Absinthe is a green alcoholic drink about which there are many legends. In some of them, it is regarded as a poison, and attributed to it is the ability to cause hallucinations. In other legends, the drink appears as something unusual, with a unique taste.
The invention of absinthe
Wormwood tinctures were used in ancient Egypt. At that time they were used as a medicine. Moreover, they were not available to every person.
In ancient Greece, wormwood tinctures were also used. Hippocrates recommended their use for jaundice, anemia, and rheumatism.
But ancient wormwood tinctures were still far from the drink, which is now called absinthe. There are several versions about his invention. According to one of them, the drink was invented by the Enrio sisters at the end of the 18th century. They gave the tincture the name Bon Extrarait d'Absinthe. Its use has helped to cure many diseases.
But there is another version of the invention of this drink. According to her, at the end of the XVIII century, the absinthe recipe was developed by the French doctor Pierre Ordiner. At that time, he lived and worked in Switzerland, in a small village called Cove. The doctor used the tincture he invented in the treatment of his patients. But there is an opinion that Ordiner did not come up with anything new, but used the recipe of the Enrio sisters. He managed to popularize the drink, so the invention of absinthe began to be associated with his name.
Tincture is widespread. It was sold in small bottles. On the label was a girl with seductive shapes, standing in a frivolous pose. The drink was called "La Fee Verte", which translates as "Green Fairy."
Start of absinthe production
A few years later, entrepreneur Henri Dubier bought a recipe for absinthe. He and his friend Henri-Louis Pernot set up the world's first industrial production of the drink. Their little factory was opened in Switzerland.
The drink was popular and sold in large quantities. Therefore, after seven years, friends opened a second factory in the French Pontarlier. Over time, this enterprise became the main center for the production of absinthe. The plant was called Perno. The drink began to be produced in large quantities. Its sales went all over the world. By the way, still this alcoholic drink is produced under the brand name “Perno”.
The growing popularity of absinthe
But the real popularity of the drink came during the hostilities in northern Africa. A huge number of soldiers were drawn into the colonial wars launched by France. Military personnel were exposed to African diseases. It turned out that absinthe green did a great job with them. He helped to overcome ailments and was used for prevention.
In addition, it turned out that absinthe is an excellent way to get rid of amoebas and germs contained in dirty water. Thanks to this, the French soldiers escaped intestinal upsets. It can be said that absinthe helped them capture African territories. After that, he became very popular in France. The soldiers, having returned to their homeland, began to order a drink they liked in the cafe.
In the middle of the XIX century, the question no longer arose in Paris: "Absinthe - what is this?" After all, he has become a familiar drink. It was perfectly normal to consume absinthe at home before dinner as an aperitif or in the evening to relieve yourself of the burden of daytime worries. The period from 17 to 19 hours even began to be called the "green hour". At this time, it was supposed to drink a portion of the emerald drink and relax.
At the end of the 19th century, the popularity of absinthe reached its zenith. It began to be consumed as often as wine. And already at the beginning of the XX century in France, absinthe surpassed it in popularity. A green drink was drunk more than 6 times than wine.
At that time, notoriety went about absinthe. He began to be called a drink, crazy and plunging into alcoholism. This is quite natural. After all, any substance can cause harm to the body if consumed in excessive quantities. Therefore, those who drank absinthe uncontrollably began to experience cases of schizophrenia.
The effect of absinthe on the body
Indeed, a green drink produces a strange effect that writers and artists of the past so valued. The explanation for this effect on the body is that absinthe is a tincture of wormwood. And this plant contains thujone. This substance in small quantities has healing properties, and in large quantities it becomes poison. Absinthe technology reduces the harmful effects of thujone. It is worth noting that this substance is not only found in wormwood. It is also present in sage, tansy, and thuja.
Absinthe is an alcoholic drink, but the condition that causes its use is slightly different from ordinary intoxication. It gives great lightness, vigor, euphoria.
Absinthe banned
Over time, this drink has a bad reputation. The reason for this was manufacturers who added oxides of copper, nickel, antimony to it. These substances gave the drink a shimmering color and an opal shade, which were considered fashionable at that time.
Alcoholics who use absinthe in rampant amounts have also affected the deterioration of its reputation. The inappropriate actions that the tincture caused to drink were attributed to the effect of wormwood, forgetting that 70% of the alcohol was also included. Absinthe began to be blamed for all the craziness, not considering that any alcohol causes such an effect.
The first country to ban the use of the “damned potion” was Belgium. This happened at the beginning of the 20th century. Then it was banned in several other countries, including France.
For a long time, the production, sale and use of absinthe was not allowed. Only in 2004, laws prohibiting the drink were repealed. But modern manufacturers are required to comply with the standards of thujone in absinthe. The amount of this substance should not exceed 10 mg / kg. This is ten times lower than in the "damned potion" of the XIX century.
Drinking culture
Absinthe is a drink that has a strong bitter and high strength. Its composition contains approximately 70-80% alcohol. Some individuals believe that absinthe is liquor. They are wrong. There is only one answer to the question “absinthe is liquor or tincture”. It is completely obvious. Absinthe is a wormwood tincture.
Use it in its pure form is not accepted. There are several options for how to drink absinthe.
