Absynthe Absinthe – Top Shelf Still Spirits

The famous old fashioned European classic is a herbal liqueur flavoured with wormwood. Makes 2.25 lites. A truly authentic Absinthe

Top Shelf Absinthe

Absinthe has its origins in one form or another from as early as the- first century A.D. Wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) is the chief flavouring ingredient, native to Europe and Asia, Other aromatic ingredients include aniseed, licorice, hyssop, fennel, angelica root, star aniseed. Wormwood is a long-lived plant, with greyish green leaves. The flowers have a greenish-yellow tint, and like the leaves give off a strong aromatic odor and are bitter to the taste. Thujone is the active ingredient that is rumoured to invoke the “Green Fairy” a reference to hallucinating in days gone by. In reality it was more likely the toxic chemicals like Copper Sulphate that were a part of early Absinthe recipes. Early absinthe was basically dried leaves of wormwood steeped in wine, beer or thrice distilled still spirits.

Todays Absinthe is a flavoured distilled liquor with a strong aniseed taste and is flavoured with wormwood, coriander, hyssop, licorice and other botanicals. It inspired many prominent artists, writers and poets. Just to name a few- Vincent Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Manet, Ernest Hemingway – in fact his masterpiece “For Whom The Bell Tolls” was rumoured to be written under the influence of “The Green Fairy”. Absinthe was first produced commercially in 1797 by Henry-Louis Pernod, who purchased the formula from a French exile living in Switzerland. Van Gogh was definitely in the ‘overdid it’ category of absinthe drinkers, Van Gogh famously severed his ear under the influence of the green fairy. Absinthe is traditionally served in a glass by pouring a generous measure through a purpose designed spoon resting on the rim of a good size glass. The spoon holds two cubes of sugar

which are dissolved by the absinthe. The drink is then topped up with water to taste. Today it is more likely that you will find a barman pouring a shot into a glass and then soaking a spoon of sugar in this and then lighting the spoon. The burning spoon is then held over the glass while the sugars caramelize. Occasionally some of the burning sugar drops in to the glass and lights up the whole glass. This can be stopped by dropping a coaster over the glass to starve it of oxygen. Once the spoon has stopped burning the sugar is mixed into the shot and topped up with 3 to 4 parts water.

Mixing Instructions:

Makes 2.25 litres. Add essence to 2.25 litres of 50% alc/V spirit. Commercial Absinthe can be as high as 65 or even 80% alc/V. To emulate these simply use higher strength alcohol. It is recommended to distill, filter dilute, clean your reflux and then redistill using fresh water to make this at a high %, as the carbon filtering is an essential part of the quality control. We do not want you getting sick, although making it at this % will not do any favours for your liver or your brain!

Absinthe and Peach Schnapps.

1 shot Top Shelf Absinthe

1 shot Top Shelf Peach Schnapps

2 shots Pink Grapefruit Juice

Dash of lime

Add contents to glass with ice and stir.

Absinthe & Butterscotch Schnapps

2 shots Top Shelf Absinthe

1 shot Top Shelf Butterscotch Schnapps

1 shot Espresso

2 teaspoons sugar

Shake and serve in chilled glass