absinthe-la mort

Absinthe was the drink of choice among artist and writers in the mid to late19th century. It inspired poets and appeared in works by Pablo Picasso and Vincent Van Gogh. It was drank by the scandalous and my favorite writter too Oscar Wilde, Toulousse Lautrec, the poets Charles Baudelaire and Edgar Allen Poe, and the famous 20th century author Ernest Hemingway, just to mention a few. they are some of my favorites artist too.
As its popularity grew, absinthe was the subject of many studies into alcoholism, at the time it was referred to as Absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, epileptic attacks, delirium, and hallucinations. Absinthe was ultimately banned.
Absinthe is a drink that contains a high-level of alcohol, typically 68%. The most important ingredient of Absinthe is the herb wormwood (Artimisia Absinthium); it is what sets it apart from other drinks and is how it acquired its name. The essential oils in wormwood contains the chemical Thujone, which is a toxin when taken in large amounts. There have been several reports that wormwood has psychoactive effects.

The Traditional French Absinthe Ritual

Absinthe, because of it's bitterness, is traditionally served with a sugar cube. In the late 1800's and early 1900's, it was fashionable to serve the sugar cube on a flat, slotted spoon that held the sugar in place over the glass of absinthe. Water was slowly dripped on the cube, and the resulting syrup dripped through the holes in the spoon and mixed with the absinthe. As the composition of the absinthe liqueur changed, the alcohol percentage dropped, forcing the anise and other essential herbal oils to precipitate out. This caused the absinthe to take on a milky appearance, if it was made properly. (Poorly made absinthe may not show this effect. Additionally, poor absinthe often has color added to it to make it appear an unnatural emerald green.)

The Modern, or "Bohemian" Absinthe Ritual

A new method of sweetening Absinthe has recently become popular. Once the absinthe is poured (now as a shot), a small amount of sugar in a spoon is dipped into the glass, soaked, and withdrawn. The sugar is then set on fire until it melts and caramelizes, and then is stirred into the drink. Cold water is then added to the drink to put out the alcohol fire.

enjoy absinthe!!!!!