Few Important Facts About Absinthe !
Absinthe Green Fairy is an alcoholic drink with a history worth noticing. Originated as an elixir or tonic it is now one of the most controversial and famous drinks of all time.
With 45 and 75% Alcohol by volume Absinthe is an anise flavored spirit and is pretty strong. The name “Green Fairy” is primarily due to its emerald green colour. It is a distilled liquor made from herbs. The three main herbs tend to be wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium), green aniseed and fennel (fennell). Henri-Louis Pernod known distilling Absinthe commercially for the first time, used other herbs such as lemon balm, nutmeg, veronica, juniper,star anise and dittany to make his famous and first ever original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some other natural ingredients like calamus were used by some manufacturers and this herb along with wormwood and nutmeg were though to be psychoactive. It is the essential oil extract from the herbs which causes Absinthe to louche when iced water is poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon. Absinthe clouds as oils do not dissolve in water.
Absinthe Green Fairy and the Art World
Absinthe is known for inspiring many artists and writers of the Bohemian culture of the Montmartre area located at Paris. Famous Absinthe drinkers include major personalities like 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 showed Absinthe drinkers in their paintings.
The Moulin Rouge and the Bohemian sect’s use of Absinthe was a major shot in arm for prohibition campaigners. Once it was linked with growing problem of alcohol addiction in France and subsequently sale of Absinthe was made illegal and it was banned in France in 1915. It remained legal in the Czech Republic, the UK, Spain and Portugal although many other countries banned it.
The psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy is due to the chemical commonly known as thujone and is present in wormwood. Thujone was thought to produce similar action like THC in cannabis. However Absinthe is mainly alcohol, ethanol, and therefore only has minute quantities of thujone. Research proves that Absinthe is just as safe as any other strong liquor and that it is the alcohol content not the thujone that is dangerous. A decent number of studies and articles have been written on the subject. If you remember that it is twice of whisky and drink it with care and in moderation, it is simply a drink which gives pleasure.
In surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters, vintage style Absinthe in Absinthe bars in the Czech Republic were served during the Era of Ban. As in 2008, Absinthe is legal in many countries although thujone levels are restricted in Europeian Union and US government only allows Absinthe with trace amounts of thujone to be bought and sold.
You can buy Absinthe online by the bottle or order Absinthe essences (visit the website AbsintheKit.com) to make your own Absinthe Green Fairy to bottle at home. Real Absinthe and Absinthe kit contains the vital ingredient wormwood but some new Absinthes, produced for the US market, do not contain thujone.
Absinthe Green Fairy is a delicious spirit to mix with champagne for a refreshing drink!
