Absinthe’s Melodic Notes
Absinthe has long been shrouded in mystery. From allegations of silly drunkenness to actual murder charges, absinthe has long been blamed for everything from drunken behavior to outright murder – yet its flavors remain delicious and deserve their place on every home bar. Now is the time for its debunking to take place and for you to experience its melodic notes for yourself!
Absinthe is a strong herbal alcoholic beverage made by distilling many flavorful herbs such as anise, fennel, hyssop, Artemisia absinthium (wormwood), veronica and angelica into an intoxicating beverage with 45 to 74 percent alcohol content and often served with water. Key among them is thujone which may cause hallucinations or unpleasant side effects when taken in large doses – but absinthe’s content is very low so any effects you feel are more likely due to alcohol and not the thujone itself.
Quality absinthe has an irresistibly licorice flavor. According to the Wormwood Society, quality absinthe is produced using a clear distillate of white grapes or grain with added wormwood essence and other botanical ingredients; macerating for several days prior to filtering out plant material through maceration before diluting with various amounts of water to achieve the desired strength and flavor profile.
Many celebrated 19th Century artists were avid absinthe drinkers, such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde and Picasso. Even Vincent van Gogh may have been influenced by absinthe drinking; indeed one of his six major crises may have been caused by this substance. Unfortunately in the 20th Century absinthe faded from popular culture; being replaced by cocktails, martinis and later, mind altering drugs during the 1960s.