Lighting Absinthe on fire: Is that really a good idea?

Lighting an Absinthe: The most important points summarized

• Lighting absinthe on fire is not the traditional way to prepare it.
• The absinthe fire ritual is dangerous and should be avoided.

Welcome back to our blog. Today we have a topic for you that many absinthe enthusiasts are eager to discuss: Should you light absinthe on fire, or not? Many drinks and cocktails are set alight, as you can easily see from the cover image of our post. But should you really light absinthe? We'll explore this question and provide the answers.

Lighting the Absinthe: The fire ritual

You've probably lit absinthe on fire before or at least seen it done. This involves pouring absinthe over a sugar cube and then setting it alight. Sometimes, all the absinthe in the glass is lit without using any additional sugar. This method is particularly popular with first-time absinthe drinkers. This way of serving the Green Fairy is also known as the "Absinthe Fire Ritual." In a previous post about absinthe preparation, we already mentioned that we don't recommend this ritual. But in this post, we want to explain in more detail what actually happens when you light absinthe on fire and why we strongly advise against it.

Absinthe with fire: Why you shouldn't burn the Green Fairy

Admittedly, lighting absinthe on fire is quite a spectacle. Due to the spirit's high alcohol content (60-80%), absinthe burns particularly well. But you still shouldn't do it. We'll explain why:

1. Burning the alcohol destroys the complex flavor of a high-quality absinthe. First, of course, the alcohol burns, which is a shame, but the essential oils of the herbs dissolved in the absinthe also burn. This means the green drink loses its flavor!
2. In fact, lighting absinthe on fire is not historically accurate (although some believe it is). Absinthe was not lit in the 19th century and therefore, for the sake of authenticity, should not be lit today either.
3. Lighting absinthe can be very dangerous. Even if you light a controlled fire, it's still fire. The flames can, for example, shatter absinthe glasses, and then the whole table is often engulfed in flames. Another risk is that you might get a few drops of absinthe on your hand while pouring. These can easily ignite, for example, when you touch the burning glass. Due to the high alcohol content, your hand will then burn like tinder. Don't forget, absinthe is very strong; this makes it a real fire accelerant!

Why do people light Absinthe on fire?

The third and final reason why you shouldn't light absinthe on fire also explains why most people still do. Fire is something very exciting and often beautiful to watch. Furthermore, fire carries a certain element of danger, which makes the whole thing a bit thrilling and exciting. Newcomers, in particular, associate the Green Fairy with a forbidden drink, so the ritual involving fire fits perfectly into this perception.

Below, we've included a video showing some "crazy" people lighting a glass of absinthe on fire. This should also serve as a good illustration of why you shouldn't light absinthe on fire.

Drinking Absinthe: Authentic alternatives without fire

The traditional way to prepare absinthe is the French ritual with water and sugar. We've dedicated a separate page to this classic absinthe ritual, which we highly recommend. You can find more information on how to drink absinthe correctly by clicking on the link. However, there are also a few other authentic absinthe rituals. These also date back to the 19th century and sometimes use quite interesting absinthe accessories. For example, preparing absinthe with an absinthe fountain (French: absinthe fontaine) is an exciting and particularly traditional ritual.

We hope you enjoyed this article. If you have any further questions, we've linked a few articles within this post. If these don't answer your question, we're happy to help. We love to help!

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Grüne Grüße aus der Welt des Absinthes,

Your ALANDIA Team