The better to drink absinthe. How to drink absinthe

10.09.2014

According to one white paper, absinthe originated in Switzerland. But to make tinctures from wormwood on alcohol began in ancient Egypt. Absinthe is considered legendary drink, he is equally revered and feared. Due to the notoriety of the main component of the drink - thujone, many believe that the use of absinthe can cause mental disorders.

A drink for creative people

People who tend to create and invent something new love to use absinthe. This category of the population is called bohemian, and these are artists, poets, writers. Some of them believe that by drinking absinthe they develop their creative nature. By its strength, absinthe is quite strong, it contains about 75% alcohol.

At the beginning of its distribution on the shelves of bars and pubs, absinthe was not very respected. There was an opinion that a person intoxicated with this drink becomes aggressive and angry.

Methods of drinking absinthe

Absinthe can be consumed in many ways. True connoisseurs know them all. They collect both recipes for absinthe itself and ways to use it. A true connoisseur of absinthe can always distinguish natural product from a fake, but to drink absinthe in such a way as to enjoy the bouquet of herbs on which he insisted as much as possible. Thanks to such a wide interest in the drink, a whole subculture has appeared that calls itself absinthe.

Three ways to drink absinthe

The Czech method is not complete without the use of sugar. The sequence of use is as follows: a spoon for absinthe is placed on the edge of the glass. Refined sugar is placed on it, then it is set on fire. When the caramel drains into the glass, three servings are added to it. cold water.

The French method is also sugar. The glass is filled with one serving of absinthe, then a spoon and a piece of refined sugar are placed, as in the previous recipe. Through sugar, the glass is filled with three portions of water. Be sure to bring the water to ice temperature. Thanks to the holes in a special spoon for absinthe, the sugar syrup moves into the glass.

An absinthe set, a glass and a spoon, in general, can please a real lover interesting drinks and how to use them.

According to the Russian method, absinthe is also drunk with sugar, but the process of preparing the mixture is a bit simpler. Sugar is mixed with water and added to a glass of tincture.

Mix or drink neat?

Two glasses are used specifically to dilute the drink. Absinthe is diluted, oddly enough, plain water. First, a glass of absinthe is placed in a wide and large glass, and then water is poured into it. Water is poured until the mixture becomes homogeneous.

IN pure form absinthe can drink only brave people. To do this, it must be cooled and drunk in small portions, each should not exceed 30 grams. Absinthe is eaten with a slice of lemon, this helps to slightly weaken its bitter taste. True absinthes do not respect this method, since it was used in France in the 19th century by ordinary workers.

In those ancient times, alcoholism was a very problematic phenomenon, it was on a large scale, and cheap low-quality absinthe was offered to the working class in large quantities. Through sugar, the glass is filled with three portions of water. Be sure to bring the water to ice temperature. Thanks to the holes in a special spoon for absinthe, the sugar syrup moves into the glass. The workers did not come up with any particularly ingenious way to drink, therefore, for connoisseurs of the drink, its usual drinking is barbarism and disrespect for such a valuable and amazing alcohol.

Youth way of using

Young people also love to indulge in exotic drinks, so they came up with a simplified way to drink absinthe. They drink it with lemon or orange, which today is rightfully considered part of the club culture. Before use, a special mixture of cinnamon and sugar is prepared. A slice of orange or lemon falls into sugar mixture. The drink is poured into a glass, which has thick walls, and set on fire. Wall thickness matters. A slice of fruit is held over the fire, so the juice with sugar moves into the glass. In order not to waste time and get more juice from the slice, it must be compressed when heated. After the whole process, the fire should be put out, wait until the slice has cooled, and then drunk. Sugar crystals can be simply chewed.

How does absinthe affect a person?

Despite many controversies over the hallucinogenic effect of thujone, nothing has been proven. Despite the absence of a direct hallucinogenic effect, the use causes mild arousal and changes the perception of reality to a small extent. If used in high doses, thujone can cause seizures and extremely negative effects. The component itself in absinthe is in such an insignificant amount that you can feel real side effects almost unrealistic.


  • What is the right way to drink absinthe? It is customary to drink absinthe from a wide, tapering glass. Since it is a very bitter drink, all methods of its consumption are reduced to reducing this bitterness. The traditional way(French) consists in the fact that before drinking absinthe, cold water is poured into it through a piece of sugar lying on a special spoon with holes. Sugar dissolves...



