Agosto 14th, 2008
Absinthe
The Absinthe is a distillate high alcohol content all’aroma anise derived from herbs such as flowers and leaves more dell’assenzio (Artemisia absinthium), which takes its name. Sometimes it is erroneously described as a liquor, but it is not; being the wormwood produced by a transformation hot through alembic and bottled without the use of sugar, so it is classified as a distillate. [1]
Being generally green (naturally or through the use of artificial colouring), wormwood has said even with justly called Fée Verte (Green Fairy). It is generally drunk adding iced water and / or sugar. This type of preparation makes the distillate more turbid for consistency and lighter for alcohol, which allows degustarne better flavor. That is why this was the most common way to enjoy nell’800, a century of spreading dell’assenzio.
The Absinthe is known, especially because of the association with writers and artists in Paris of Romanticism, for the popularity that he had in France at the end of that century and early next, until its ban in 1915. The brand of wormwood best known in the world was Pernod Fils.
The wormwood appears colorless or all the nuances of chlorophyll, from yellow to green emerald tenuous, and has a complex flavor due to a perfect balance of aromas of different herbs. In addition to the leaves of wormwood, it contains seeds of anise (star anise, frequent hand in its surrogates, was rarely used and only in small quantities), fennel seeds, issopo, Melissa, artemisia pontica and several other ingredients that changed from distillery to distillery such as angelica, mint, génépi, chamomile, coriander.
It would seem a thesis without foundation, built with the intention of giving all’assenzio nineteenth property of their drugs, that that the wormwood were in some cases adulterated with opium: there is no historical document that confirms the historic and no recipe that talk.
The wormwood is produced for maceration and direct distillation of ingredients. Subsequently, if appropriate, it colors with a further steeping herbs such as artemisia pontica, issopo and Melissa.
Variety less valuable this beverage are made through essences or oils mixed cold in alcohol.
The alcohol content is extremely high to allow the chlorophyll to remain stable as long as possible (between 45% and 75%). Historically, there were 4 varieties of wormwood: ordinary, semi-excellent, excellent, and higher or Swiss, the last of which had an alcohol content greater than the other. The best wormwood contains from 65% to 75% alcohol. It is known that in the nineteenth century, wormwood, as many foods and beverages of the time, was occasionally forged by businessmen with copper, zinc, indigo, or other colouring to give the green color, this was not obviously never done the best distilleries.
The diceria wormwood that was often drunk with drops of laudanum born for more from esaltazioni media rare cases historically documented. The laudanum really was not widespread and only between those who if they could really afford, and these were used to use it happen everywhere (most often in the wine): It is possible that they also put the nell’assenzio since the wormwood was very drunk Almost all; quest’usanza is therefore to be given only a few rich oppiomani.
The considerable popularity that the wormwood had during the nineteenth century (thanks to relatively low prices and accessible to all classes) led producers of wine, whisky and cognac to start a real war against wormwood, war that was readily accepted by governments in order to put an end to widespread alcoholism, scourge of the nineteenth century French.
Sphere: Related Content