%
74
ALC/VOL
Absinthe is a myth stemming from the mysterious aura inherited from the intellectual and cultural profusion that surrounds it, from its ban in France from 1915 and from its ancestral medicinal virtues.
Living Legend
The word "absinthe" can also refer to the alcoholic drink or less commonly, to the plant of wormwood (being called Artemesia Absinthium, roman wormwood Artemesia Pontica).
Nicknamed the Green Fairy, absinthe has several meanings.
The Latin term Artemesia comes from Artemis, ancient Greek Goddess of Forests and Hunting but also Goddess of the Moon.
In Greek, absinthe has several meanings: Artemes meaning "safe and sound"; Absinthium "which is deprived of sweetness"; or Apsinthion "which cannot be drunk". In Old English, absinthe was called Wermöd, meaning "old woman". In German, Wermut means "Bitterness".
In Hebrew, it says La 'Anah translating by "the cursed".
The precise origin of absinthe is unclear.
The medical use of wormwood dates from Ancient Egypt mentioned in the Papers of Ebers in 1550 BC. These extracts of oil and essence were also commonly used as a remedy by the Ancient Greeks. Pythagoras and Hippocrates (460-377 BC) speak of wormwood and its action on health, its aphrodisiac effect and its stimulation of creation.
The first significant evidence of absinthe in the modern sense appeared at the end of the 18th century.
The first name given to this liqueur was Absinthe Elixir, a pharmaceutical preparation used against gastric embarrassments and invented by the doctor Pierre Ordinaire born in 1741 in Quingey in Doubs (France). During the revolution, he fled France and settled in Couvet, Switzerland, continuing to practice his profession as a doctor while traveling the region and selling his elixir.
He confides his secret to his servant who sells it to the daughters of Lieutenant Henriod.
Henriette Henriod makes absinthe liqueur from plants grown in her garden, first by infusion, then by distillation.
Daniel-Henri Dubied, a trader, bought the recipe from Henriette Henriod in 1798. Associated with his son-in-law Henri-Louis Pernod, a vintage boiler, they created the first industrial absinthe distillery in Pontarlier, thus giving life to a pleasurable drink in 1805.
For almost 20 years, absinthe was mainly a regional drink, until the French battalions who left to conquer the north of Africa in 1830 made it their favorite drink. Known for its effectiveness against malaria and other dysenteries, absinthe also helped soldiers fight homesickness.
On their return, the soldiers brought back Pride and Glory but also their absinthe in the circles of the Bourgeoisie, a drink that quickly also became theirs.
Having left the East of France for the north of Africa, absinthe had now become Parisian, following a strict ritual, thus becoming the latest trend in fashion.
Beyond a simple seductive ritual, consuming absinthe had become a philosophy of life, a source towards new pleasures, new inspirations for artists, offering absinthe an unconditional immortality (Musset, Rimbaud, Verlaine, Toulouse-Lautrec, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Hemingway,…).
With the triumphant return of french soldiers from Africa, linked to the phylloxera epidemic (epidemic that destroyed most of the vines in Europe, 90% of the vines in France in 1860), the culture of absinthe spread in the French countryside, getting more and more popular until becoming by 1870 "the national drink" in France in terms of production and consumption.
Each French person consumes an average of two liters per year. Distilleries are increasing in Pontarlier, Fougerolles, Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille ... Thousands of people work there, regions are covered with absinthe culture ...
In 1874, France consumed 700,000 liters of absinthe, but in 1910, this figure reached 36,000,000 liters of absinthe! Absinthe was part of the quintessence of the Belle Époque society in France.
The production of absinthe was done on the basis of a distillation of wine spirits. In other words, the distilleries were dependent on wine production. However, with the phylloxera epidemic, the distilleries cannot meet all the demands. Many unscrupulous distilleries were making absinthes from methylated spirits and trafficked absinthes essences which could really be harmful to health and which however were widely consumed because they were inexpensive.
By wanting to supplement this growing demand in all corners of France, absinthe houses contributed significantly to the development of rail networks in France.
With the expansion of the French colonial empire, absinthe was able to travel to the four corners of the world (Europe, Americas, Asia) until 1915.
But absinthe will die of its success and will be accused of driving mad, leading to a fatal ban ...
Virulent campaigns were waged to demonize absinthe, its popularity, and virtues.
From the Lanfray trial in 1905 in which the winemaker was accused of the murder of his family under the influence of 2 glasses of absinthe, becoming the "beggar morphine", to the alarming conclusions of Dr. Mahaim.
In 1915, absinthe was effectively declared illegal in France where the willing to fight against hard liquors was strong. Using scientific means, deemed today unreliable, thujone, a constituent molecule of the wormwood plant, is accused of all sickness, driving people crazy and criminal.
In 1988, a European decree regulates thujone in food products, proving that it is not that dangerous. It is found in the genépi, in the chartreuse, the sage, the lavender... This thujone is limited to 35mg / L for Europe.
Therefore, we try to show the authorities that we have banned wormwood because of thujone ... And that if we can regulate it in other products, we can also do it with wormwood. In vain. The Minister of Health does not want to relaunch the elixir, in the middle of the country's dealcoholization.
The problem of thujone toxicity has always been on the agenda. Central European countries began to revive absinthe in the late 1990s. But absinthe, they only have the name, no trace of thujone.
