How To Make Absinthe At Home

The origins of absinthe are shrouded in a green haze of murder, mystery, and hallucinogenic fables. Because of this, it is often thought of as a drink only for the truly brave of heart. The simple fact is that despite is turbulent history, it is no more dangerous than any of the regular spirits widely available today. Now that a blanket ban on absinthe has been lifted some of the stigma surrounding our fair “Green Fairy” has also started to dissipate. With such a stigma being lifted there is no better time to try this illustrious green liquid.

Is it safe to drink absinthe? And what will happen to you as a result? Traditionally distilled using anise, fennel, and wormwood, it was the wormwood that was considered the culprit in leading the nation to a realm of hallucinations.

More specifically, it was the chemical compound thujone, a component of wormwood, which was bearing the brunt of the blame. Thujone acts as a GABA (Gamma-aminobutyric acid) inhibitor. GABA blocks receptors in your brain which can, and I stress can, cause convulsions.

However, even before it is distilled wormwood contains very little thujone. After the distilling process even less thujone is present. The risk to humans is almost non-existent. In fact long before the thujone would pose a risk to you, you would have died from alcohol poisoning. It just shows that like any other spirit, absinthe can be enjoyed for what it is, a unique and aromatic liquor.

How To Make Absinthe With A DIY Absinthe Kit

This DIY absinthe kit includes all the spices and herbs you will need to create and enjoy your own absinthe. All that's left for you to provide is a fine sieve or cheese cloth for filtering, a bottle of high-proof ethyl alcohol and some fancy-schmancy drinking glasses to get the party started.

Good to know: 1 kit makes 1 litre of absinthe. 

You will need:

Directions:

1. Place the contents of the wormwood sachet into a bottle of a grain-based, high-proof ethyl alcohol, such as 40% vodka.
2. Remove the wormwood after 12–24 hours. The timing here comes down to preference: The longer the herb is left to soak, the stronger the aroma and taste will be.
3. Put all the other ingredients into the alcohol and leave the brew for 5–7 days.
4. Filter the liquid to remove the herbs and spices.
5. Rebottle your brew and label your homemade absinthe.

ATTENTION: While the colour green is highly associated with absinthe, it is important to know that green is, in fact, not the primary colour of absinthe. The first distillation of absinthe produces a beverage that can range in colour, from almost clear to a light amber or even dark copper tone. The green colour only happens after a second, more complex maceration process including high-chlorophyll plants such as hyssop and melissa. Therefore, your homemade absinthe will not be green, but a shade of reddish-brown.

HOW TO ENJOY ABSINTHE

Using the specially designed spoon, place it with a sugar cube over the top of the glass you are using to drink the absinthe from. Drop 20-30ml of absinthe over the sugar cube into the glass. Light the sugar; the absinthe poured over the cube will help it to ignite and burn. Let the sugar burn until it is caramelized. Add 2-3cl of cold water.

Finally, sit back, relax and let the unique aromas and taste of absinthe take you on a journey. A journey of intrigue, mystery, suspected murders. A sordid past based on nothing other than speculation and fear for this endearing “Fee Verte”, or Green Fairy to you and I. 

Miguel Antonio Ordoñez

With an AB Mass Media and Communications degree, Miguel Ordoñez is a veteran writer of 13 years and counting and has been covering cannabis-related content since 2017. Continuous, meticulous research along with personal experience has helped him build a deep well of knowledge on the subject.

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