Absinthe: Green Wine Fairy

It's not easy being green

My first experience with absinthe was on Halloween, 1997. I had read about this green liquor in a magazine article, and I looked forward to trying it for myself. But unfortunately, Absinthe has been banned in the U.S. since the early 1900s. So, the only legal avenues for procurement involved a flight to Europe - something that wasn't really an option. But I wasn't about to let a little leftover piece of prohibition come between the green fairy and me. The article said that it was possible to make your own absinthe, but unfortunately the article did not include the recipe. So, I was forced to scour the Internet in search of the recipe. At the time, I was only able to find a couple recipes.The thing that concerned me was both of the recipes involved the use of a still. I realize that this the only "proper" way to make absinthe is by stilling the mash, but I wasn't too interested in the prospect of accidentally creating a bomb, so I decided to skip that step. If you do not still your absinthe, your end product with end up having a more "herbal" taste, but this can generally be overcome by adding more Anise.In the beginning, I had a hard time finding a few of the ingredients. So I was forced to improvise. Of course, my first batch was all wrong - horribly wrong. I couldn't find Everclear, so I substituted vodka. I couldn't find Anise extract, so I used the Essential oil of Anise instead. What I ended up with was a raunchy brown liquid. Not only did it taste nasty, it really didn't give you much more than an alcohol buzz. But, if at first you don't succeed...So I'm glad to say that 40 batches later, I finally have come up with something that taste halfway decent -- Well, at least it taste good to me. And recently, it has improved to the point where I think it taste pretty close to the "professionally" made stuff, but I think my absithe works a little better ;)It's quite possible that I have just gotten used to the taste. But it doesn't matter - I don't drink it for the taste. I drink it for the effects.It is difficult to describe exactly what absinthe does to you. The effects are mild when compared to some other drugs available out there, but are very nice none-the-less. The best way I can describe the effects of drinking 5 glasses of absinthe is that it is similar to drinking several shots of liquor, eating a single mushroom cap, and smoking a tiny amount of opium at the same time -- For the most part it just gets you drunk, but it also gives you a nice, warm, relaxing, slightly narcotic buzz.As most people already understand, different alcohols will give you a slightly different kind of buzz. Absithe is no execption. But I think the secondary effects of Absinthe are a little more obvious than with other Alcohols. You'll just need to try it for yourself to understand what I'm talking about.And now, without further adieux here is my own personal recipe for absinthe. I hope you enjoy!Absinthe (Bluehouse Recipe)1.5 oz Wormwood1/3 oz Hyssop1/3 oz Calamus Root1/8 oz Fennel Seed1 tsp Mint *1 tsp cloves *1 tsp coriander *1/2 tsp Nutmeg *First, Grind the Fennel Seeds, Coriander, and Cloves with a mortar and pestle.Mix with the rest of the dry ingredients (wormwood, hyssop, calamus, and mint) and pour them into an airtight container. Mix with a bottle of Everclear (750ml, 190 proof). Actually, if you want to end up with a full 750ml of Absithe, you'll need to use about 1000ml of everclear in order to compensate for the alcohol that is irrevocably lost to absorption by the mash. You should allow mix to steep for at least two weeks, but I usually allow for 1-2 months. This is most likely overkill, but I don’t drink absinthe on a regular basis so I’m not generally in a big hurry to finish my next batch.At the end of the two weeks, strain the liquid through a thin cloth (muslin or a handkerchief) to remove the solid matter. Now Add:1/2 Dropper full of Wormwood Essential Oil.* 1/3 - 2/3 Bottle of Anise Extract (To taste)1 tsp Mint Extract *2-10 shots Ouzo* (To taste)Now you're ready to meet the green fairy!If Everclear is unavailable, I've heard tat rum 151 will suffice - although I've never tried it myself. However, regular-strength alcohols (less than 100 proof) will not work! - Your absinthe will turn out brown. Ack!The ingredients marked with a "*" are not completely necessary, but will help make the drink more palatable. (It needs all the help it can get!) If you wish, you can mix this absinthe half-n-half with Ouzo and obtain a drink that tastes halfway descent, but you'll lose some of the potency of the drink. The best way to improve the taste is to add more anise extract, but even this has its limits.If you add more calamus, you will get a better buzz -- but this will come at a price. I used to use 1/2 oz of calamus in my earlier recipes -- but I would end up with a 12-hour hangover the next day. I eventually figured out that the calamus was to blame, and cut back on it a bit. But of course, feel free to experiment with it yourself!
