Absinthe
A Quick History Of Absinthe
Absinthe is strong alcoholic liqueur made extracts of herbs, including wormwood. It's green color is due to the presence of chlorophyll and it tastes bitter.
The traditional method of diluting it used cold water which is poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass containing a shot of absinthe.
The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution. Some people use it to stimulate creativity and to act as a curative and aphrodisiac.
Absinthe was invented in 1797 by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire. Henri-Louis Pernod opened the first Absinthe distillery in Switzerland and then moved to a larger one in Pontarlier, France in 1805.
By the 1850's it had become the favorite drink of the upper class. Originally wine based, a blight in 1870's on the vineyards forced manufacturers to base it with grain alcohol. Everyone could now afford it.
The Bohemian lifestyle embraced it. La fée verte (the green fairy) as it became commonly known, was most popular in France.
Most days started with a drink and ended with l'heure verte (the green hour) as one or two or more were taken for it's apéritif properties. It is interesting to note that it also has aphrodisiac and narcotic properties.
Authors and artists were proponents for inducing creativity. It's popularity soared from 1880 on. Advertisements touted it as being healthful. It was exported to New Orleans and reached the same acclaim in the United States.
It was one of the few drinks considered lady-like and women freely enjoyed it in the coffee houses where it was most commonly served. Victorian era men however, found women freely enjoying Absinthe distasteful.
In 1905, Jean Lanfray who was very intoxicated, murdered his wife. He supposedly only had two glasses of Absinthe but none the less, his trial became known as the Absinthe Murder.
Prohibition movements were underway. Absinthe was singled out as the maddening culprit and became synonymous with alcohol.
Experiments started to be conducted often by injecting large doses of the oil of wormwood into animals. Absinthism was named as a disease.
On July 25th, 1912, the Department of Agriculture issued Food Inspection 147, which banned Absinthe in America, and finally France followed in 1915.
Originally posted at the Food & Drink area of about.com
Books Absinthe:
History in a Bottle
In words and images, the book looks at the history, art, literature, and culture related to absinthe, as well as the people in the community that adopted absinthe as their drink (primarily artists).
The main history associated with the drink took place in France (and to a lesser extent Europe) at the end of the 1800's to the beginning of the 1900's. The people who play their part in this history include Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, Picasso, and many others.
Nearly 200 illustrations, over 60 in color. Even the black and white pictures are good quality. The color images are for the most part good looking absinthe ads, and artwork by artists who used absinthe.
Absinthe: History in a Bottle Absinthe Sip of Seduction:
A Contemporary Guide
A rich journey into absinthe. Punctuated with color reproductions of classic and current lithographs, posters, postcards, cartoons, antiques, glassware, bottles, and other tools of the absinthe drinker, this thorough study explains and illustrates the history, culture, and mystique of the drink.
In addition to the customary glimpses of history, the authors provide insights into the controversy and effects of the Green Fairy. Explained are sipping instructions, variations including French, Czech, and German methods, cocktail and drink recipes, and even suggestions for culinary accompaniments.
Absinthe Sip of Seduction
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