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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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.

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