Absinthes

Absinthe is a spirit obtained by the maceration and then distillation of a mixture of herbs and plants. Absinthe is characterised by a very high alcohol content, that can be anywhere from 60 to 75%. The production of absinthe involves numerous plants, three of which constitute the ‘holy trinity’ of anise, fennel and ‘grande absinthe’ (wormwood), a plant known since the Middle Ages for its medicinal qualities, and which also inspired ‘vermouth’ (the German for wormwood is ‘wermut’). Among the various types, there are distilled versions and versions that are simply flavoured. A distinction is made between ‘green absinthes’, which are coloured by infusion after distillation, ‘white absinthes’ (or blue in Switzerland), and uncoloured absinthe, with no additional infusion. Both are consumed in the same way with chilled water, added slowly to ensure that a cloudy emulsion is obtained. They can be consumed with or without sugar.