How to drink Absinthe

Absinthe Drink: Important facts about serving

• Absinthe (French: Absinthe), cold water, an absinthe spoon and sugar cubes to properly prepare absinthe.
• Drinking absinthe takes place entirely without fire; the absinthe is not lit!

How do you drink Absinthe correctly?

You've probably already heard quite a bit about absinthe and how to prepare it properly. Today, we'll go into detail and tell you more about the fascinating, traditional absinthe ritual. We'll show you how to drink absinthe correctly and how you definitely shouldn't prepare it. We'll also explain the historical background of the ritual. How do you drink absinthe? You'll find the answer in the following blog post.

The traditional preparation: The French Absinthe ritual

The traditional absinthe ritual is also known as the French absinthe ritual. It is the historical original and the way absinthe should still be served today. Absinthe is mixed with cold water, and a sugar cube is added according to preference. The ratios vary between 1:3 and 1:5 parts absinthe to water. In the following photo, you can see the Pernod brand's serving suggestion on a historical absinthe bottle.

Absinthe is not lit on fire

Contrary to popular belief, pouring absinthe over a sugar cube and setting it on fire is not part of the traditional ritual. This method of preparing absinthe has become firmly entrenched in many people's minds, likely because some bars still practice it for the effect. The fact is, however, that absinthe was never traditionally set on fire, and the "fire ritual," or modern "Bohemian ritual," is purely a marketing invention. It has no historical basis, nor do we recommend it. Fire ruins the flavor of the absinthe, and since absinthe has an alcohol content of 68% or more, it is also extremely dangerous. We'll show you what can happen if you set your absinthe on fire in our video below.

This is how you drink Absinthe with water and sugar

If you're preparing absinthe traditionally with water and sugar, you'll need an absinthe glass, an absinthe spoon, sugar cubes , and, as always, ice-cold water. First, pour your chosen absinthe into the glass (about 20 to 30 ml). Then, take an absinthe spoon, place a sugar cube on it, and rest the spoon on the glass. Now, slowly pour cold water from a carafe (or an absinthe fountain) over the sugar. The sugar cube will dissolve and mix with the absinthe. Although some absinthe connoisseurs tend not to add sugar, we recommend it. Adding sugar intensifies the flavor profile of the absinthe.

The Green Fairy is ready when the absinthe has turned completely milky. This cloudiness is called the "louche." The louche is more pronounced the colder the water, the more essential oils are dissolved in the absinthe, and the slower you add the water. That's why you get the best louche effect with an absinthe fountain, as the water drips into the glass only a few drops at a time. However, a regular carafe will do for beginners, from which you pour the water slowly and deliberately.

Video of the classic preparation with sugar

In the following video, we'll show you how the French ritual of preparing absinthe with a sugar cube works. As you can see in the video, the absinthe isn't poured directly into the glass but rather over the sugar cube. This technique is a little trick that makes the sugar cube dissolve more slowly, since it's now soaked in alcohol (absinthe). This trick is recommended if you're letting the water flow very slowly from the carafe (or using a fountain).

This is not how you should drink Absinthe: The ritual with fire

Anyone who's ever vacationed in Prague has probably seen it: the Czech absinthe ritual where the absinthe is set on fire. No doubt, it looks spectacular, but you shouldn't choose this method! A good absinthe shouldn't be set on fire. Just like a good red wine shouldn't be mixed with cola.

Because fire destroys the delicate flavor of absinthe, and the ritual is also extremely dangerous. Once the absinthe catches fire in the glass, it's only a matter of time before the glass shatters. And if you spill any absinthe and it ignites, for example, on your hand, it will cause severe burns. Please keep in mind, absinthe is a high-proof alcohol and therefore extremely dangerous! In the following video, we'll show you what happens when you light your absinthe on fire. This is definitely not how you should drink your absinthe!

Why is absinthe prepared with water and sugar?

We often get asked why people go to all the trouble of mixing absinthe with water and then preparing it with an absinthe spoon and sugar. Why not just drink it neat? This "elaborate" ritual has two reasons, which we'd like to explain below.

(1.) Mixing with water reduces the alcohol content, which is one functional advantage of the original ritual. Since absinthe has 68% alcohol, it would simply be too strong to drink neat (whiskey, gin, and rum, for example, only have 40% alcohol). Another functional reason is that the absinthe can develop its full flavor through the addition of water. The herbs and oils used to create the aroma of absinthe are chemically bound to the alcohol. By reducing the alcohol content and considering that water and oil do not mix, the previously dissolved oils are released, creating the drink's unique flavor. One could simply add the water without any further action. However, this is not the case, as the ritual has a symbolic meaning in addition to its functional advantage.

(2.) You are probably already familiar with the effects of absinthe, which will make it easier for you to understand the symbolic meaning of the ritual: The change in color of the absinthe from green to white, the louche that occurs when water is added to the alcohol, symbolically represents the transformation of the absinthe drinker when drinking a glass of absinthe. Just as the water frees the absinthe (from its oils), the absinthe frees the mind of the absinthe drinker. Some absinthe drinkers believe that the Green Fairy can be seen when water is added to the absinthe. She rises in slow green-white streaks with the louche...

Instructions for drinking Absinthe: These are the accessories you need

1. A bottle of genuine absinthe. You should definitely buy high-quality absinthe. It should be distilled and contain no coloring. You can buy original absinthe in our shop.
2. A carafe (or absinthe fountain) of ice-cold, still water
3. Absinthe sugar cubes are ideal; regular sugar cubes will also work, but these are slightly larger and more densely pressed.
4. An absinthe glass, ideally one with a reservoir (e.g. the Pontarlier absinthe glass)
5. An absinthe spoon
6. Plenty of time to enjoy the authentic experience...

Mixing Absinthe? An alternative?

Absinthe is a spirit, and spirits are usually mixed with other drinks. So you might rightly ask, what about mixing absinthe? We have a clear preference: you should really only mix it with water and sugar. Not with cola or other sodas or juices. Absinthe has a very intense flavor that doesn't necessarily blend harmoniously with a mixer.

However, there are classic absinthe cocktails that we highly recommend, such as a Sazerac or an Old Fashioned. For a Sazerac, the glass is first swirled with absinthe. This means only the glass is coated, and the excess absinthe is poured out. The absinthe flavor in the cocktail is therefore relatively subtle. The glass is then filled with cognac (or whiskey) that has been chilled in a shaker with ice and bitters and served with a lemon twist. The drink is powerful and wonderfully aromatic. You can find the recipe for a Sazerac absinthe cocktail in our blog post.

We hope you enjoyed this post about "Absinthe Preparation: How to Drink Absinthe Properly." If you have any questions or suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. You can also follow us on Facebook. We're already over 16,000 absinthe enthusiasts there!

Green greetings from the world of absinthe,

Your ALANDIA Team