In 2001, we succeeded in authorizing the development and marketing of absinthe again, while respecting this limit of 35 mg / L of thujone. In 2001, absinthe received a production and marketing authorization under the name "spirits with absinthe plant extracts". In 2005, medicine returned to the false analyzes of the time, explaining that there had been lobbying and that absinthe and thujone were not that dangerous as that.
It was only in 2011 that the mention "absinthe" could be seen on the labels and that the appellation absinthe would be recognized in France, under the impetus of the American legislation of 2008, thujone being directly linked to bitterness and the typical taste of the wormwood.
Finally, the absinthe made legal nowadays, compared to those enjoyed by Rimbault and Verlaine, are identical. Some have claimed that absinthe drives you crazy...
Absinthe Elixir
Definition & Properties
Definition of Absinthe
Absinthe is an alcoholic liquor from wine spirits and produced from distilled herbs.
First, the wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) and green anise are distilled; then aromatic herbs such as Roman wormwood, fennel, and hyssop; finally, lemon balm, coriander, peppermint, and star anise complete the recipe.
After distillation, absinthe is by definition transparent in color. From then on, absinters, or manufacturers of absinthe, used chlorophyll or burnt brown sugar to color their elixir and make it more attractive, less medical. "The green fairy" had just been born, at the dawn of the 19th century.
Absinthe has a variable alcohol content (40% to 75% vol.) directly linked to its quality. A higher alcohol content will give a more aromatic final product, classified as follows:
- Superior absinthes (65 to 75%)
- Semi-fine absinthes (60 to 65%)
- Fine absinthes (50 to 65%)
- Ordinary absinthes (40 to 50%)
Wormwood essential oil contains more than forty components, including thujone, the main element implicated in the toxicity of absinthe.
The quantities of thujone contained in absinthe are so small that any real risk is perceptible. Other drinks also contain thujone like vermouths, Génépi liqueurs and Chartreuses.
Absinthe Virtues and Properties
When we talk about the "properties" of absinthe, we must understand the effects other than those due to alcohol. If you hear a lot about thujone, you should know that beyond thujone, it is mainly the interactions of different substances (fenchone of fennel, hyssop pino-camphone, and anethole of anise in particular) responsible for the effects of absinthe.
These effects are subtle and vary from person to person. Absinthe brings a special feeling, which can be described as clarity of mind and general well-being.
The distilled herbs that make up absinthe have been used in traditional medicine since ancient times, the properties and benefits of which are recognized by everyone.
Wormwood (Artemesia Absinthium) is a tonic and stimulating plant, used in medicine to fight against the lack of appetite ("the taste to eat and to live" according to Hippocrates), stomach and intestinal aches, fever, menstrual pain, breath fetid; a very effective anti-nausea but also a tonic stimulating the nervous and vascular systems, increasing sexual desire.
Green Anis (Pimpinella Anisum) is an aromatic, very fragrant plant (leaves, stems, fruits, flowers, roots) whose seeds have digestive properties, promote sleep and stimulate the appetite. The essential oil has antiseptic properties, used to treat asthma. Green anise is responsible for the louching of absinthe by its presence of anethole.
Roman Wormwood (Artemesia Pontica) is a perennial, rustic but not very toxic plant, which has a bitter flavor. Used for its aromas, the little absinthe or Roman absinthe is known for its digestive properties and is used to fight against intestinal colic.
Fennel (Foeniculum Vulgare) is a very aromatic aniseed plant, rich in fenchone and used in cooking with many dishes. It relieves stomach pain, loss of appetite, constipation, flatulence and anemia. As a herbal tea, fennel facilitates digestion and treats various ailments: head, dental, eye or ear. He also treats coughs and asthma.
Hyssop (Hyssopus Officinalis) is a toxic plant that brings color to the spirit of absinthe by its strong presence of epileptic essences. The hyssop has digestive, carminative and stimulating properties, but remains mainly used in infusion, to treat pulmonary problems, in particular, to soothe the cough. It fights colds and flu.
Lemon balm (Melissa Officinalis) is a perennial, but not very toxic aromatic plant. It promotes sleep and relaxation. It is effective in treating digestion problems, menstrual cramps, vomiting, dental pain, colic, dizziness and joint pain.
Coriander (Coriandrum Sativum) is an aromatic plant, widely used in cooking. It has the reputation of being a very good stimulant of appetite and digestive functions. It also has antiseptic, antispasmodic and exciting properties.
Peppermint (Mentha x Piperita) is a natural hybrid of aquatic mint and spearmint with a strong, pungent scent and taste. It is one of the most powerful mints in terms of fragrance, and has many medicinal properties. Reputed to be tonic, it facilitates digestion, treats bronchial problems, calms nerves, migraines, cramps and insomnia.
Star Anis (Illicium Verum) is a very aromatic, very fragrant plant. Its strong presence of anethole is also responsible for the louching of absinthe. It is a plant widely used in medicine since it treats gastrointestinal disorders, disorders of the gall bladder, disorders of the urinary system, the cardiovascular system and hormonal problems. More generally, it reduces fatigue, asthenia, anxiety, depression and stimulates libido.
Tansy (Tanacetum Vulgare) is a perennial plant, used in very small quantities in the production of absinthe. Its flavor is both bitter and slightly lemony, its powerful aroma. It is stimulating, tonic, digestive and calms dental pain, but pregnant women must refrain from any use of tansy.
Angelica (Angelica Archangela) is an aromatic plant with a slightly musky scent. All parts of the plant have medicinal properties. Its oil relieves rheumatic pain and arthritis, the infusion of its leaves facilitate digestion, are tonic and treat colds.