Making Absinthe

[talon]

I sometimes make absinthe for my personal use. Most of y'all already know I apprenticed to an herbal apothecary in Germany, so it shouldn't be any surprise to you that of course I know how to make absinthe.

Absinthe was originally created as a medicine and that's how my training approached it. Absinthe gained popularity after it was used to treat malaria among French troops. It has also been used to treat insomnia and to increase one's energy levels. Sounds contrary, doesn't it? But the dose and method of dosage determined its effect. Without the sugar and the iced water, absinthe is a strong, bitter drink taken by the teaspoonful as a treatment for malaria, plague, and infections. Taken before a meal, it protected against poisons and after a meal aided digestion. Taken at bedtime, it helped sleep. Taken with sugar and iced water, it loosened inhibitions and acted as an aphrodisiac.

I can make absinthe completely from scratch, and since I grow many of the herbs in it, I do mean completely from scratch.

But a good sipping absinthe doesn't have to made from scratch.

A truly fine absinthe can be achieved by starting with a bottle of vodka, vermouth, or even gin and flavoring it with the appropriate herbs.

Don't use Everclear. The flavor, the mouthfeel, the smell, the louche are all totally different and as far as I'm concerned, any liqueur made the same herbs as Absinthe using Everclear as the alcoholic base is not Absinthe.

Gin is a debatable alcohol to use for it. I find the flavor of gin to often be far too strong and it overpowers the herbal additions. There are some nearly flavorless gins that could be used but I would put gin down at the bottom of alcohols to use.

Vodka is a prime favorite among many people for re-creating Absinthe because it is colorless and virtually flavorless. Vodka is a prime favorite for making many different cordials and medicines and flavored drinks because of this.

Oddly enough, this is precisely the reason I don't like using Vodka. It doesn't make a bad Absinthe, it's true, but it will never make a great Absinthe.

My choice is Vermouth, as it is already made with wormwood. It has a great body, a nice mouthfeel, and the louche and taste transformations of a Vermouth based Absinthe recreate Absinthe to a remarkably accurate degree.

If you cannot get true Grande Wormwood (Artemisia absinthum), definitely use vermouth as your base alcohol. There is enough wormwood in vermouth to make the recipe work without adding more.

You will also need the fruit of the anise plant (Pimpinella anisum). It's also called aniseed, or anise seed. The oil from the aniseed plays a strong part in creating the louche that is such a distinctive part of drinking absinthe.

The fruit of the fennel plant (Foeniculum vulgare) is also essential in creating absinthe - it balances the wormwood and tames the aniseed. A good quality fennel will also import he green color to the absinthe.

These three herbs - wormwood, anise, and fennel - form the base of absinthe and are essential in its production. They give it a slightly bitter edge, a strongly sweet licorice flavor, and where wormwood and anise stimulate the appetite, fennel curbs it. All three herbs contribute to the louche - the clouding and color changes and flavor changes absinthe undergoes when ice water is very slowly added. Absinthe requires these three herbs.

The next set of herbs are also essential in making absinthe, but they play quieter roles.

Angelica (Angelica archangelica) is a sweet herb once taken as a safeguard against poisons, plague, and infections. It has a sweetly juniper flavor, all green and foresty, and it adds depth to absinthe as well as color.

Calamus, or sweet flag root (Acorus calamus), gives body and sweetness to absinthe's aroma. Without it, the smell is slightly "off" and the flavor has less depth.

Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) gives a fruity, apple-y aroma and flavor and helps tone down the licorice flavor.

Coriander seed (Coriandrum sativum) is a bouncy flavor that adds a touch of whimsy and "wings" to absinthe.

Elecampagne (Inula helenium) is another contributor to the green color and adds a different sort of sweetness to the cordial.

Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) adds to the green color of absinthe. More, it adds vanilla overtones to the flavor, but use sparingly, because it is a member of the mint family and tends to be aggressive.

Melissa (Melissa officinalis), also known as lemon balm, tones down some of the licorice flavor of absinthe, giving it a citrusy brightness and a calming effect, nicely balancing out the energy of the beverage. It also contributes to the greenness.

Peppermint and spearmint (Mentha spp) add more green to the color of absinth and sweeten and lighten the flavor.

Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica) is often called green ginger and has more of a peppery, gingery flavor than grande wormwood. It adds more green to the color of absinthe and boosts the second stage flavor experience during the louche.

