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Absinthe

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If you go see modern movies set in the nineteenth century, and even in some modern novels, you might notice the use and abuse of absinthe in it. This article gives some background information on this decadent drink based on my own experiences.

Absinthe might not be on sale everywhere (but it is on the Internet). It is said in many sources it contains thujone, a kind of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), which is a drug - it is the cause of the "high" you reach when smoking a joint some scientists claim. So you can say Absinthe is a kind of liquid joint. I was very surprised to hear that it was forbidden to sell Absinthe in Holland for a long time - while you can buy a joint on every street corner in Amsterdam. Actually, it is still difficult to find Absinthe in Holland :-(

Of course Absinthe contains alcohol as well, and in high doses ( usually up to 70%, sometimes even more!).
The absinthe of the 19th century -well at least some home brew absinthes- contained some more or less poisonous (mixes of) herbs as well, which made it infamous - people died of it or went insane. Which is sheer logic, providing the fact that nature can kill you and some of these ingredients were later used to make LSD.
Those infamous herbs are no longer in it - the danger of the "high" is long gone. Nevertheless, 70% alcohol can have some peculiar effects as well (one of the effects is that is lowers the effects of the cannabis "high"!).

The effects of the Absinthe are quite normal - you get a little drunk, have a slight hangover the next day, but I never noticed anything about the thujone (which might be -someone pointed out - because I am Dutch and always beyond a state of normal mental health, apparently). On the other hand side, thujone effects might just be some other legend about the Absinthe that adds to the cult status it has in some places.
Some say they don't get a hangover from Absinthe. I heard the same about vodka. But, if we see how Absinthe is drunk, that is: with lots of water, it isn't really surprising because drinking a lot of water lowers the hangover effects, which are caused by watershortage (don't catch me on that, I'm a bricklayer, not a doctor, but I did some reading...).
All the same, Absinthe is highly alcoholic liquor, and you should be careful with it, just as with any other liquor.

There are differences between types of Absinthe, and not only in alcohol percentage. They vary in taste and colour as well.

The "Absente" with 55% has a hazy shade of green.
55% Tabu is too sweet, burns better than the Absenta, but the louche is not pretty
55% Mr Jekyll is a lot like the Tabu but a lot cheaper (only 10 € for a bottle)
The Absinthe from France with 60% has a more green colour, but is very sweet.
The Absenta from Italy with 70% is coloured a reddish amber.
The Deva 70% Absenta from Spain that is extremely sweet.

And there are discussions in the internet about what "real" Absinthe should be like...

Deva Absenta 70% in Spain.
Left a bottle of Perrier water, on the right a bottle of olive oil.
"Smuggled" the Absenta in a green plastic Perrier bottle to Holland.

Two German Absinthes: on the left the cheap Mr Jekyll and on the right Tabu, both 55% with tastefully designed labels.

On some "Gothic" and "Fantasy" parties in Holland you can meet Dr. Mad. He and his lovely female assistant are dressed as green faeries from your worst nightmares and sell both Absinthe and something called "Witches Elixer" from a pretty decorated cart. You get your Absente served with a sugar cube, on fire and with a twist of lime. If you don't want to buy a whole bottle to try some, this might just be the place to have a go...
They can give you some information on Absinthe as well, they know a lot about it.

Recipes

Absinthe Perrier

The classic way to drink Absinthe is the following:

You need:

Absinthe
Water
Sugar cube
Spoon
Glass

Put the Absinthe (1 part) in the glass, place the spoon over it, put the sugar cube on the spoon, then pour 3 to 5 parts water over it. It is recommended to put a saucer under it.
Question: what kind of water? You can't go into the kitchen and pour water straight from the tap over your delicious Absinthe - it spoils at least the atmosphere. Of course you can get a carafe and put the water in it, but tap water is not the same everywhere, the taste and structure are different.
Better to buy a bottle of water. Again: what kind of water? I preferred the Perrier - it has gas in it, I know, but the bottle is stylish and the water has a kind of metallic bite I like.

Now, this is a strange ritual, pouring water over a sugar cube. Maybe I used the wrong sugar cubes, but nothing happened, the cube did not melt away or anything, even if I poured very slowly. Should I drip it then? But even if I tumble the cube into the absinthe-perrier, it will not disintegrate and mix with the water unless I start stirring... I can't understand the fun of it.

Bohemian Absinthe

Needed:

a glass
a metal spoon or sieve (if you can get hold of it, an Absinthe spoon)
matches
absinthe, the more alcohol, the better the effects...
a sugar cube
water

Put the glass somewhere where it is safe to burn things. Make sure to have a good surface to put it on, something steady and metal will do. Put the sugar cube on the spoon (if it is an Absinthe spoon, the spoon can be placed over the glass so you have your hands free).
Pour the Absinthe slowly over the sugar cube, so it gets soaked in it. Continue until the glass is filled for 1/4. Be careful not to spill the Absinthe.
Get the matches and set the sugar cube alight. This is my favourite part, and it works best in a dimly lit or dark room.
Watch the blue flame dance on the spoon and relax. The flame might rise up several inches, so be careful.
When the fire is out, drop the burned sugar cube in the glass, add water and stir. The absinthe will blur (this is the famous louche people keep talking about).
Enjoy the drink.

By the way, many sources refer to the "Bohemian Method" as being a Czech method -after all Bohemia is a part of the Czech Republic. But I think Bohemian relates to the bohémiens in Paris; an artistic group of people who actually were the ones that might have drunk Absinthe the most.

This bohémien method is also refered to as the original or the real one. It probably is not. But I do think that the ritual of burning the sugar cube is a ritual to relax. Like rolling a joint might be a relaxing ritual before the actual chemical relaxing of the mind begins. Or as some erotica might be before the real sex starts.

Absenta
Absente 55% and Absinthe 60%, both from France, with the tools.

Green Magic
(Absinthe Curaçao)

Needed:

a glass
a stirring device
absinthe
blue curaçao
orange juice

Put 1/4 Absinthe, 1/4 Blue Curaçao and 2/4 orange juice in the glass. Stir.
Watch the drink turn into an incredible green colour.
Enjoy the magic.

Too much blood in my alcohol

Same as Green Magic, but use blood orange juice instead of normal orange juice. The drink will be a bit purple/brown, with a less sweet taste.

Where to buy

You can order Absinthe from various sites on the internet. A decent search-engine will get you to the right sites.

In real life, it depends on the country you're in. If you want to buy Absinthe on your decadent trip to Amsterdam, there is a shop close to the cenral station that sells several brands of Absinthes (mostly expensive ones).
You need to be 18 or older to buy high-percentage alcohol or other drugs in Holland.

Disclaimer

Please do remember that Absinthe is a liquor with a lot of alcohol. It makes you drunk above anything else, and being drunk can make you do stupid things you might regret later - if you have the time to do so. Stories like "you can't get drunk on Absinthe" or "it's a totally different kind of drunkeness" are totally bullshit, excusez-le-mot, and just add to the absinthe-myths.
Please do also remember that Absinthe might be prohibited where you live. Importing, making or owning Absinthe is then at your own risk.

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