Absinthe

Anise flavored spirit

Absinthe described as an anise-flavored spirit made from different herbs with a high alcohol level (45%-75% ABV), one of these herbs being the "Grande Wormwood" also known as Artemisia absinthium. Traditionally Absinthe is green but it can also have a clear color, which is why in historical literature it is commonly referred to as la fée verte, the green fairy.

banned in 1915

Absinthe has been criticized for being a dangerously addictive psychoactive drug, with the chemical known as Thujone suspected of being the chemical responsible for the harmful sideeffects of the drink. In the United States and most European countries except the UK, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and the Austro-Hungarian Empire the drink therefore became banned in the year of 1915. In the beginning of the 1990s some countries in the European Union revived the manufacturing of absinthe, today over 200 different brands mainly originated from France, Switzerland, Spain, and the Czech Republic exists.

Origin unknown

The Latin word Artemisia absinthium comes from the name of the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt known as “Artemis” and absinthium being a stylization of the Greek word αψίνθιον (apsínthion) which simply means “Wormwood”. The exact origin of absinthe is unknown, but the use of wormwood as a pharmaceutical product is mentioned in the Ebers Papyrus, an ancient Egyptian medical papyri dated back as far as 1550 BC. Wormwood extracts and leaves were used for medicinal purposes by the ancient Greeks, there is also evidence of wormwood flavored wine existing in ancient Greece. The traditional way to prepare a glass of absinthe is to first pour a shot of absinthe into the glass, then putting a sugar cube on top of a specially designed spoon on top of the glass, after this procedure water is slowly dripped on the sugar cube, recommended amount is 1 part absinthe to 3 to 5 parts water.