Amalfi Coast

The Absinthe is obtained (or should get) for direct distillation in alembic of herbs and seeds in question. The easiest method is by steeping herbs, seeds and roots in alcohol wine at 85 °, but the product is considered by purists matter of inferior quality. The maceration, if so, can last from 6 to 12 hours. Finally the macerate is distilled and, still at 85 °, is colored with a second maceration and finally led to the desired grade.

The ingredients are generally distillates:

• Artemisia absinthum
• Fennel seeds
• Seeds of anise
• Seeds or roots of angelic
• Chamomile
• Veronica
• Génépi
• Issopo
• Artemisia pontica
• Star anise
• Coriander

For colouring, generally using Melissa, mint, artemisia pontica and flowers issopo.

They usually provide recipes from 6 to 12 ingredients and every distillery has its secrets. The base dell’absinthe remains the same and is the distillate of macerate of Artemether absinthum and seeds of anise. This is the common basis to all recipes.

Products of inferior quality are prepared by adding the essential oils of those same plants alcohol. Obviously you can not expect to get a wormwood quality in this way.

The preparation of the drink [Review]
The classic method, preparation: 1 - The dose of distillate 2 - The spoon with the cube 3 - The addition of water poured over the cube 4 - The distillate diluted and opacizzato, louche, ready for consumption
The classic method, preparation:

1. The dose of distillate
2. The spoon with the cube
3. The addition of water poured over the cube
4. The distillate diluted and opacizzato, louche, ready for consumption

The wormwood, originally, was not drunk ever pure, but only after being diluted. Traditionally dilution was adding iced water with report that ranged from 3:1 to 5:1, and a cube of sugar to sweeten the drink. This preparation was eventually canonized up to provide for the use of special glasses and spoons hollow. Typical glasses of wormwood were generally small glasses, possibly with a line level to signal the right dose of liqueur. In particular, the type Pontarlier, named dell’omonima French, provides a platform for capsule for an immediate determination of the quantity of liquor to be diluted

Classic Method

The glass containing wormwood is placed a spoon drilled on which is laid a sugar cube. Above the cube is paid gently, possibly drop by drop, water ice, so as to cause the dissolution of the sugar and the dilution of liquor, in a report typically 3:1 to 5:1.

During this phase, the components of liquor that are not soluble in water, such as anise and fennel seeds, emerging from the solution and tend to opacizzarla, going to establish un’opalescenza milky, that louche, French, opaque or shaded. The dilution in water was not only important from the point of view dell’abbassamento of alcohol (typically around 70 °) of liquor, but also for the whole bouquet of aromatic beverage of revelation, since in pure liquor is a clear dell’anice prevalence.

The drink was then gently mixed with the same spoon drilled.

The addition of a sugar cube, and possibly more than one, as was born not need the type liquor but rather the typical taste of French, late nineteenth century, which saw a clear prevalence of sweet drinks.

Alternative methods and spurious

An alternative method for the dilution of liquor, which we have evidence of that was based on using two glasses and did not foresee the use of sugar lumps. In a cup enough was deposed a cup containing the smallest dose of liqueur. It is provided to add water ice, like the classic method, until the liquor content in the glass smallest tracimasse not completely. The method was cumbersome and not obviously never fully taken root.

In the second half century, when the wormwood began its phase of growing popularity, began to make an appearance in bars and bistros, fountains. These large containers for water, sugar and eventually the ice had two or more cannelle so that the avventori could dilute their glasses in a more straightforward.

With the recent revival known dall’assenzio from the anni’90′900, following the fashion to assimilate the wormwood drugs, made its appearance an alternative method, flambeau, which, based on the classic method, however, provides for wetting the sugar cube with dell’assenzio, give fire and then pour over the water. This method is firmly disapprovabile, especially because it comes from the ritual dell’eroinomane heating heroin on the spoon and ruin the delicate balance of aromas. To contribute to the success of the method, the film “Moulin Rouge!” by Baz Luhrmann of 2001, in which to start the protagonist, Ewan McGregor, to life bohèmienne, brindano with wormwood prepared in this way. The film has produced a real “canonization” of this style of preparation, so that the same is done incorrectly traced artistic style, and is sometimes referred to as a method bohèmienne.

In fact, the ritual of preparation dell’assenzio has a history precise and logical. At the beginning the wormwood was certainly drunk pure, like medicine, in small sips or “spoons” as a syrup. The habit of stretch it with water born dall’usanza of French soldiers in Algeria. These in fact were used to disinfect water unhealthy Africa with wormwood, thus discovering how pleasant and aromatic was the elixir of Pernod if lengthened with water. Once back at home this habit spread rapidly. In short we began to addolcirlo syrup with rubber or orgeat, and only in the last 30-35 years of the nineteenth century took the habit (which became very soon the ritual for excellence) to dissolve a piece of sugar, and a cube sugar Then, through the legendary spoon drilled.

The ritual flambée the contrary has a history far more recent and decidedly less charming. Between 1990 and 1995 in Prague began to spread first surrogates of wormwood (which of wormwood had only the name) and as the bartenders did not know other than that it wanted legends as “drugs of poets cursed” not did more than borrow the ritual dell’eroinomane heating heroin on the spoon and adapted all’assenzio. These assenzi had a taste a thousand times more like pure alcohol distilled that the traditional ritual for so this does not alterava qualities, but rather served to give it some flavor.

Del 2001 is the release of another film, The true story of Jack the squartatore, which has helped to consolidate another of the legends in modern theme, namely that the drink was often drunk with the addition of laudanum.

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