How Much Absinthe is Recommended?
There is much interest in Absinthe, know as the Green Fairy or La Fee Verte. People want to know how to buy it, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the amount of Absinthe to use when preparing a drink.
First be certain to buy a quality Absinthe which is rich in oils and that contains worm wood. There are many Absinthe subsitutes on sale that contain southernwood or roman wormwood instead of common wormwood. It is important that you buy a proper real Absinthe. If you are in a country where it is hard to find a good quality Absinthe then you can make your own using essences from AbsintheKit.com.
Once you have gotten your Absinthe, you will need to learn La Louche, The Ritual. This traditional way of preparing Absinthe using one shot of Absinthe. Instructions:-
To perform the Ritual, you will need a slotted Absinthe spoon, a lump of sugar, an Absinthe glass, and iced water.
– Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
– Rest the Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
– Drip slowly iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. Give the sugar a chance to dissolve and drip slowly through the shots of the spoon. You should see a “louche” effet as the water mixes into the alcohol. The absinthe louches because the oils of the herbs are solube in alcohol but not in water so therefore makes the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
– Sit back and enjoy your Absinthe.
The Bohemian, also called the Crech Mthod, is very similar to the Ritural but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is scorned by many Absinthe followers.
The Bohemian method – tips and instructions:-
– Pour between 25 – 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass then dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– Place the sugar cube on the spoon and rest the spoon on the rim of the glass.
– To allow the sugar to carmelize and melt, set the sugar cube on fire for one minute. The melted sugar will drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
– Put the spoon into the glass while pouring the iced water into the Absinthe to put out flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
– Enjoy the drink.
If you want to enjoy your Absinthe properly the you will want some Absinthiana – Absinthe glasses, spoons and perhaps even an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. Replicas of antique glasses can be purchased from AbsintheKit.com.
So, what is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use when preparing an Absinthe drink? About 45 ml or a shot glass full in the US. Obviously, you can use Absinthe in cocktails too – search for recipes online.