Star Anise (Illicium verum) supports the louche effect, but too much will numb your tongue, so use sparingly - 1 small star anise is sufficient for two or three bottles of vermouth, so break it apart, but don't crush it when you use it.

Veronica (Veronica officinalis) adds to the spiciness of the fragrance, balances the sweetness with a touch of zing, and deepens the green color.

I have left some herbs out because I noticed Americans tend to have a preponderance of allergies to those particular herbs. I don't know if the sources are selling either adulterated herbs or are mistaking the herbs they collect, and it is these incorrect herbs which cause the allergies or if Americans are actually allergic to the real herbs, but to be safe, I will not name those herbs so no one is tempted to try to use them.

Distilling the maceration will make for a smoother final product, but since stills are illegal without the proper permits in the US, we'll have to make do with the harsher cordial version.

The version I make sans still is a multi-step process anyone with the patience can repeat.

I call this a cordial because it is not distilled, it is a flavored spirit, preferably vermouth.

This recipe is for one bottle of vermouth.

Use dried herbs. Be sure of your sources. I'd recommend going organic where you can and buying from trusted sources so you don't receive adulterated herbs. This insures both a better quality cordial and one less likely to induce allergic reactions. If you are a person prone to allergies, I would recommend testing each of the aforementioned herbs as a beverage tea before trying to make the cordial. You will be a happier person in the end. You may, without disturbing the flavor too much, leave off one or two herbs, but if you are allergic to too many of them, perhaps absinthe isn't your drink.

Ingredients

1 bottle vermouth, vodka, or gin
2 teaspoons grande wormwood (optional with vermouth, essential with vodka or gin)
2 ½ teaspoons green aniseeds
1 ½ teaspoons fennel seed.
3 points off 1 star anise pod
1 ½ teaspoons angelica root
½ teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon calamus root
1 teaspoon Roman wormwood
1 teaspoon veronica

Steep these for 5 days in the vermouth, shaking twice a day. Leave it in a cool, dark place to steep and avoid exposure to direct sunlight as much as possible during this time.

After 5 days, strain out and squeeze them dry, then discard the herbs. To the liquid remaining, add

3 teaspoons lemon balm
½ teaspoon each of peppermint and spearmint
3 teaspoons chamomile
¼ teaspoon elecampagne

Steep this for three days, shaking twice daily. Leave it in a cool, dark place and avoid exposure to sunlight during this time.

After 3 days, strain out and squeeze the herbs dry, then discard the herbs.

This step is optional, but I think it adds both color and richness to the final spirit. Prepare a tisane of hyssop and lemon balm - 1 teaspoon of each herb in 1 cup, pour on boiling water and steep 3 minutes. Strain out and discard the herbs. Cool the tisane to room temperature. Refill the vermouth bottle with the now green herbal vermouth and top with the tisane. Reseal and leave to age 1 month in a cool, dark place.

After a month, it should be aged and mellowed enough to drink. Longer aging allows the flavors to mellow into one another, so don't be afraid to let it rest for years, if desired.

Drinking absinthe requires special tools. It's not something one drinks straight from the bottle.

At the least, you will need a glass, a slotted spoon (the right kind of strainer might also work), sugar cubes, and iced water, either in a carafe or in a shot glass.

For the Common, or French, Method, pour 1 ounce of absinthe in the glass, set the slotted spoon across the top of the glass, place a sugar cube on the spoon, the slowly, slowly drip the iced water onto the sugar cube. This will drip into the absinthe and the clear green liquid will slowly cloud over and turn a milky green. You want to drip 2 ounces of iced water over the sugar cube and into the absinthe.

While you can sip the absinthe throughout the process, the flavors truly only develop after the full 2 ounces of iced water are added. If you're doing this for the first time, go ahead and sip at various points so you can discern the differences in the flavor as it blooms in the glass.

The other method of preparing absinthe is the Bohemian Method, whereby the absinthe is flamed and much of the alcohol is burned off. It produces a stronger, harsher drink. An ounce of absinthe is poured into a glass and a slotted spoon placed across the top, a sugar cube is soaked in absinthe and put on the spoon, where it is ignited, then dropped into the glass of absinthe. One then either extinguishes the flames with a shot glass of cold water or one lets the flames die out and then add the cold water before drinking.

The Bohemian Method is rather spectacular looking, but having tried both methods, I prefer the Common Method.

And that's it.