Absinthe online

To begin with there has never been any other alcoholic drink that would be prepared so thoroughly and carefully. Even the poorest laborer in the lousiest bar would take their time to give the absinthe ritual a proper attention. There is no place for rush as far as absinthe is concerned.

Many years ago, when absinthe was not banned in any country and could be easily ordered in almost any bar or restaurant, a waiter would serve it with ice cold water and sugar separately, leaving the preparation of it up to the customer’s preference. It is true to say that due to the presence of the wormwood (‘Artemisia Absinthium’ in Latin) all absinthes possess a flavor bitter to some extent that is why they are commonly served with adding sugar.

According to the classic French absinthe ritual a dose of absinthe which is usually 1 once (30 ml) or 1.5 once (45 ml) is poured into a glass. It can be a standard glass or one specially made for drinking absinthe. The latter normally has a dose line indicating how much liquor should be poured. A sugar cube is placed on the bowl of the slotted spoon, disposed on the rim of the vessel. Then ice cold water is added by pouring or better dripping it slowly over the sugar in order to thin the spirit in the ratio of 3:1 to 5:1. It is extremely important that the water is as cold as possible however ice is never added directly to absinthe.

Originally, true absintheurs cared a lot about letting the water drop by drop and watching the sugar melt, drip slowly into the emerald green absinthe and give it a foggy milky color. It is believed, that sugar and water not only conceal the bitter taste of the drink but also enhance the flavors of other herbs commonly suppressed by anise. Louching the glass and watching the liquor gradually change the color was an important part of the ritual absinthe drinking as well as one of its attractions.