I thought about absinthe today and thought I’d have a glass, and do a little write up about [...]]]> A few years ago, before you could buy Absinthe in the US, I had some shipped to from Spain. I collected a few different bottles of the stuff. Drank it, enjoyed it, and then kind of left it behind.

I thought about absinthe today and thought I’d have a glass, and do a little write up about “the absinthe ritual”. I don’t profess this to be 100% accurate but this is, as I understand it, how absinthe was often partaken in it’s heyday

First you need the tools of your trade: absinthe, sugar cubes, a glass, an absinthe spoon, and an absinthe fountain.

As you can see from the picture, the absinthe fountain holds ice water, not absinthe. It should really be called a water fountain, I guess if there were a statue in it…

This stuff is a great don’t-drink-me-I’m-glass-cleaner green and note the flame retardant thingamajig(tm) in the the bottle. At about 140proof – keep away from open flame.

I tend to mix the absinthe with the water at about 5 parts water to 1 part absinthe but adjust to suit your own taste.
After pouring, we set the spoon on the glass and a sugar-cube on the spoon and position under the fountain.

Absinthe, Glass, Spoon, Sugar

Flame Retardarnator

Then we open the fountain up to drip or a thin stream.

Dripping Fountain

As the water runs the sugar cube will melt and the absinthe will change from transparent green to a milky greenish white.

Changing Color

When the glass is full, give it a stir and you’re done.