Absinthe
Absinthe is a distilled alcoholic beverage known for its distinctive green color and high alcohol content, typically ranging from 45% to 70%. Originating in the early nineteenth century, it gained immense popularity in Europe and the United States, especially among artists and writers like Oscar Wilde and Vincent van Gogh. Historically, absinthe was thought to cause hallucinations and other health issues due to the presence of thujone, a neurotoxin found in the wormwood plant, from which absinthe is derived. As a result, it faced bans in various countries, including the United States in 1912, although it became legally available again in 2007.
Absinthe is characterized by its bitter taste, which is often softened by diluting it with water and adding sugar, a practice that creates a unique visual effect known as "louche," where the liquid turns cloudy. This preparation has led to elaborate rituals surrounding its consumption, often involving specialized glassware and spoons. Despite its controversial past, absinthe retains an aura of mystery and continues to intrigue drinkers with its artistic and cultural associations.
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Absinthe
Absinthe is an alcoholic beverage with a reputation for being highly intoxicating. Naturally green, the bitter drink was a favorite with artists and many others in Europe and the United States beginning in the nineteenth century. It was thought at one time to cause hallucinations and health problems. Absinthe was banned in a number of places but is once again available in many countries, including the United States. While it is no longer believed to cause hallucinations, absinthe still has an aura of mystery due to its past reputation, the special rituals under which it is often consumed, and the fact that it has a high alcoholic content and unique flavor.
Background
The name absinthe comes from Artemisia absinthium, or "grand wormwood," the plant from which it is distilled. Absinthium is a Greek word of uncertain origin but is believed to have meant "without sweetness," referring to the bitter taste of the wormwood juices from which the beverage is made. The green-gray foliage plant is native to Europe, Asia, and the United States and is often grown in ornamental gardens.
The drink was first produced by the Swiss in the early nineteenth century. It quickly grew in popularity there and in France; during absinthe's era of greatest popularity near the end of the 1800s, nearly all the world's absinthe was produced in southeastern France and Switzerland. French soldiers were provided with absinthe as part of their supplies because physicians thought it would help stave off diseases; when these soldiers were colonizing Algeria, they spread the popularity of absinthe to the people there as well. French immigrants to America also brought the drink with them, making it a key part of life in French communities in New Orleans and elsewhere.
While it began as a common man's drink, it was also very popular with artists, authors, and other creative people. Irish-born author and playwright Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) and French artist Vincent van Gogh (1853–1890) were known to drink absinthe; some rumors even claimed that van Gogh's self-inflicted missing ear was the result of an absinthe-fueled episode. Despite its popularity, absinthe was thought to cause hallucinations and other breaks with reality. Some people were said to think they saw fairies in the drink, while others saw wildly changing colors or other visual effects after consuming absinthe. This resulted in some of its colorful nicknames, such as le fee verte, which means "green fairy" in French, and the Green Goddess.
The wormwood plant has a substance known as thujone, a neurotoxin that has a poisonous effect on nerves. However, it has been determined that the amount of thujone in commercially processed absinthe is not harmful. It is considered likely that the effects noted in previous centuries were the result of poorly processed home-brewed absinthe that allowed too much of the potentially dangerous neurotoxin to be consumed.
Before this was realized, however, absinthe was removed from the market in a number of countries, including the United States and Great Britain. It was banned in the United States in 1912; absinthe was not legally sold in America again until 2007. In some other countries, such as England, the drink became available again after bar owners and other sellers realized that laws did not explicitly prohibit its sale.
Overview
Absinthe is distilled, or extracted by heating and cooling, from the wormwood plant. The resulting liquid is mixed with other natural substances that give the resulting concoction the licorice-like taste of anise along with floral and spice flavors similar to coriander and fennel. As it is produced, the drink is a clear, bright emerald green color (or sometimes bluish green) and very bitter tasting straight from the bottle.
To soften and improve the flavor, absinthe drinkers mix the alcohol with water and/or sugar. In the nineteenth century, elaborate rituals using special tools were devised. Absinthe drinkers would balance a special slotted or perforated spoon over the rim of a heavy stemmed glass containing about three ounces of absinthe. A small lump of sugar would be placed in the spoon, and cold water would be slowly drizzled over the sugar, melting it into the water. As an alternative, absinthe drinkers at special parties dedicated to the beverage would place their glass under a trickling stream of cold water from an absinthe fountain. There were also specially designed glass pitchers that allowed the server to pour a thin trickle of water into a glass of absinthe.
The water served two purposes. First, it diluted the absinthe, which is 45 to 70 percent alcohol. The preferred ratio was around two parts of absinthe to around five parts water, with more or less water added based on the preferences of the drinker. The other reason for adding water is that it has a special effect on the absinthe. As the water is mixed in, it turns the absinthe from brilliantly clear green to a cloudy color. The effect plays out as slowly as the water is added and is known as a louche, from a French word that means "cloud." The louche is the result of essential oils being released from the alcohol by the water.
The ritual of pouring water over sugar and the way it transforms the liquid from brilliant and clear to cloudy but still colorful is part of the mystique associated with absinthe. It was sufficient that even when the drink was banned in America and much of Europe, people still attempted to purchase it. For part of that time during the 1990s, many people imported or hand-carried bottles said to be absinthe from the Czech Republic.
Bibliography
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"Artemesia Absinthium." Missouri Botanical Gardens, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=a938. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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Ford, Simon. "Ultimate Guide to Drinking Absinthe and Avoiding Death." Food Republic, 16 Oct. 2023, www.foodrepublic.com/1307692/ultimate-guide-to-drinking-absinthe/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
Hicks, Jesse. "Green and Mysterious, Absinthe Caused Controversy Wherever It Was Poured." HistoryNet, 17 Oct. 2023, historynet.com/absinthe-crime-controversy/. Accessed 9 Jan. 2025.
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