  • Absinthe - emerald green, cloudy when water is added, has firmly established itself in almost all Parisian cafes from the Latin Quarter to Montmartre. Where are the British with their five-hour tea before the French "l'heure verte" - "green time". From 5 to 7 pm it was possible to perform an absinthe ritual. Absinthe should have been drunk before meals - an excellent aperitif, how could it be otherwise? After all, it was originally intended to stimulate appetite ...



  • To avoid buying fake absinthe, carefully read all the inscriptions on the label. First of all, look at the title. The spelling of the word "absinthe" differs in different languages. For example, in Spain and Italy they usually write "Absenta", in the Czech Republic - "Absinth". Be careful: there are often drinks that imitate absinthe - in this case, the name is changed intentionally. In France, for example, where the word "absinthe" is spelled "Absinthe", it is produced ...



  • From 1875 to 1913 in France, the consumption of absinthe per capita increased 15 times, for example, in 1913 the French drank about 40 million liters of absinthe. In 1837, absinthe appears in America in New Orleans under the brand names Green Opal (Green Opal) and Milky Way (Milky Way). Absinthe became fashionable and even received another name - the Green Fairy, ...



  • Absinthe (Absinthe) is an emerald green drink, very bitter (due to the presence of absinthe) and therefore traditionally poured through a special spoon with sugar into a glass of water. This alcoholic drink prepared from the extract of wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Even one and a half thousand years before the birth of Christ, the Egyptians rated this drink as excellent. medicine. Ancient absinthe was different from the liquor that Verlaine and Picasso drank, wormwood leaves…


Witches were burned on the fires of the Inquisition, and absinthe lovers set fire to the “green fairy” - this is how the French call this strong alcoholic drink. Do you want to know what absinthe is, how to drink it according to all the rules, and how to set it on fire? Then this article is for you.

The Greeks called this wormwood drink "undrinkable". Try drinking 55% to 86% ABV green liquid from chlorophyll! Indeed, you can’t drink this much in one gulp. Actually, "pure" absinthe in one gulp and do not drink.

The herbs that make up absinthe - anise, wormwood, mint, lemon balm, fennel, angelica and others - give the drink a magical taste. That is why artists and writers so often appealed to this "enchantress" in search of inspiration.

Absinthe is one of the strongest alcoholic drinks in the world, so it is served with water and a piece of sugar.

How to drink absinthe correctly? many will ask. - And what you need to do?". So, in addition to a bottle of absinthe, you will need:

  • rafinated sugar;
  • special spoon with holes;
  • water.

Drinking undiluted absinthe is bad form. Water passed through sugar on a special spoon directly into the drink makes absinthe cloudy. Sugar is intended to sweeten the bitterness of the wormwood liquid. Served "Green Fairy" before meals as an aperitif.

The high strength of absinthe (from 55 to 86%) is not a whim of manufacturers, but a necessity: only at such a concentration of alcohol will the drink keep essential oils in a dissolved form.

Up until 2004, absinthe was "outlawed". The toxicity of thujone (a hallucinogenic substance that is part of wormwood) makes the drink a real poison. The ban on its manufacture was caused by rampant alcoholism among “fairy” lovers and the increasing cases of schizophrenia at the beginning of the 20th century. This reputation made the drink unpopular for a long time.

Why and how to set fire to absinthe?

If you want entertainment, there are several more spectacular ways to serve absinthe. Many are interested in why and how to set fire to absinthe. Let's try to give some recommendations.

Carefully choose glasses for absinthe - under the influence of fire, the container may not withstand and burst

1. "The Czech Way" orders to set fire to sugar soaked in absinthe. Turned into caramel, sugar flows into absinthe, and then 3 parts are added there ice water.

The inscription "Absinthe refined" on the drink bottle is a sign of fake absinthe. There is no bitter wormwood in it, and thujone, respectively, is also absent.

