Absinthe FAQ
What is absinthe?
Absinthe is a highly alcoholic anise-flavoured, distilled liquor containing the herb wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), green in colour, turning to cloudy, opalescent white when mixed with water. Highly aromatic, this spirit is dry and somewhat bitter in taste, with alcoholic content of 68 percent by volume.
What is Wormwood?
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a bitter, aromatic herb of the genus Artemisia of the family Asteraceae, distributed throughout many parts of the world.
What does absinthe taste like?
Once diluted, a glass of absinthe is a long chilled drink with a very smooth anise flavour, reminiscent of long summer days in the south of France. Avoid serving neat as the drink is very strong and unpalatable until mixed.
Isn't absinthe illegal?
In the late 19th, and early 20th Century, France was the largest producer of absinthe, but decided to place a ban on domestic sales in 1915. Our company discovered that at the time of the ban there was an export licence created that allows absinthe to be produced in France and sold in other markets. La Fée Absinthe is made in Paris, the first traditional French brand to be produced since the ban.
What are some of the myths surrounding wormwood?
An Old Love Charm
'On St. Luke's Day, take marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little Wormwood; dry them before a fire, rub them to powder; then sift it through a fine piece of lawn, and simmer it over a slow fire, adding a small quantity of virgin honey, and vinegar. Anoint yourself with this when you go to bed, saying the following lines three times, and you will dream of your partner 'that is to be'
St. Luke, St. Luke, be kind to me,
In dreams let me my true-love see.
It is often quoted that Chernobyl is Russian for Wormwood but it's actually a myth. Chernobyl is actually a Ukrainian word. It is often taken as meaning 'wormwood' but actually means 'black (dark) bush' and of course, true Artemisia absinthium wormwood isn't black or dark. It's green with silvery hairs on one side.
The Book of Revelation, Chapter Eight:
10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
There was a whole lot of pseudo-religious hysteria (much of it in Poland) having to do with the supposed apocalyptic references to wormwood, after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, but of course, the biblical reference isn't to Artemisia absinthium either, as that species is not native to the middle east. So it's the usual old-mistranslation problem. The Artemisia species mentioned in the bible is probably Artemisia judaeica.
According to the Ancients, Wormwood counteracted the effects of poisoning by hemlock, toadstools and the biting of the seadragon.
Will absinthe turn me mad/blind/dead?
No. Alcohol abuse was historically & and continues to be very dangerous, and it is often said that the impurities in the alcohol production process of the era (especially cheap brands) that was responsible for the reputed negative health effects of absinthe.
Once absinthe's reputation spread it was self-perpetuating; if a married man died of syphilis, it might be kinder to his widow to name 'Absinthism' on the death certificate.
Why is absinthe sometimes spelt without an 'e'?
This is quite simply a language difference. Although 'absinthe' is the generic spelling as coined by the Swiss and French, who were the original absinthe producing nations, you will find that around the world there are many different spellings for the word absinthe. In the Czech Republic 'e' is dropped, and thus, absinth. The Spanish say absenta and the Italians say assenzio, but they all mean absinthe.
It is worth noting that the spelling absinth (without an 'e') usually denotes that the brand comes from Eastern Europe and is likely to be 'Bohemian style', which means that it is unlikely to louche when water is added, due to the little to no anise used compared to the traditional Swiss/French style.
Is absinthe an aphrodisiac?
Absinthe was certainly believed to be a strong aphrodisiac in its heyday; two of absinthe's ingredients (Wormwood and Anise) were reputed to have such an effect. The English poet Ernest Dowson coined the phrase 'Absinthe makes the tart grow fonder'.
Why is absinthe considered the muse of turn of the century poets and artists?
Absinthe was drunk by the bohemian set in France.
Who is famous for drinking Absinthe?
Check out our Absinthe Friends, plus the Absinthe History section.
What is an 'Absinthe Spoon'?
It is a special slotted spoon designed so that a sugar lump can be placed on it & water dripper over so that it dissolved into the absinthe.
How do you serve absinthe properly?
Don't you burn absinthe?
Only Bohemian Absinth is traditionally burnt.
Guinea Pigs & Frogs?
Historical bizzareness. Guinea Pigs & Frogs.
Can I link to you?
Sure!
Why is absinthe featured so heavily in the movie 'Moulin Rouge!'?
Founded in 1889, famous real-world nightclub Moulin Rouge ('Red Windmill') was the greatest of the Paris music halls, and was frequented by Toulouse Lautrec (whose absinthe spoon is on display at the Absinthe Museum).
The windmill on the roof of the Moulin Rouge is a holdover from the era of Louis XIV, where the Montmartre district of Paris was home to as many as 30 windmills. The Moulin Rouge's windmill was repaired & altered many times over its life.
Of course this was at the height of absinthe's popularity in Paris, and vast quantities of the green fairy were consumed.
So what was Johnny Depp doing in 'From Hell' then?
Jonny was performing some wierd hybrid Bohemian serving method, with a little laudinum thrown in for good mesure. Depp was our first customer...
