How to Drink Absinthe

Guide Note: How to Drink Absinthe offers tips, tricks and advice on how to serve the anise-flavored liquor absinthe.

Table of Contents:

Disclaimer: Alcohol should be consumed legally and responsibly by persons over 21 years of age.

Introduction

  • After 100 years off the US market, absinthe is back! It's legal and still potent enough to fuel the imaginations of budding Hemingways. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a bottle of the green stuff, and let the debauchery begin.

What is Absinthe?

Absinthe aka The Green Fairy. Photo by Ania Chen
Absinthe aka The Green Fairy. Photo by Ania Chen
  • Absinthe, or "The Green Fairy," is an anise-flavored liquor that was famously favored by artists and intellectuals in late 19th and early 20th century France.
  • Absinthe is partly derived from the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called grand wormwood. Wormwood contains thujone, a chemical believed to cause hallucinations and induce a drug-like state. In 1912, products containing thujone were outlawed in the US.

Famous Absinthe Drinkers

What You'll Need

  • The drinking of absinthe has long been ritualized and requires a couple of special tools. You can, of course, drink absinthe straight from a glass, but it is not recommended as the taste is too bitter and the alcohol content too strong.
Absinthe Spoon (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
Absinthe Spoon (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
  • 2. Absinthe Spoon
  • Absinthe spoons come in a number of different styles, but they are all small, perforated and can rest across the top of your glass. If you don't have an absinthe spoon, a fork will do.
Absinthe Glass (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
Absinthe Glass (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
  • 3. Absinthe Glass
  • Any transparent, chalice-like glass will do when serving absinthe. However, there are antique and reproduction "reservoir" glasses on the market for the absinthe connoisseur. Reservoir glasses are shaped to demarcate the correct amount of absinthe per serving.
  • 4. Sugar Cubes
  • One per glass.
  • 5. Ice Water
  • Enough to dilute the absinthe serving in a two to one ratio.
  • 6. Ice Cubes (Optional)
  • If you are using a brouille glass, you will need one handful of ice cubes per glass of absinthe.
  • 7. Lighter (Optional)
  • If you'd like to try serving absinthe the "Czech way," you'll need to set it on fire! It's not necessary, but it's fun.

For the True Connoisseur

Absinthe Fountain (Creative Commons photo by Lorelei)
Absinthe Fountain (Creative Commons photo by Lorelei)
  • Brouille Glass
  • A brouille glass is actually two glasses. The bottom glass is shaped like an old-fashioned ice cream sundae glass. A second glass, which sits on top, is shaped like a mini-highball glass. The bottom of the glass that sits on top is actually a dripper which will dilute your absinthe once ice is placed inside it.
  • The only notable advantage to using a brouille glass over an absinthe glass is that nature controls the slow drip of the water into the absinthe allowing it to "cloud" or "louche" properly. Otherwise, you'll have to rely on your steady hand and a slow pour.
  • Absinthe Fountain
  • A fountain is for the hardcore connoisseur only. Shaped like a bubblegum machine with little spouts around its reservoir, the fountain slowly drips water into your glass to dilute the absinthe. The advantage here is that the drip is controlled, which allows the absinthe to "cloud" properly. Do you need a fountain to drink absinthe? No. Do you need a fountain because that's how all the cool kids down at the Moulin Rouge rocked it back in the day? Yes.

How to Drink Absinthe

  • Part of the fun of drinking absinthe is its serving ritual. Absinthe has to be diluted with water and sweetened with sugar to compensate for its bitter taste and 100+ proof potency. Here are a few different options for serving absinthe:

The French Absinthe Serving Ritual

  • To serve absinthe the French way, you'll need an absinthe spoon, sugar cube and glass.
  1. Pour one shot (1.5 ounces) of absinthe into a glass.
  2. Lay your slotted absinthe spoon or fork over the glass.
  3. Place a sugar cube on top of the spoon.
  4. Drip or slowly pour a glass of ice water over the sugar cube. (Two parts water to one part absinthe.)
  5. The absinthe will become cloudy or "louche." A green ring will form around the periphery of the glass. When the green ring disappears, the absinthe has been properly diluted.
  6. Serve.

The French Absinthe Serving Ritual

The Czech Absinthe Serving Ritual

Do it the Czech way! (Creative Commons photo by David Kadavy)
Do it the Czech way! (Creative Commons photo by David Kadavy)
  • The Czech manner of serving absinthe is similar to the French - just add fire!
  1. Pour one shot (1.5 ounces) of absinthe into a glass.
  2. Place a sugar cube on an absinthe spoon or standard teaspoon.
  3. Dip the spoon with the sugar cube on it into the absinthe.
  4. Withdraw the spoon and sugar cube.
  5. Light the absinthe-soaked sugar cube on fire.
    • Be careful! If you spill ANY absinthe on your hands, clothes or countertop, do not light the flame.
  6. Wait for the sugar to caramelize.
  7. Once the flame has died down, place your spoon into the glass and stir for 2-3 seconds.
  8. If the absinthe catches fire, smother the glass.
  9. Pour ice water (two parts water to one part absinthe) into the glass.
  10. Serve.

Note: Some absinthe connoisseurs abhor the "Czech method" of serving absinthe. They claim that the "fire ritual" denies the user the "perception-enhancing" effects of the drink.

Serving Absinthe in a Brouille Glass

  • Serving absinthe in a brouille glass requires a brouille glass set and ice.
  1. Pour one shot (1.5 ounces) of absinthe into the bottom portion of the brouille glass set.
  2. Place ice cubes and a sugar cube into the upper portion of the brouille glass set.
  3. Set the ice cube-filled portion of the brouille set on top of the absinthe-filled glass.
  4. Wait for the ice to melt. Water will drip into the absinthe, thereby diluting it.
  5. Once the ice has melted, your absinthe is ready to serve.

Serving Absinthe with a Brouille Glass Set

Absinthe Recipes

Imported Absinthe (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
Imported Absinthe (Creative Commons photo by Matt Scott)
  • With the reintroduction of absinthe to the US market, bartenders are coming up with new and exciting ways to serve up the potent green liquor. They've got nothing, however, on the cocktails of yore downed by the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec:

Death in the Afternoon Recipe

  • Ernest Hemingway contributed this recipe to a 1935 collection of celebrity cocktails. Hemingway was a fervent absinthe drinker who once wrote, "Got tight last night on absinthe. Did knife tricks."
  1. Pour 1 jigger (1.5 ounces) of absinthe into a champagne flute.
  2. Add iced champagne until absinthe attains a milky color.
  3. Serve.

Tremblement de Terre Recipe

  1. Swirl a one to one ratio of absinthe and cognac in a brandy snifter. (Volume according to mood.)
  2. Pour into a glass.
  3. Add an ice cube and a splash of water.
  4. Serve.

Additional Absinthe Cocktail Recipes

Warnings

  1. Be careful! While reports of hallucination and drug-induced states have been largely overstated, absinthe is a incredibly potent drink. Lucid, the brand most widely available in the US, clocks in at 124 proof, and while it didn't have enough thujone in it to be barred from the US, it's still made with wormwood.
  2. Do not drive, operate heavy machinery or call your ex while under the influence of absinthe.

Resources for How to Drink Absinthe

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