Green Fairy Absinthe is a alcoholic beverage that has no parallel in history. Poplular and controversial at the same time it was initially developed as a tonic in the 18th century.

Between 45 and 75% Alcohol present in Absinthe, the anise flavored spirit is considered extremely strong. Emerald green color gives it the name “La Fee Verte” in French and “Green /fairy” in English. It is a distilled liquor made from herbs. The most important herbs are wormwood or Artemisia Absinthium, Fennel and green aniseed. Hwnri-Louis Pernod was the first person to commercially distill Absinthe. he used herbs such as hyssop, nutmeg, lemon balm,veronica, juniper, dittany and star ansie to produce the original Pernod Absinthe recipe. Some manufacturers used other herbs like calamus and this along with nutmeg and wormwood were thought to be psychoactive. Water poured over the sugar on the Absinthe spoon causes the louche effect in the Absinthe due to the essential oils present in the herbs. Absinthe louches or clouds when water is added as the oils present in it are not soluble in water.

The Green Fairy Absinthe

Absinthe or La Fee Verte and the world of Artists

Absinthe famously inspired writers and artists who were associated with the Bohemian culture of the old Montmartre area in Paris. The Absinthe admiration society of greats included Pablo Picasso, Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway and many others. So convinced were many writers and artists that their genius and inspiration came from Absinthe. Absinthe drinkers and Absinthe even featured in the paintings of painters like Van Gogh and Picasso.

The much needed excuse that prohibition campaigners were looking for was found in Absinthe’s association with Moulin Rouge, old Montmartre, and Bohemian sec. Absinthe got linked ot the murder of a family and alcohol addiction this helped the prohibitionists to get it declared illegal and finally banned in France in 1915. It was legal in countries like the UK, Spain, Portugal, and the Czech whereas all other countries banned it.

Thujone was blamed for the psychedelic effects of drinking the Green Fairy, it is a chemical present in wormwood. Thujone was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis. Minute quantity of thujone is present as the main ingredients of Absinthe are alcohol and ethanol. Thujone in Absinthe is not dangerous and research has proven that the drink is as safe as any strong liquor, the danger if any is due to the high alcohol content. Articles and studies have been done on this subject. To get real pleasure drink it in moderation as it is twice as strong as vodka and whisky.

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 glasses and in surroundings decorated with vintage Absinthe posters. Absinthe became legal in many countries by 2008, the EU controlls the thujone levels while the US allows only that absinthe which has only trace amount of thujone.

To buy absinthe or absinthe essence online please visit AbsintheKit.com) to make your own Absinthe or the Green Fairy to bottle at home. Thujone is not present in the Absinthes produced for the US market but real Absinthe and Absinthe essences contain the ingredient wormwood.

Absinthe Green Fairy or La Fee Verte prepare a wonderful decandent drink by mixing this spirit with champagne! Just for your Knowledge Asinthe kit is the best way to get economical Absinthe.

First you need to buy quality Absinthe, rich in essential oils and which contains wormwood. There are many Absinthe substitutes and fake Absinthes on sale which contain southernwood or roman wormwood instead of common wormwood (artemisia absinthium). Be sure you buy a real Absinthe. If you live somewhere where a good quality Absinthe is hard to fine, you can make your own using essences from AbsintheKit.com.

After you have your Absinthe, you will need to learn the Ritural, or La Louche. This traditional Swiss or French method of preparing Absinthe, uses one shot of Absinthe. Instructions:-

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

– Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– Rest the special Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar in it.
– Drip iced water slowly over the sugar either by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe or by dripping from the tap of the fountain. Dripping it slowly will give the sugar chance to dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. You will see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The drink louches as the oils of the herbs are souble in alcohol but not in water and therefore make the mixture cmoudy when water is added.
– Sit back and enjoy your Absinthe drink.

Similar to the Ritual is the Bohemian or Czech Method and is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is generally scorned by Absinthe followers.

Instructions and tips for using the Bohemian method:-

– Pour between 25 – 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass then dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– Place the cube of sugar on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
– Set the sugar cube alight for one minute to allow the surgar to melt and caramelize. The sugar will drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
– Put the spoon into the glass while pouring the iced water into the Absinthe to put out flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
– Enjoy the drink.

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

What amount of Absinthe is recommended to use when preparing an Absinthe drink? About 45ml or a US shot. Absinthe can be use in cocktails and you can search online for recipes.

Absinthe is a strong alcoholic beverage with an anise taste. Henri-Louise Pernod’s original Absinthe was made with a wine alcohol base and flavored with herbs such as grande wormwood,and fennel. Although Absinthe is distilled at high proof and is very strong, it is served diluted with iced water. It is much stronger as other spirits such as vodka and whisky.

Absinthe contains the herb wormwood that gives the drink its characteristic bitter taste. Wormwood contains the chemical thujone which caused it to be banned in the early 1900s. It was believed that thujone was psychoactive and harmful to health. Tests have now shown that Absinthe only contains trace amounts of thujone and is not harmful.

The Ritural is a method of preparing Absinthe for drinking. A shot of Absinthe in an Absinthe glass is slowly diluted with water dripped over a cube of sugar on an Absinthe spoon. The water gradually mixes into the alcohol causing the drink to louche and become cloudy. Only Absinthe containing real herbs and essential oils will louche.

Where to find Absinthe online – real Absinthe

To enjoy Absinthe properly you need to order a quality Absinthe. An Absinthe which has wormwood. Some websites will give details about alcohol by volume (or proof) and thujone content. A example is Absinth24.net says that Absinthe La Clandestine from Claude-Alain Bugnon has an abv of 53% and has less than 30mg of thujone. Thedrinkshop.com, a UK based company gives very good product descriptions of the Absinthe available to order on their web shop and has product reviews.

Another good way of ensuring that you use quality Absinthe, is to make your won. Now, home distillation is illegal in many countries without a license and Absinthe is not real without the distillation process. However, AbsintheKit.c makes real wormwood Absinthe essences distilled using carbon dioxide distillation. They contain the same natural, traditional herbs and essences that AbsintheKit sell to the Absinthe industry. They are distilled so you only need to mix 20 ml of essence with 730 ml of vodka or Everclear. That is it, and it is very easy.

There are essences in 4 different varieties:-

Absinthe Classic Essence – Essence which makes a classic green Absinthe with a thujone content of 35 mg.

Absinthe White Essence – This essence is used to make a clear Absinthe. This essence makes an Absinthe with a 35mg thujone content.

Absinthe Orange Essence – Natural orange oil which makes a yellowy orange Absinthe.

Absinthe 55 Strong Essence – You should use this essence if you want a darker green Absinthe with a stronger wormwood flavor. The thujone content is 55 mg.

Essences are available in two sizes depending on the number of bottles of Absinthe you which to make. An AbsintheKits contain a 280 ml bottle of essence, a plastic measure and artistic bottle labels.

Knowing where to buy Absinthe online is important if you want quality Absinthe that tastes right and that louches. Find companies selling award winning brands or made your own from essences.