How much do you know about Absinthe?

I’m here to shed light on 5 facts about absinthe. A unique spirit that I guarantee you’ll find to be interesting. 

Absinthe Fact #1: Grande Wormwood is an herb and the cornerstone of Absinthe.

Wormwood creates the singular flavor profile that makes Absinthe profoundly herbaceous. Known in the scientific world as Artemesia absinthium, this poignant herb contains a substance called thujone. 

Back in the day, Thujone was an alleged stimulant and got a bad rap for proposed psychoactive effects. It wasn't until the early 2000s when strong research of thujone was able to break the myth about Absinthe being a hallucinogen. Authentic absinthe contains only minute traces of thujone.

Absinthia’s Organic Absinthe uses distilled wormwood and produces the same results as vintage Absinthe. In fact, Absinthia Absinthe is made the same way vintage absinthe was made, but with organic ingredients grown in California and Oregon. 

Illustration of Wormwood. Artist Unknown.

Absinthe Fact #2: Did you know there is zero licorice root in Absinthe?

The combination that provides a licorice overtone comes from aniseed and fennel. Strengthened by the herbaceous and bitter addition of Wormwood, Absinthe maintains its energetic flavor when these ingredients collide, making it smooth, delicate, and floral. 

Absinthia's Absinthe has a natural sweetness to it and no sugar added or needed in its preparation. With its organic ingredients and elegant overtones, it tastes as fresh as a fennel salad.

Absinthe Fact #3: Are you aware that there is more than one type of Absinthe?

Blanche is bottled right from the still without the coloration from natural herbs, delivering a brightly clear and colorless absinthe. The anise causes a louche effect that turns the absinthe blanche a milky white with a slight blue haze when water is added.

Absinthe Verte is soaked in herbs. It is chlorophyll from the herbs that supplies this drink with its famous green color. It must only be colored through herbs, never any artificial ingredients.

Either absinthe style delivers a smooth, elegant, and drinkable experience. Absinthia's Bottled Spirits is proud to offer both types made with biodynamic grapes and organic.

Absinthe Fact #4: Absinthe is not as potent as you think

Absinthe is most closely related to gin. Both are distilled spirits made with herbs. Beyond the distillation process, the difference between the two is the herbs used. Gin relies predominately on Juniper berries with various herbs, botanicals, and spices to create its specific flavor profile.

Absinthe must contain the trinity of herbs, grande wormwood, anise, and fennel. Both the EU and the US have specifications for absinthe potency. The EU rules for absinthe are 35 parts per million, while in the US, that rule is 10 parts per million. This is really two different ways to say the same thing, which is zero. Once wormwood is distilled, virtually no thujones remain. You could throw sage into a stuffing and you will have more thujones than a bottle of absinthe.

Absinthe Fact #5. Not only was Ernest Hemingway an inventor of rich stories, he also devised a famous absinthe cocktail.

Named after his 1932 book "Death in the Afternoon," this absinthe cocktail was first published in a recipe book in 1935. This classic recipe is as simple as Hemingway's words.

As a person who continuously uncovers the positive in any situation, I refer to this recipe as Hopes & Dreams. I think of Champagne as the hope and Absinthe as the dream. Besides, a robust cocktail mid-day when the time is right fits any mood and doesn’t equate to the death of your afternoon or your evening. See the original recipe here.