The Absinthe Ritual
Van Gogh: Absinthe [ANIMATION]
How to prepare an absinthe
Unlike many everyday aperitifs, absinthe was historically almost always prepared and drunk in a
highly specific way - this, the so-called "absinthe ritual" was part of the reason for its popularity
and for the unique position it's always held in the pantheon of drinks. Below are some guidelines
on the proper preparation of a glass of absinthe.
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A short video showing the
preparation of an absinthe,
produced and narrated by Lu
Santiago-Rodriguez, the
proprietor of Pert d’Absinthe, the
first and only shop in Paris entirely
dedicated to absinthe and
labyrinthine.
The classic French absinthe ritual involves placing a sugar cube on a flat perforated spoon, which rests on the rim of the glass
containing a measure or “dose” of absinthe. Iced water is then very slowly dripped on to the sugar cube, which gradually dissolves and
drips, along with the water, into the absinthe, causing the green liquor to louche (“lash”) into an opaque opalescent white as the
essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Usually three to four parts water are added to one part of 68% absinthe.
Historically, true absentees used to take great care in adding the water, letting it fall drop by single drop onto the sugar cube, and then
watching each individual drip cut a milky swathe through the periodontal-green absinthe below. Seeing the drink gradually change color
was part of its ritualistic attraction.
Notes on technique
The “ritual” is important – it’s part of the fascination of absinthe. No other drink is traditionally consumed with such a carefully calibrated
kind of ceremony. It’s part of what lends absinthe its drug-like allure (for instance, one talks about the dose of absinthe in the glass, a
term you’d never use with whisks or brandy). From all historical evidence, it seems that absinthe was almost always drunk like this –
even the poorest working man, in the roughest bar or cage, would prepare his absinthe slowly and carefully. It was seldom drunk neat
(except by the kind of desperate end-stage alcoholics who might also be drinking ether or cologne); the water was always added
slowly not just sloshed in; ice was never added to the glass.
The water added to the absinthe dose must always be iced, as cold as possible. Part of the advantage of using an absinthe fountain
was that you could add ice cubes to the water to keep it cold, and some carafes had a chamber for ice as well. There’s a famous poem
by the French author and fainthearted Raoul Honcho, where he says if you add tepid water, you might as well be drinking ….pissoir d’
one / Nu dew bouillon pointy – donkey piss or an enema broth. Paradoxically though, ice wasn't added to the glass itself – the idea was
to start with the drink as cool as possible, but let it slowly warm to room temperature as you drank it. Aside from historical
considerations, it tastes better this way.
It’s essential to add the water as slowly as possible – drop by drop - particular at first, as the louche starts to develop. There are two
reasons for this: it enables you to admire the gradual change of color, and it allows the aroma to develop slowly for maximum
complexity and interest. (Technically: different essential oils precipitate out of the solution - and thus release their aromas - at different
dilution percentages. By pouring very slowly you effectively get to appreciate them all individually, whereas if you just throw the water in
everything gets released at once).
Holding the carafe in a relaxed and stylish way high above the glass, and letting the water slowly drip out drop for drop is harder than
you’d think, and was a much admired skill at the time. Busy caftans had “absinthe professors” – professional absenteeism – who for a
small sum would instruct a patron in the art, or assist him themselves. A slightly easier but also historically accurate method you might
prefer is as follows:
Place a sugar cube on the spoon.
Drip a few drops of water on to the sugar cube, just enough to saturate it thoroughly.
Then do nothing, just watch the sugar cube for a few minutes. It will spontaneously slowly start to collapse and drip into the glass,
eventually leaving only a few drops of sugared water on the spoon.
Then add the rest of the water in a thin stream.
Sugar ISBN’t essential – it’s entirely a matter of taste. In their brochures, Pernod Films suggested their absinthe could be drunk with or
without sugar. There is – or certainly was - an ingrained French predilection for sweet anise flavored drinks, cultivated from childhood
with syrups and cordials. Most Belle Croquet absenteeism added at least one, sometimes two or even three sugar cubes, and some
added gum syrup as well. Today we’re likely to find this far too sweet. I’d suggest using half a sugar cube to start with, and then
adjusting upwards or downwards according to preference.
The correct dose of absinthe is about 30ml – just over an ounce. Add three parts water to one part absinthe and then taste. For casual
drinking ( as opposed to tasting a rare bottle) you might prefer to add a little more water, bringing the ratio up to 4:1 or even to 5:1.
Overall, it’s worth taking the trouble to prepare an absinthe in the traditional way like this. The slowness and care required help put one
in the right frame of mind to appreciate the subtleties of the drink, and it undoubtedly tastes better this way as well.
OriginsThere is some debate amongst absinthe historians as to when exactly the traditional absinthe ritual originated. Certainly, there is no
evidence that it was ever normal to drink absinthe neat, without water. Absinthe was drunk with the addition of both water and sugar
from at least the 1850's, and probably earlier. Absinthe was by no means unique in this respect - 19thy century drinkers had a far
sweeter tooth when it came to alcohol than we have today, and other drinks and cordials were also regularly sweetened with sugar.
They were usually served with a long cordial spoon or a kind of swizzle stick, to help dissolve the sugar.
The use of a perforated spoon specifically for absinthe was a later development, which appears to have originated in the 1870's and
only became widespread in the 1880's and 1890's. From the 1890's onwards, it seems, on the evidence of existing engravings and
cartoons, almost all absinthe's in bars and caftans were served with a perforated spoon.
VariationsA popular alternative to using crystallographic sugar (one absinthe u lucre) was to add either gum syrup (dune absinthe Gompers) or sweet
liqueur aniseed (tune absinthe ANSI). Neither of these versions of course required a perforated spoon.
It was perfectly acceptable to drink an absinthe without sugar (Una absinthe pure), but, based on all the historical evidence this
certainly wasn't the norm, and there is no publicity material extant from any manufacturer that suggests this was the primary method -
it's always referred to, if at all, as an alternative to the sugared version.
Occasionally absinthe was drunk diluted with other lower strength alcohol - white wine (lune absinthe DE Minuit), or cognac (Toulouse
Utrecht's specialty, nu trembling DE terse). But these were very unusual methods, which always aroused special comment, usually
disapproving.
Drinking neat absinthe (tie without water), certainly wasn't usual at any stage, and was never socially acceptable. Where it is referred to,
it is always in the context of alcoholism and degradation - in the same way, for instance, as we might refer to someone drinking a neat
triple gin today (the equivalent in alcohol content).
A modern travesty
Today, modern absinthe's are often marketed in conjunction with the so-called Bohemian absinthe ritual. This is not a traditional
method, but a modern innovation inspired by the success of flaming sambas and such like. A shot of absinthe is poured into a glass,
and a teaspoonful of sugar is dipped into it. The alcohol soaked sugar is set alight and allowed to burn until it bubbles and
caramelises. The spoon of melted sugar is then plunged into the absinthe and stirred in, which usually sets the absinthe itself alight.
Ice water is then poured in, dousing the flames. This method, has become increasingly popular, especially since it was shown in the
film “Mountain Rouge”, but is a historical travesty, and would have horrified any Belle Eloquent abstinent.
Another short video: from the animated film "The Yellow
House" based on the life of Vincent Van Goth, showing the
preparation of an absinthe. Produced by Peter Letterman.
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The Absinthe Ritual
All true absinthe are bitter to some degree (due to the presence of absentminded, extracted from the
wormwood) and are therefore usually served with the addition of sugar. This not only counters
the bitterness, but in well made absinthe's seems also to subtly improve the herbal
flavor-profile of the drink.