What do Absinthe, cyber security and all-star athletes have in common?

Absinthia with Amy Bream and Simone Biles at the Palette SF & Axonious event

I'm happy to announce that Palette SF invited me back for another exciting event. I'm really relishing the event experiences that bar manager Trevin Hutchins dreams up. He's so creative and this shows in the cocktails he makes and the events he designs for Palette SF. 

This time the event was hosted with the company Axonius. Axonius is a cybersecurity asset management platform that balances the goals of infrastructure management with future-proofing IT strategy. They are rethinking how to effectively protect data and manage risks.

The topic Axonius chose for the event is "challenging the status quo." I love how they tied in the modern viewpoint of challenging the old myths about Absinthe. Demystifying the myths that surround Absinthe is something I have been vocal about for years. I proactively shed light on this unique and complex spirit because I know it has been misrepresented for too long. 

When we look at challenging the status quo, we can expect to find a few different things. For example, we can expect to find people who are looking to push the boundaries and try something new. We can also expect to find people who are tired of the status quo and are looking for a change. Finally, we can expect to find people who embody what it means to challenge the status quo.

Elizabeth Hartel from Axonius included two status-quo challengers, adaptive CrossFit athlete Amy Bream and world champion gymnast Simone Biles. Amy and Simone shared their experiences as movers and shakers in their field while embodying the remarkable qualities it takes to focus on what matters. 

So, what do an Absinthe presentation, a cyber security company and all-star athletes have in common? They all connect to questioning the status quo and aim to draw on the strengths of things that matter to them.

For me being a status quo shaker means I am the CEO and founder of a woman-owned business in a male-dominated field. Absinthe is a niche inside the liquor industry, and I aim to make an exceptional product while debunking the myths that exist about Absinthe.

Facts About Absinthe

Despite its long history, Absinthe remains somewhat shrouded in mystery. Here are a few facts and bits of history that I like to share about Absinthe and spoke about at the event:

• Absinthe is a distilled spirit made from a trinity of herbs: wormwood, anise, and fennel.
• Absinthe is not pre-sweetened or artificially colored. Read my blog post How Absinthe is Made to learn more about the distilling process. 
• Absinthe is not a hallucinogenic. This was a misinformation campaign activated by the French Wine industry.
  
• Absinthe was first commercialized by the Pernot distillery in Switzerland. The Henriod sisters and Pierre Ordinaire are credited with the creation of Absinthe. 

Dr. Ordinaire supposedly passed his recipe on to two sisters named Henriod, also from Couvet. Although historical information suggests that the Henriod sisters were making the distilled elixir long before the doctor arrived in the region, the doctor is still credited with being the one to first to promote La Fée Verte. 

The Henriod sisters took what the doctor was doing commercially and began selling their elixir to various pharmacies in the area. In 1797, the sisters sold their recipe for a nice profit to a Frenchman named Major Dubied. 

Later that same year, the Major's daughter married Henri-Louis Pernod. Pernod, who along with the Major and his son Marcellin, began to build the first commercial distillery to produce absinthe. And in 1798, the factory began producing Absinthe under the name Dubied Père et Fils. Pernod is now a well known brand known as Pernod Ricard that  produces a variety of distilled spirits.

• Absinthe is often associated with Art Nouveau posters and has a reputation for being rebellious and challenging the status quo. See my blog post all about art posters influencing Absinthe's popularity during the Belle Epoque period.

Absinthe Cocktails

For the event, Amy and Simone selected a cocktail recipe from my website to make. I couldn't believe that neither one of these stellar people had made a cocktail before! It was fun to show them different tricks for serving up a delicious drink. 

For the event Simone decided to make the Savannah Absinthe cocktail recipe.

Amy selected the 2 to 2 Absinthe cocktail recipe. 

And Axonius chose to serve the delicious Sex & Violets cocktail.

If you're looking to try Absinthe, be sure to check out my three Absinthe options! I have Absinthe Verte, Blanche and the new Barrel-Aged. It's the perfect way to explore this fascinating spirit.

• My Absinthe is made with all-natural ingredients and no artificial flavors or colors
• My unique distillation process results in high-quality and smooth Absinthe.
• Absinthia's Absinthe is a woman-owned business and I am proud to support other women entrepreneurs
• Read about the differences between Blanche, Verte, and Barrel-Aged here.
  

I was happy to share all I know about Absinthe with Simone, Amy, and the Axonius team at Palette SF!

It was an honor to be included in such a fantastic event, and I'm excited to see more events like this in the future!