2. "Russian way" more difficult. 1 part of absinthe is poured into a glass, set on fire. After the liquid "burns with a blue flame" for a short time, the glass is covered with another glass. The flame goes out, hot absinthe is poured into the second glass, immediately covering the first with a napkin and turning it upside down. A straw is inserted under the overturned glass and absinthe vapors are inhaled, washing them down with a cooling drink from the second glass. The method impresses with its rituality and bewitching skill of the bartender. After all, you can't do without training.

Some absinthe drinkers advise drowning out the bitter taste of the drink with a slice of lemon.

3. Gives a special feeling "Bar Way": a glass is filled 4/5 with ice-cold absinthe, sugar is placed on a spoon and held over a burning absinthe. The sugar caramelizes and drips into the absinthe. When all the caramel is dissolved, the spoon is removed, the flame is extinguished and absinthe is served with a cocktail tube.

Absinthe is a very specific alcoholic drink, which is made on the basis of an extract of bitter wormwood. In its pure form, it has about 70% vol. and stands out for its bitter taste, which is why there is great amount different ways to use it. Below we will look at how to drink absinthe correctly and how to eat it, as well as what dishes to choose for the proper drinking of this alcohol.

Before we find out how to drink absinthe 70 degrees, first let's look at what devices are required for this.

Wineglass

In order to comply with all the rules of good taste when drinking this alcohol, of course, you should take care of the glass first of all. In fact, there is no clearly defined type of glass for this spirit, but basically it has a conical shape, a thin short leg and an extended top to diffuse the aroma.

Its capacity should be 250 ml - this is quite enough for drinking a drink in a pure and diluted form. If you are not a special esthete, it is quite acceptable to drink a drink from faceted glasses, the most important thing is that its glass be dense enough. Due to the heating and sudden cooling of this alcoholic glass, it may not withstand the temperature drop and burst.

spoon


Traditionally, for drinking such a strong drink, a sugar cube and a special spoon are used, which is placed above the glass. Its feature is carved holes through which syrup drips into the glass. Often it is a kind of accessory, because its shape and carving are made in the form of a pattern. If you are not well prepared for drinking this alcohol, a regular fork can also replace such a spoon.

Methods of use



In its purest form.

Although this drink has a specific taste, and its degree can burn the esophagus, some connoisseurs prefer not to dilute the strong drink (they only drink this way).

In this case, the alcohol should first be cooled to zero temperature, and then poured into narrow shots. Drink in one gulp no more than 30 grams at a time. If this is your first time tasting such alcohol, it is better to refuse to use it in its pure form. Otherwise, there is a chance of harming your health with alcohol.

classical method.

As we have already noted, traditionally this strong drink is drunk with sugar syrup. Place a special spoon over a glass, put a sugar cube on it. Next, you will need ice water.

Pour it very slowly over the sugar so that it has time to melt and drip into the glass until the alcohol becomes cloudy (in proportions 5:1, five parts water and one part alcohol). Of course, sugar does not eliminate the bitter taste of the drink, but it contributes to the precipitation of essential oils, as a result of which drinking alcohol is much easier and more pleasant.

Czech method.

Very beautiful way drinking alcohol, which is most often used in bars. However, you can also do it at home.

A special spoon with a piece of refined sugar is placed on an empty shot. Instead of water, it is poured with absinthe so that the liquid is no more than a quarter of a glass. Then the sugar is set on fire, and the resulting caramel flows through a spoon into a glass.

After the flame goes out, stir the contents with the same spoon. It remains to add three parts of cold water and you can safely drink alcohol.

Important! Be sure to be safe when using this method. If you pour too much alcohol or spill it on the glass, the flames can spread!

Russian method.

To simplify the previous method and make it much faster, the Russians came up with the idea of ​​pouring ready-made sugar syrup into alcohol. To begin with, a sugar cube must be dissolved in three parts of water, then pour the contents into alcohol.

Now gently set fire to the contents of the glass and after 3-5 seconds cover it with another glass so that the fire goes out. Pour the contents into this glass and you can safely drink it.

"Severe" method.

The very name of this method already implies a difficulty in its implementation. First you need to prepare a thick-walled glass that will not crack from ignition. Pour four parts of cold alcohol into it, and then. Set a spoonful of refined sugar over the fire. Continue the procedure until one fifth of the glass is filled with syrup and alcohol. After putting out the drink, mix and drink through a straw.

