WARNING:
*Wormwood is legal in most countries, as it is used for homeopathic medicine when made into a tea for several healing purposes. Wormwood is illegal to sell and possess in Australia, and possibly other countries. Making Alcohol with Wormwood is however illegal in some countries/states, therefore you are at your own responsibilty to look into your own legal status if you wish to make Absinthe.*
for more information about Absinthe, please visit www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml
Wormwood grows wild all over Europe and the US. The bitter component of wormwood is an alkaloid, absinthin, which is separate from the essential oil, thujone. Absinthin is removed by soaking the plant in water or alcohol, but essential oils like thujone require distillation, fermentation, or fat to remove them from the plant. Thujone is structurally similar to the THC molecule but does not bind to the same receptor in the brain as THC does.
Thujone is psychoactive and has a long history of use with artists, but like many essential oils, though less toxic than alcohol, it can be toxic in large quantities.
- I would advise taking no more than 2-3 shots and waiting at least 30 - 45 minutes before deciding to take more. Wormwood mixed with Alcohol can be toxic at extremely high dosages, as is the case with alcohol. - Usually after 3 shots you should begin to feel the warm buzz of the Thujon/wormwood and notice some of the common effects:
brightness of colors, mild euphoria, boost in sexual libido, boost of energy which can cause one to talk more than usual, inspiration for creative outlets (art, music, poetry, writing, etc), as well as the gradual effects of the alcohol. 1-2 shots is usually enough for most people to feel the effects of the wormwood before really feeling the effects of the alcohol, which is indeed the a pleasurable experience to have and enjoy as it is, before drinking towards a drunken state.
- Side effects: Insomnia: Unlike alcohol, Absinth will keep you quite awake while you are drinking it. After it begins to wear off, it is quite easy to fall asleep.
- Hangover: like drinking any hard liquor or alcohol, one should be sure to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration which can result in a unforgiving headache the next day. An absinth hangover is quite different than a normal hangover. I have drank absinth in large quanities and experienced the following the next day: General Light Headed feeling, Vision being slightly blurred or foggy, ... and it also seems to give you a strange sort of high feeling, which isnt too bad, just not something I would reccomend to go through if you have a lot of things planned for the next day. A normal alcohol hangover is to be expected as well, considering how much alcohol is consumed, this can be greatly eased by using a quality brand of Vodka as opposed to the cheapest rot-gut bottle you can find. Considering the drink takes at east a week to make, it is much worth the while to invest a little extra in a good brand of Vodka.
Basic Elixer:
*not the best tasting drink, but 3-5 shots will definately summon the Emerald Fairy*
Main/Active Ingredients:
Wormwood, Vodka (other strong alcohol can be used such as Gin, Pastis/Ricard/Pernod however Vodka is the most neutral base to work with, the base alcohol should be at least 80 proof/40% alcohol. Making Absinth with Everclear or any other exceedingly toxic alcohol is not reccomended.)
Combine 2 teaspoons of Wormwood per each cup of Vodka in a large bottle with a tight fitting lid/cap. The wormwood will produce an extremely bitter taste which may prove to be to difficult to drink for most people. To remedy this, a large amount of Mint Leaves, Anis and Fennel may be added to counter the bitter after taste of the Wormwood. In most cases, a bottle of liquid sweetener will be very useful as well, this can be added in to taste after the Absinth is made, added to a shot glass, or blended in with the entire bottle, though it is difficult to give a reccomended amount of how much sould be used, as it is simply a matter of opinion of taste.
Shake the bottle up a bit to make sure all the wormwood is thouroughly submerged in the Vodka. Many of the stem peices will float to the top, this is normal.
- Keep the bottle stored in a room temperature place, avoiding any direct sunlight. The wormwood should soak at least 5-7 days, leaving it in longer seems to make te Thujon content from the wormwood much more potent.
- After the bottle has aged at least 5-7 days, with a strainer filter out the wormwood and other herbs. The color of the Vodka should now be a dark color, similiar to whiskey,
but in most cases it will not be the flourescent green color which is common with most commercially produced absinth.
- Now it is ready to drink.
Samhain Absinthe
2 teaspoons wormwood
2 teaspoons dried apple/apple mint leaves
2 teaspoons dried pumpkin blossoms
Infuse herbs in 2 pints port wine for 1 week, before filtering and bottling.
(It is traditional to garnish with fresh pumpkin blossom, raisins, or cloves when served.)
Here are some recipes for "absinthe" which were originally posted to rec.food.drink.
** Absinthe #1 **
** Absinthe #2 **
Steep wormwood in vodka for 48 hours. Strain out and add peppermint leaves and lemon peel. Steep for 8 days, strain and sweeten. Smells good but is more bitter than #1.
** Absinthe Wine **
All herbs are dried.
Steep herbs one week, filter and bottle. Notes describe this as
"bitter, aromatic and potent".
Absinthe Mixed Drinks:
Traditional Method
1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar)
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
2 ounces cognac
splash of Absinthe
Strip of lemon peel
Absinthe Suissesse
2 oz absinthe
One splash anisette
1/2 oz white creme de menthe
One raw egg white
Named in honor of a Swiss Girl, make this one by pouring everything into your cocktail mixer with ice and shaking vigorously, then strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
If you can't find white creme de menthe, use clear creme de menthe and add a splash of heavy cream (it's supposed to be white-ish). If it is still too strong, add a splash of club soda.
