What is Absinthe?
Absinthe, also romantically known as The Green Fairy (La Fée Verte), is a spirit beverage flavoured primarily with anise, grand wormwood (artemisia absinthium), and fennel. Most common are the blanche or bleue (colourless) and verte (green) varieties, but you can find absinthe in range of natural tones as well as some more unconventional colours.
Absinthe is typically high in alcohol content — often between 45% and 72% (90 - 144 proof) — though this number refers to absinthe as a concentrated spirit and does not represent a properly prepared beverage. Absinthe is meant to be consumed diluted with around three to five parts iced water to one part absinthe spirit. Using this traditional ratio, a glass of absinthe can be compared to the strength of a glass of wine.
Absinthe can be used in cocktails but should never be consumed neat (without dilution) or as a shot. Prepared properly, a glass of absinthe can be refreshing, captivating, and a conversation starter. Though much of what has been written about The Green Fairy is legend, exaggeration, or just plain fiction, the appeal and allure of absinthe is undeniable. From exalted cure to condemnation, from prohibition to its recent return to the spotlight, absinthe continues to intrigue and inspire.
A note about absinth...
Leaving the ‘e’ off of absinthe is not a typographical error, but rather a definition-altering detail. Absinth, also referred to as Bohemian-style absinth, is typically anise-free and is made in several different countries, though most often associated with the Czech Republic. Absinth has little in common with absinthe beyond containing -- often excessive levels of -- wormwood and high alcohol content.
Absinth enjoyed a widespread resurgence in the 1990s with the Hill’s brand in the UK, and is popular as a party drink (see How to Drink Absinthe) but absinth itself is modern and not historically accurate as a representation of the absinthe of the Belle Époque.
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