The glass-in-glass method.

Also rather peculiar, but interesting way drinking alcohol. For it you will need a glass and a large glass.

The glass is filled to the brim with alcohol, after which it is placed directly inside a large glass. Then cold water is poured into the glass from above, the contents of the glass begin to mix and pour into the glass. You need to pour water until only water remains in the glass, and all the alcohol is in the glass. Take out a glass and feel free to drink the prepared drink.

In addition to these well-known ways of drinking, you can simply try mixing this drink with different juices or other drinks. It all depends on your taste preferences.

Also, in addition to simply drinking, you can try to cook absinthe at home according to ours.

What do you drink green absinthe with?


The most popular type of absinthe is green, so using it as an example, we will consider which snacks are most suitable for this alcohol (they can also be served with any other type of such intoxicating drink).
First of all, it should be noted that real lovers recommend not to eat this alcohol. But this advice does not apply to everyone, and therefore there are a number of snacks that will help complement the taste of alcohol without any loss of its qualities.

Sweet and sour-sweet snacks with a fairly intense taste are well suited for absinthe due to its bitterness.

It is widely believed that diluted alcohol or as part of a cocktail can not be eaten. However, this option of use for some will seem unacceptable. In this case, there are the following snack options:

  • Blue cheese, marinated mushrooms and green olives go well with spirits, which have pronounced notes of wormwood and spice aromas.
  • From sweet snacks, chocolate is suitable, which is eaten with absinthe with anise extract.
  • For a green drink with notes of mint, lemon balm, it is best to prepare small slices of a juicy green apple, pear or grape.
  • Few adherents of this alcohol use for snacks. Sun-dried tomatoes with Provence herbs.

Ever since past centuries and to this day, people eat this alcohol with various types of sugar:

  • lump and burnt sugar;
  • sugar with spices, cinnamon;
  • sugar soaked in lemon or lime juice.

The use of sugar is due to the fact that it actively contributes to the neutralization of the main component of the green drink - thujone, and also interrupts the bitterness of wormwood.

Due to the fact that this alcoholic drink is very specific, everyone needs to try at least a few options for drinking absinthe in order to decide which option is closest to him.

Be sure to tell in the comments about your first experience with this alcohol and share your methods of drinking it.

Have you always wanted to try absinthe, but don't know how to drink it properly? We have collected in this article Interesting Facts about absinthe and how it can be used.

When visiting nightclubs, I have repeatedly noticed that many visitors order absinthe, and the bartender offers different ways drinking this drink. I myself have never tried it, not knowing anything about how to drink absinthe properly, and was content with a standard whiskey + cola cocktail. But in vain. This drink, like all other alcoholic drinks, has its own drinking culture, which I will introduce you to. Thanks to the assignment of the editors, I not only discovered this new drink, but learned a lot of interesting things about its properties and tried to use it in different ways.

I want to warn you right away - this drink is not for gentle young ladies who are used to drinking Cosmopolitan or Margarita, absinthe is really Reviver. But it's worth trying it, if only to understand whether you like it or not. Since the drink is inherently very bitter, all methods of serving it are aimed at minimizing the taste of bitterness as much as possible, as well as reducing the strength of the drink. So, the methods of drinking absinthe:

1. Absinthe in its purest form, undiluted. Not everyone can drink pure absinthe. As I wrote earlier - the drink is extremely strong. However, there are fans absinthe drinkers Thus. The drink is poured into narrow glasses, filling them halfway, and cooled to zero temperature. Bartenders advise not to use more than 30 grams of absinthe at a time in this way.

2. Absinthe with syrup. For some reason it is believed that this way serving absinthe was invented in Russia. You need to prepare sugar syrup: for this, sugar is mixed with water. And then add the resulting syrup to a glass of absinthe to taste. Personally, I made a proportion of about 70 to 30 (70% water, 30% absinthe), after which the absinthe seemed to me not so bitter and not so strong. The proportions can be changed according to your taste.

3. Absinthe with juice. If you do not want to waste time and bother with cooking sugar syrup, you can simply dilute absinthe with juice. The proportions can also be changed according to your taste. Bartenders believe that orange, lemon and pineapple juice. You can replace juice with lemonade, schweppes or other carbonated drinks.

