcohols. You'll just need to try it for yourself to understand what I'm talking about.



And now, without further adieux here is my own personal recipe for absinthe. I hope you enjoy!





Absinthe (Bluehouse Recipe)



1.5 oz Wormwood

1/3 oz Hyssop

1/3 oz Calamus Root

1/8 oz Fennel Seed

1 tsp Mint *

1 tsp cloves *

1 tsp coriander *

1/2 tsp Nutmeg *



(oz measurements are by weight, not liquid volume!)



First, Grind the Fennel Seeds, Coriander, and Cloves with a mortar and pestle.



Mix with the rest of the dry ingredients (wormwood, hyssop, calamus, and mint) and pour them into an airtight container. Mix with a bottle of Everclear (750ml, 190 proof). Actually, if you want to end up with a full 750ml of Absinthe, you'll need to use about 1000ml of everclear in order to compensate for the alcohol that is irrevocably lost to absorption by the mash. You should allow mix to steep for at least two weeks, but I usually allow for 1-2 months. This is most likely overkill, but I don’t drink absinthe on a regular basis so I’m not generally in a big hurry to finish my next batch. And since it generally only drink 3-6 shots in a night, a bottle will last for quite some time.





At the end of the two weeks, strain the liquid through a thin cloth (muslin or a handkerchief) to remove the solid matter.



Now Add:



1/2 Dropper full of Wormwood Essential Oil.*

2/3 Bottle of Anise Extract

1 tsp Mint Extract *

1-6 shots Ouzo* (To taste)







Now you're ready to meet the green fairy!



If Everclear is unavailable, I've heard that rum 151 will suffice - although I've never tried it myself. However, regular-strength alcohols (less than 100 proof) will not work! - Your absinthe will turn out brown. Ack!



The ingredients marked with a "*" are not completely necessary, but will help make the drink more palatable. (It needs all the help it can get!) If you wish, you can mix this absinthe half-n-half with Ouzo and obtain a drink that tastes halfway descent, but you'll lose some of the potency of the drink. The best way to improve the taste is to add more anise extract, but even this has its limits.



If you add more calamus, you will get a better buzz -- but this will come at a price. I used to use 1/2 oz of calamus in my earlier recipes -- but I would end up with a 12-hour hangover the next day. I eventually figured out that the calamus was to blame, and cut back on it a bit. But of course, feel free to experiment with it yourself!





Total Cost of ingredients for one bottle of Absinthe -- $30-$45





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Now for the hard part... Drinking it.



I would not advise drinking this recipe 'neat'. In its pure form, it is extremely nasty, extremely potent, not to mention extremely explosive (It is 190 proof, after all!)



I normally drink it the traditional way. Fill a glass with ice. Pour 1 shot of Absinthe into the glass. Set 2 sugar cubes on a slotted spoon (or fork) over the glass. And finally, SLOWLY pour cold water over the cubes to dissolve the sugar into the absinthe. Be sure to pour ONLY the water over the cubes. If the cubes soak up the Absinthe they will dissolve more slowly. I have found that it also helps to "pre-soak" the cubes on the spoon for about 10-15 seconds before you pour in the rest of the water.



This site shows a similar method, but recommends igniting the absinthe-laden cubes to caramelize the sugar. I have tried this method, but have found that it does little to change the taste of the drink and ends up turning your absinthe brown.



But, my personal favorite is the Absinthe Martini. Absinthe blends perfectly with dry vermouth, since they are both made from the same thing - wormwood! In fact, the English word 'vermouth' is derived from the German word for Wormwood - Wermut (pronounced vehr-moot).



Now don't get the misconception that vermouth alone will give you the same 'buzz' as absinthe. Absinthe is made from the entire wormwood plant (and several other herbs), whereas vermouth is made solely from the wormwood flower and contains far less Thujone (the primary drug in absinthe).



But never the less, vermouth still contains more Thujone than water - so it doesn't hurt to try it!

1 shot absinthe

1/2 shot Vermouth

1 or 2 shots water (to taste)

2 sugar cube

ice cubes



Fill a martini glass with ice. Pour the absinthe, Vermouth, and water over the sugar cubes and enjoy!.





But the most important thing to remember is -- Don't let the first sip scare you away! That first gulp is always the worst. The moment this ultra-bitter stuff hits the tongue, it will send you into a cartoon-character-like convulsion. But I can assure you -- Your taste buds will eventually de-sensitize to the point that this nasty swill almost tastes good! Absinthe is definitely an acquired taste.



Also remember that it doesn't matter how much you drink -- That licorice flavor will linger in your mouth for hours. Once you commit to that first drink, you might as well see it through. And I promise, by the time you finish that 3rd glass you won't care about the taste. Well... at least you wont care as much!!





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Of course, there are other recipes. Here are a few of them that I've found on the net...

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One ounce dried chopped wormwood

One tablespoon angelica root

One teaspoon hyssop

One half teaspoon coriander seeds

One quarter teaspoon caraway seeds

One pinch cardomon pods

One tablespoon fennel or anise seeds

750 ml. 100 proof vodka



Notes on the Psychopharmacology of Absinthe



I get email asking me about the effects of my absinthe. It contains the same active ingredients as distilled absinthe and has the same effects. Now, what are these effects? I describe them as a cross between pot, ecstasy, cocaine, strong coffee, and vodka. Thujone is discussed elsewhere in the Absinthe Ring, but I think there may be more to the effects of absinthe than thujone, namely the highly-complex synergistic effect of a psychoactive cocktail. Other ingredients in the recipe have their own reputations. Angelica root is crewed as a drug in Lapland. Anise and fennel seed both contain potentially psychoactive anethole. Caraway seeds are reputed aphrodisiacs and the basis of the German liqueur kummel. Coriander is mentioned as an aphrodisiac in the Arabic One Thousand and One Nights, and is said to conjure up the devil when used in combination with fennel in the same text. Other recipes call for hops, a sedative and hypnotic, and calamus root, which contain psychoactive asarones, used as an inebriant by Native Americans. And then there is the hyssop, a nervine. Add it all up; the sum may be greater than the whole.