According to one of them, to prepare a serving of a drink you will need a narrow and high glass. It must be filled with wormwood tincture for 1/5 part. A special absinthe spoon is placed on top of the edges of the wineglass. It looks like a miniature spatula with curly holes. Lump sugar is placed on top of it. Cold water pours through it in a thin stream. You can use ordinary mineral water. Water should be poured to the edge of the glass. Ideally, sugar should dissolve during this process. A glass of cooked absinthe is drunk in one gulp.
The Czech method involves the reverse sequence in the preparation of the drink. So, first cold water is poured into the glass. Then, an absinthe spoon with a piece of sugar on top is placed on its edges. Through it, a wormwood tincture is poured dropwise.
There is a third way to prepare a drink. Absinthe is poured into a glass. A piece of sugar is wetted in it. It is set on a spoon and set on fire. Melting, sugar flows into a glass. Finally, cold water is added. If desired, it can be replaced with citrus juice.
Absinthe from the store
Today, quite a few brands of absinthe are produced. Understanding them is not easy. It is recommended to bypass absinthe with an alcohol content of less than 70%. After all, it is precisely such a percentage that does not allow essential oils to decay. Dyes are usually added to wormwood tincture with an alcohol content of 45%. Thus, good absinthe is one that contains at least 70% alcohol.
There are emerald drinks in bottles whose labels say "thujone-free". This suggests that there is no thujone in the composition. Therefore, this is not a tincture of wormwood, but an imitation. Such drinks consist of dyes, sweeteners, flavors that create the illusion of absinthe.
When buying, pay attention to the content of thujone. Its recommended amount is 10 mg / kg. Nevertheless, in some stores you can find absinthe in excess of the content of this norm. Such drinks should be consumed with caution, not more than two glasses per evening.
Absinthe color classification
The classic color of the drink is green. Such absinthe is present in the product line of each manufacturer. Its shades can vary from light green to emerald.
Absinthe amber color has a mild taste. It is considered an elite drink, as it is subjected to double purification during the production process.
Absinthe ruby color - wormwood tincture with pomegranate extract. It has an original aftertaste.
Absinthe is also dark brown. In the process of preparing such a drink, wormwood roots are used, not leaves. To this is added an infusion of black acacia. The taste of such a drink contains sweet tones.
Classification of absinthe by fortress
Absinthe is a very strong drink. This is because a high concentration of alcohol keeps the essential oils in dissolved form.
Absinthe is produced with a strength of 55 - 65%. In such a drink, the thujone content is very low. It happens that he is generally absent. The indicated fortress belongs to the French, Czech, and Spanish varieties of absinthe. When preparing a drink, wormwood extract is usually used .
A drink with an alcohol content of 70-85% is produced by Italian, French, Swiss, Czech, Spanish manufacturers. Such absinthe is a true wormwood tincture, but with an adjustment of the thujone content to the euronorm.
Absinthe
You can not only buy a drink at the supermarket, but also prepare it yourself. It is pretty simple.
To make absinthe, you need a distiller, alcohol and fresh wormwood. These are the main components. The process has several options.
According to the recipe of Odnier-Perno, in addition to wormwood, fennel and anise are also used. Herbs are soaked in alcohol and left for 7-10 days. Then everything is boiled in a distiller. The resulting alcohol with infusion of herbs can be given flavor. This is achieved by adding the essence of mint or other herbs. Finally, the drink is filtered and bottled.
According to the prescription of 1855, to obtain 1 liter of absinthe, you will need:
- wormwood leaves - 25 g;
- anise seeds - 50 g;
- fennel seeds - 50 g;
- alcohol 85% - 950 ml.
Leaves and seeds are soaked in alcohol and left for a period of at least 7 days. Then 450 ml of water is added to them. The resulting mixture is distilled through a distiller. This must be done until there is nothing left in the flask except herbs and seeds. The amount of distillate at the outlet is 950 ml. It needs to be filtered through a napkin. The drink is ready.
Absinthe Benefits
The use of tinctures in small quantities has a beneficial effect on the functioning of our body. After all, absinthe is what? This is a drink made with medicinal herbs.
Its use helps to relax, relieves fever and inflammation, dilates blood vessels, improves appetite. Absinthe can be used as a disinfectant, antispasmodic, anticonvulsant. Its use helps in the prevention of viral diseases.
Harmful absinthe
The use of this drink in moderation is not able to harm health. However, excessive passion for them can have sad consequences. Absinthe contains thujone - a toxic substance. When it enters the human body in excess of normal amounts, general excitement occurs, consciousness changes. Perhaps even the appearance of hallucinations. But in tinctures produced by well-known manufacturers, the amount of thujone is strictly controlled.
In addition, do not forget that absinthe is an alcoholic drink. Excessive use of it may result in a banal hangover syndrome.
Myths about absinthe
There are many myths about the mysterious drink. Here is some of them.
- Absinthe is produced only in green. This statement is a misconception. Emerald green absinthe is a classic version of the drink. But also yellow, red, brown varieties are produced.
- Eating absinthe destroys brain cells. It is not true. The effect of wormwood tincture on the brain is equivalent to the effects of any other strong alcohol.
- The use of absinthe causes hallucinations. This statement is associated with thujone, which is part of the drink. Indeed, in large quantities, this substance causes hallucinations. But in modern absinthe, its content is controlled by euronorms. If they are observed, the appearance of a hallucinogenic effect is impossible. Nevertheless, moderation in the use of absinthe, like any other alcoholic drink, should be observed.