Now for the hard part... Drinking it.I would not advise drinking this recipe 'neat'. In its pure form, it is extremely nasty, extremely potent, not to mention extremely explosive (It is 190 proof, after all!)I normally drink it the traditional way. Fill a glass with ice. Pour 1 shot of Absinthe into the glass. Set 2 sugar cubes on a slotted spoon (or fork) over the glass. And finally, SLOWLY pour cold water over the cubes to dissolve the sugar into the absinthe. Be sure to pour ONLY the water over the cubes. If the cubes soak up the Absinthe they will dissolve more slowly. I have found that it also helps to "pre-soak" the cubes on the spoon for about 10-15 seconds before you pour in the rest of the water.This site shows a similar method, but recommends igniting the absinthe-laden cubes to caramelize the sugar. I have tried this method, but have found that it does little to change the taste of the drink and ends up turning your absinthe brown.But, my personal favorite is the Absinthe Martini. Absinthe blends perfectly with dry vermouth, since they are both made from the same thing - wormwood! In fact, the English word 'vermouth' is derived from the German word for Wormwood - Wermut (pronounced vehr-moot).Now don't get the misconception that vermouth alone will give you the same 'buzz' as absinthe. Absinthe is made from the entire wormwood plant (and several other herbs), whereas vermouth is made solely from the wormwood flower and contains far less Thujone (the primary drug in absinthe).But never the less, vermouth still contains more Thujone than water - so it doesn't hurt to try it!
1 shot absinthe1/2 shot Vermouth1 or 2 shots water (to taste)2 sugar cubeice cubes
Fill a martini glass with ice. Pour the absinthe, Vermouth, and water over the sugar cubes and enjoy!.But the most important thing to remember is -- Don't let the first sip scare you away! That first gulp is always the worst. The moment this ultra-bitter stuff hits the tongue, it will send you into a cartoon-character-like convulsion. But I can assure you -- Your taste buds will eventually de-sensitize to the point that this nasty swill almost tastes good! Absinthe is definitely an acquired taste.Also remember that it doesn't matter how much you drink -- That licorice flavor will linger in your mouth for hours. Once you commit to that first drink, you might as well see it through. And I promise, by the time you finish that 3rd glass you won't care about the taste. Well... at least you wont care as much!!
Of course, there are other recipes. Here are a few of them that I've found on the net...
One ounce dried chopped wormwoodOne tablespoon angelica root One teaspoon hyssopOne half teaspoon coriander seedsOne quarter teaspoon caraway seedsOne pinch cardomon podsOne tablespoon fennel or anise seeds750 ml। 100 proof vodkaNotes on the Psychopharmacology of AbsintheI get email asking me about the effects of my absinthe. It contains the same active ingredients as distilled absinthe and has the same effects. Now, what are these effects? I describe them as a cross between pot, ecstasy, cocaine, strong coffee, and vodka. Thujone is discussed elsewhere in the Absinthe Ring, but I think there may be more to the effects of absinthe than thujone, namely the highly-complex synergistic effect of a psychoactive cocktail. Other ingredients in the recipe have their own reputations. Angelica root is crewed as a drug in Lapland. Anise and fennel seed both contain potentially psychoactive anethole. Caraway seeds are reputed aphrodisiacs and the basis of the German liqueur kummel. Coriander is mentioned as an aphrodisiac in the Arabic One Thousand and One Nights, and is said to conjure up the devil when used in combination with fennel in the same text. Other recipes call for hops, a sedative and hypnotic, and calamus root, which contain psychoactive asarones, used as an inebriant by Native Americans. And then there is the hyssop, a nervine. Add it all up; the sum may be greater than the whole.

Important Tips:
Absinthe may eat through some types of plastic. Store Absinthe in an air-tight glass container.
Absinthe is over 180 proof. Always dilute it with a non-alcoholic mixer
Absinthe is flammable. Use with care.
Homemade Absinthe can be extremely nasty. Always dilute it with a non-alcoholic mixer
Absinthe may be nasty, but you'll find that the more you drink the less you'll care!
The effects of Absinthe's "other" ingredients do not last as long as the effects of alcohol. So if you drink your absinthe too slowly, you're not going to feel anything but the Alcohol.
Try to get through your first glass within 10 minutes. The longer you let it sit, the warmer (and nastier) it gets. Plus, as I stated above - You'll get a better buzz if you drink it quickly.
Ignore your taste buds. They are your worst enemy.