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2 ounces of wormwood(3 ounces of commercial stuff)

1 ounce wormwood powder

½ ounce crushed anise seed.

1 bottle of store bought oil of anise seed.

¼ ounce of fennel

2 pinches of dill (for precursor oils)

2 Pinches of Parsley (for essential oils)

½ ounce of calamus (gave me terrible nausea following day, but calamus in high doses always does that to me)

One 750ml bottle of Clear Spring 190 (dilute before drinking!!)



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1 pint vodka

2 tsp anise seed

4 cardomom pods

½ tsp ground coriander

2 tsp crumbled wormwood (dried)

1 2/3 cups sugar syrup

½ tsp fennel seed

1 tsp majoram

2 tsp chopped angelica root



Place vodka in large jar with tight fitting lid. Add wormwood and shake well; steep 48 hrs and strain out. Crush seeds and pods in mortar. Add them and all remaining spices to vodka and steep in a warm place 1 week. Filter and sweeten (the sugar syrup mentioned above is standard simple syrup).



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1 tsp crumbled wormwood

1 cup vodka

2 Tbsp chopped peppermint leaves

1 piece of lemon peel, 3/4"x2"

1/3 to ½ cup sugar syrup



Steep wormwood in vodka for 48 hours. Strain out and add peppermint leaves and lemon peel. Steep for eight days, strain and sweeten (smells good but is more bitter than #1).



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2 tsp dried peppermint

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried hyssop

2 tsp dried sage

2 pints port

2 tsp dried wormwood

2 tsp dried lavender

2 tsp dried majoram



Steep herbs one week, filter and bottle (drinkers have described this as bitter, aromatic and potent).



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From Arnold's article in Scientific American:



An 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France, gives the following instructions for making absinthe: Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise and 5 kilograms of fennel in 95 liters of 85 percent ethanol by volume. Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler. Add 45 liters of water and apply heat; collect 95 liters of distillate. To 40 liters of the distillate, add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of lemon balm, all of which have been dried and finely divided. Extract at a moderate temperature, then siphon off the liquor, filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 liters of distillate. Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 liters of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74 percent by volume.







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Mixed Drinks





TNT

2/3 Absinthe

1/3 Hennessy VSOP

Splash Cointreau

Angostura bitters



Stir over ice strain and Serve Garnish with an orange wedge





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Absinthe pousse-cafe flambe



6-layers:

1. grenadine

2. butterscotch schnapps

3. blue curacao

4. creme de banana

5. creme de menthe

6. absinthe



Flame on!





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Desire

1/4 Absinthe

1/2 tablespoon sugar

3/4 lemon juice



Shake well and pour into cocktail glass...





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Sazerac

1/splash Absinthe

2/splashes Bourbon

1/splash sugar syrup

3/splashes Peychaud bitters

3/splashes Angosturas bitters



Shake over ice and serve...



Traditional Method

1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar)

3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

2 ounces cognac

splash of Absinthe

Strip of lemon peel





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Absinth Eye

1/3 peppermint

2/3 Absinthe



Shake well and pour into cocktail glass...





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Atomic Bomb

1/2 Absinthe

1/2 brandy



Stir and pour into cocktail glass...





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Absolution

1/splash Absinthe

2/splashes Krupnik (honey liquor)

3/splashes ginger cordial



Fresh lime juice, orange juice, apple juice.

Shake over ice - charge with ginger...





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Absint curacao frappe

1 oz. Absinthe

1/2 oz. curacao

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 thin sliceorange



Stir ingredients and pour over crushed ice in a deep-saucer champagne glass.

Add orange slice...





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Knock Out

1 teaspoonful white Creme de Menthe

1/3 Absinthe

1/3 dry gin

1/3 French vermouth



Shake well and pour into cocktail glass...





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ABSINTHE FIZZ

1.5 oz. Absinthe

Juice of 1/2 Lemon

1 Tsp. Sugar

1 Egg White

Seltzer



Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass and fill with seltzer...





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BECHER SPRINT

1 part Absinthe

1 part tonic

1cl of Grenadine

2 part sparkling wine/wine

Garnish and Ice





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BECHEROVKA MIMOSA

1 part Absinthe

2 parts Champagne

2 parts freshly squeezed orange juice





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RED BECHEROVKA

1 part Absinthe

3 parts Grapefruit juice

Splash of Cranberry juice





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BECHER CLUB - COCKTAIL

1 part Absinthe

1 part grapefruit juice

1 part orange juice

1.5 parts Vermouth Bianco



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BECHEROVKA PARIS

1 part Becherovka

2 part brandy (or Cognac)

Cherry (on stick)





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WHARF RAT

1 part of white rum

1 part of Grenadine

1 part of Absinthe

1 part of Apricot brandy

3 parts of orange juice



Mix with crushed ice and top it up with Absinthe.





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TRAFFIC LIGHT

2 parts of cranberry juice

1 part of orange juice

1 part of Absinthe



Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice.





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GREEN TEAR

1 part of Absinthe

2 parts of cranberry juice

1 part of Indian tonic water

1 slice of lemon

Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.





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ABSINTHE BOLLYSIDE

1 part of Absinthe

1/2 part of Jack Daniels

1/2 of Gin

1/4 of Archers Peach Schnapps

1 part of Red Bull

Drop of cranberry Juice

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