My personal variation: pour over white ice cubes in a glass goblet. Dust with nutmeg, and garnish with a sprig of fresh wormwood, two green straws, and a Swiss flag. Make the white ice cubes by pouring a little milk into the ice cube tray with water and freezing well ahead of time.
Absinthe Margarita
2 oz absinthe
Sour mix
1/2 oz Gran Marnier or triple sec
Lime juice
wedge lime
Splash tequila
Just substitute absinthe for tequila. Salt the rim, fill glass with ice. Pour in the absinthe and sour mix. Splash in some tequila just to kill the odor and taste of the absinthe. Float the triple sec. Garnish with lime. Salud!
Cajun Mary
2 oz absinthe
Bloody Mary mix (spicy tomato juice)
Splash tabasco sauce
Splash worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper
1 jumbo shrimp
My favorite bloody mary variation made with absinthe: Fill cocktail glass with ice. Pour in absinthe and bloody mary mix. Add the worchestershire and tabasco. Salt and pepper it. Garnish with the shrimp.
For a great impression, use brown ice cubes made with worchestershire dribbled into the water in an ice tray and frozen ahead of time.
Bloody Brain
1 oz absinthe
1/2 oz amaretto
Bailey's or other Irish cream liqueur
grenadine
Substituting absinthe for 151 rum: In a shot glass, start with the amaretto. Then using the back of a spoon, dribble the absinthe down the inside of the glass, layering it on top of the amaretto.
Using the spoon again, slowly pour in the Bailey's, letting it curl into a cloud on top of the amaretto. Sprinkle a couple drops of grenadine {blood) on top.
It should look vaguely like a brain floating in formaldehyde. (Also known as a Brain Hemorrage). Best tossed back in one gulp. An awesome way to serve absinthe shots.
TNT
2/3 Absinthe
1/3 Hennessy VSOP
Splash Cointreau
Angostura bitters
Stir over ice strain and Serve Garnish with an orange wedge
Absinthe pousse-cafe flambe
6-layers:
1. grenadine
2. butterscotch schnapps
3. blue curacao
4. creme de banana
5. creme de menthe
6. absinthe
Flame on!
Desire
1/4 Absinthe
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 lemon juice
Shake well and pour into cocktail glass.
Sazerac
1/splash Absinthe
2/splashes Bourbon
1/splash sugar syrup
3/splashes Peychaud bitters
3/splashes Angosturas bitters
Shake over ice and serve.
Absinth Eye
1/3 peppermint
2/3 Absinthe
Shake well and pour into cocktail glass.
Atomic Bomb
1/2 Absinthe
1/2 brandy
Stir and pour into cocktail glass.
Absolution
1/splash Absinthe
2/splashes Krupnik (honey liquor)
3/splashes ginger cordial
Fresh lime juice, orange juice, apple juice.
Shake over ice - charge with ginger.
Absint curacao frappe
1 oz. Absinthe
1/2 oz. curacao
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 thin sliceorange
Stir ingredients and pour over crushed ice in a deep-saucer champagne glass.
Add orange slice.
Knock Out
1 teaspoonful white Creme de Menthe
1/3 Absinthe
1/3 dry gin
1/3 French vermouth
Shake well and pour into cocktail glass.
Absinthe Fizz
1.5 oz. Absinthe
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1 Tsp. Sugar
1 Egg White
Seltzer
Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass and fill with seltzer.
Becher Sprint
1 part Absinthe
1 part tonic
1cl of Grenadine
2 part sparkling wine/wine
Garnish and Ice
Becherovka Mimosa
1 part Absinthe
2 parts Champagne
2 parts freshly squeezed orange juice
Red Becherovka
1 part Absinthe
3 parts Grapefruit juice
Splash of Cranberry juice
Becher Club - Cocktail
1 part Absinthe
1 part grapefruit juice
1 part orange juice
1.5 parts Vermouth Bianco
Becherovka Paris
1 part Becherovka
2 part brandy (or Cognac)
Cherry (on stick)
Wharf Rat
1 part of white rum
1 part of Grenadine
1 part of Absinthe
1 part of Apricot brandy
3 parts of orange juice
Mix with crushed ice and top it up with Absinthe.
Traffic Light
2 parts of cranberry juice
1 part of orange juice
1 part of Absinthe
Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice.
Green Tear
1 part of Absinthe
2 parts of cranberry juice
1 part of Indian tonic water
1 slice of lemon
Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.
Absinthe Bollyside
1 part of Absinthe
1/2 part of Jack Daniels
1/2 of Gin
1/4 of Archers Peach Schnapps
1 part of Red Bull
Drop of cranberry Juice
Other Absinthe Variations On Popular Drinks:
Black Orchid: substitute absinthe for the vodka (Make some blue ice cubes by dribbling blue curacao into an ice tray with water. Way cool looking, and delicious, too.)
Black Devil: substitute absinthe for the rum. Vermouth is white wine flavored with wormwood, y'know.
Dirty Martini: substitute absinthe for the gin. Basically, same as above with a splash of brine from the olive jar. Makes you say, Ugh.
Screaming Banshee: substitute absinthe for the vodka (basically a shot of absinthe added to a Banshee).
Frappe (Hawaiian ice): absinthe over shaved ice with the flavoring of your choice (lime juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, etc.)
Disclaimer -
Traditional Uses -
Ritual -
Absinthe Recipes -
Links