4. fire absinthe. I warn you - this method is one of the most difficult and dangerous, so be careful when setting up such culinary experiments in your kitchen. First, fill the glass with absinthe three-quarters, dip a piece of sugar into the absinthe. We put a special spoon with holes on top of the glass, place sugar on it and set it on fire. Sugar should burn for about one minute, drops of melted sugar through the holes fall into a glass of absinthe. After the flame goes out, dip the spoon into the glass and place the contents of the glass on it. It is necessary to add more ice water to taste to soften the taste of the drink. Once again I repeat, using absinthe in this way, be careful. Since the burning sugar is located close to the absinthe, the entire contents of the glass can catch fire. Fire safety regulations must be followed.

5. Classic absinthe . This cooking method is traditional and the most common. Again, you will need a special spoon with holes and a piece of sugar. Place a spoon over the glass, put a piece of sugar in it and pour ice water on top of the sugar until the absinthe starts to become cloudy. The French gave this effect the name "Louche", so more classic way Absinthe preparations are called French. Essential oils, contained in alcohol, precipitate when ice water is added, due to which the taste of the drink becomes softer, it becomes more pleasant to drink. Absinthe is diluted with water in a ratio of 5 to 1, i.e. We take five parts of water to 1 part of absinthe.

6. Absinthe in two glasses. This method is interesting, but it seems to many not very convenient. Pour absinthe into a small glass and place it in a large glass. Then we begin to pour water into the glass until only water remains in it. Water and absinthe are mixed - the drink is ready to drink. This method is not very convenient, because. the glass still remains at the bottom of the glass and the drink is difficult to drink. But you can simply remove the glass or pour the drink into another glass.

Now you know how to use a drink like absinthe correctly. Personally, I liked method number four the most - despite the fact that it is quite dangerous. But the process of preparing the drink is very beautiful and exciting, perhaps even more exciting than drinking it. Finally, a short video about how a professional bartender prepares absinthe. Watch and train, just be careful when doing it at home, do not forget about fire safety rules.

For girls, I would generally recommend using absinthe only in cocktails, so the natural bitterness of the drink will be less noticeable. Absinthe cocktail recipes can be found on our website, girls who are accustomed to cocktails will either like it or with delicate kiwi, and men will certainly appreciate a cocktail called, with whiskey and absinthe.

"Green Fairy" - this is often called a strong alcoholic drink of bright emerald color. Absinthe has long been considered an undrinkable drink, it was used as remedy at various diseases. Its strength can reach 85%, so it is undesirable to drink the drink in its pure form. Over time, they learned to dilute the Green Fairy, and now there are several original ways to drink absinthe, allowing you to enjoy amazing taste this drink and do not harm your health.

The main raw material for its manufacture is the extract of bitter wormwood, so it has a specific taste. To reduce bitterness and slightly lower strength this drink, invented a lot original methods serving it to the table. IN different countries there is a special culture of consumption various kinds alcohol and absinthe is no exception. Therefore, you can always choose the most suitable option for yourself, how to drink absinthe correctly in order to truly appreciate its taste and aroma.

How to drink absinthe the French way

This method of serving and drinking absinthe is considered the most common and popular. In bars and clubs, it is most often called "in French", since it is believed that it was there that this was first invented. original way. Classic variant serving a drink - a special spoon and a piece of sugar are placed on a glass with absinthe, after which ice water is poured on top.

Ready for use is considered when it becomes cloudy. You can watch the video on how to drink absinthe correctly - the cooking process is shown in sufficient detail and clearly.

How to drink absinthe at home

At home, you can use an easier way. Before drinking absinthe at home, you should prepare ice, cold water, juice and some sugar. Any sugar can be used in place of fruit syrup. Absinthe is diluted with sweet syrup or juice, a little cold water or pieces of ice are added to the glass. You can make syrup from sugar and water, then add to the drink to taste.

Juices that are best suited for diluting absinthe are lemon, pineapple, orange, strawberry. You can dilute the drink with ready-made lemonade or tonic.

If you are going to have a home party, you should remember how to drink absinthe - in its pure form, the drink can cause alcohol poisoning. Therefore, undiluted absinthe is served in small glasses of 25-50 ml with a glass of ice water or juice.