FAQS

Here are a few questions answered for you about absinthe but for more thorough captivating information please go to our links page to visit the best sites available.

What is absinthe?
Absinthe is a herbal based apéritif of high alcoholic content usually between 53% and 72%. However there are some absinthes that are both lower and higher in alc./vol. than this. The word absinthe comes from the French word for wormwood, pronounced ab'-sant, the botanical name for wormwood being Artemisia absinthium. Absinthe was formally a healing elixir which came to be greatly appreciated in France and Switzerland in the late 18th and 19th centuries that people took to drinking it for pleasure. This elixir, a distillate of wormwood and other herbs in alcohol, was called “extrait d'absinthe”  (wormwood extract), or, less formally, absinthe. An ever-growing demand for this medicine turned apéritif as the 19th century rolled into the 20th engendered an enormous absinthe industry in France and Switzerland. Absinthe became an emblem of Belle Époque France, and was intimately associated with the explosion of literary and artistic activity that characterized the era.

How is absinthe made?
All the herbal ingredients, including the three major ones, wormwood, green anise and fennel, are macerated in a solution of alcohol and water. The mixture is then distilled in an alembic to produce a colourless and fragrant distillate of very high alcohol content. This distillate is then cut with water or rectified to the required strength.

What colour is absinthe?
Absinthe is usually a natural green produced by adding a maceration of green herbs to the clear distillate. The colour may range from a pale yellow to a dark green. Swiss La Bleues and Blanche absinthes however are clear in colour.

How do I prepare absinthe?
Because absinthe is basically an extract, it is intended to be mixed with water before drinking, the purer the water the better. This is the typical French/Swiss manner of preparing absinthe. A measure of absinthe is poured into an absinthe glass and a delicate absinthe spoon is perched on the glass. A sugar cube is placed upon the absinthe spoon and ice cold water is slowly poured from a carafe or dripped from a water fountain over the sugar cube until all has dissolved into the absinthe below. As the sugar and water solution drips into the absinthe the essential oils from the herbs are released causing the absinthe to become a milky opalescent white or green. This process is known as the louche, pronounced loosh. The ratio of absinthe to water is usually 1:3 adding more water to taste if desired. You can also drink absinthe without sugar and prepare it in the same fashion.

What does absinthe taste like?
Absinthe is mainly an anise based drink. Although there are usually many other fragrant herbs incorporated into the production of absinthe, it is the anise which is prevalent to the taste.

What is thujone?
Thujone is a fragrant, oily chemical, a ketone. It is found in various plants, notably wormwood, as well as from the bark of the thuja tree, from which it derives its name. Absinthe is not thujone and thujone content has nothing to do with the quality of an absinthe. For the very best and up to date information on this subject visit the Thujone Information site.

Is absinthe legal in Australia?
Yes. Absinthe is legal in Australia. It is the wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) which is restricted. This means that all absinthe which is imported into Australia must pass certain regulations set out by the governing authorities. All absinthes available at Absinthesalon have passed these regulations.

Thanks to David Nathan-Maister from La Fée Verte Absinthe House and

Thujone Info and Markus Hartsmar from Absinthe.se for some of the information in these FAQS.

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