Absinthe

Spelled ABSINTHE, not ABSINTH An alchoholic beverage consisting of the essential oils of Sweet Fennel, Anise, and Grand Wormwood. Usually appears green in color due to the herbs used to naturally color it. The extracts are mixed with a base of alchohol (usually between 55 - 83% ABV), which makes the spirit Absinthe, and is prepared with cold water and sugar to create an opaque light green drink. The drink is never drunk neat. When using the French method, a specially slotted spoon is set on top of a cup with about 1-1/2 oz of Absinthe and a sugar cube is placed on the spoon while ice water is slowly poured on the cube. The ice water and the Absinthe causes the drink to cloud up (called louching) due to the non water-soluable nature of the herbal oils. This is what brings out the real flavor of Absinthe and the drink usually sits at about the ABV of a good glass of wine when prepared. American Absinthe limits the amout of the "apparent" psychoactive drug in Grand Wormwood (Artemesia Absinthium) called toujone, but one can buy foreign Absinthe online and get the normal levels of toujone. The psychoactive drug was one of the causes of it being labled for causing hallucinations, but these claimes were falsified a little after the turn of the 20th century due to it's popularity, the failing wine industry and the growing prohibitionist movement in Europe. Romanticized as "Le Fee Verte", "The Green Fairy", and "The Green Goddess".