A Mysterious Spirit
Absinthe’s storied past is more mythical than you think
The myths surrounding wildly hallucinogenic properties of absinthe have been around for centuries. Rumors spread through the literary community by writers like Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemmingway who swore the spirit altered their minds once consumed.
Wormwood is a main ingredient in absinthe and contains the compound thujone, a known hallucinogenic, but the amount required to experience any type of hallucination far exceeds that used in the production of absinthe.
“The amount of absinthe you would have to drink to see any hint of that would be around three or four bottles,” Chad Kessler, chief distiller and owner of 451 Spirits says. “It’s rather unlikely and if you are still standing at that point I think you’ve earned it.”
Phylloxera Blight
Absinthe’s popularity spiked in the 1860’s when the wine industry was decimated by a blight of phylloxera that wiped out all the vineyards.
“People who were wine drinkers had to find something new to drink,” Kessler says. “Since absinthe was somewhat popular already, everyone switched over.”
As a way to maintain its audience, the wine industry attempted to conduct a smear campaign touting absinthe as an addictive and violent hallucinogenic drink. Wild tales of violence and murder were propagated to paint absinthe as a dangerous liquid.
Phylloxera is a wingless parasite that lives on the roots of vines. During the Great French Wine Blight, phylloxera decimated most of the vineyards in France.
The wine industry even hired a team of scientists and doctors in an attempt to demonize absinthe and would often give test subjects larger amounts than anyone would ever consume.
“They ran tests with animals like dogs,” Kessler says. “The dogs would end up barking at walls for days and the wine industry turned around and said, ‘Hey look, we told you this stuff was dangerous.”
Not for the Average Drinker
Traditionally, absinthe should be diluted with cold water and then mixed with a sugar cube to sweeten the pungent black licorice flavor.
“You don’t want to drink this straight, it is a very high proof spirit,” Kessler says. “People always tell me they hate it and have only taken shots of absinthe, you need three to five ounces of cold water and this drink is meant to be sipped on.”
Any good batch of absinthe starts with a base spirit. Kessler mentions grape or apple brandy, but hints at apple being the go-to for Ohio due to quality of apples over grapes.
And a pro tip, absinthe is and has always been meant as a late-afternoon cocktail drink.
“More people are definitely aware of it and drinking more absinthe,” Kessler says. “There is a whole range of flavors possible and it can be worked into plenty of cocktails to make some pretty cool drinks.”
Absinthe Suissesse
- 1-1/2 oz Absinthe
- 1/2 oz white crème de menthe
- 1/4 oz orgeat
- 1 egg white
- 1 oz half and half or heavy cream
- Shake vigorously without ice first (this will affect texture and is pretty important) then add ice and shake again until chilled
- Strain into wine glass/goblet/snifter, garnish with grated nutmeg.
Rocco Falleti is an assistant editor. Feedback welcomed at rfalleti@cityscenecolumbus.com
