Absinthiniana
If you google Absinthiana, the first result may be Absinthiana.com, which is a store that sells absinthe spoons, glasses, fountains, and other accessories. Absinthiana (the word, not the web store) is the collection of tools and accoutrements related to drinking Absinthe. Hemingway was an avid absinthe drinker, as were many other famous artists, from Vincent Van Gogh to Oscar Wilde. It is mentioned in The Sun Also Rises, and he drinks a variety of anisettes in A Moveable Feast, which are very similar (and occasionally now unavailable).
Absinthe has a fascinating and misunderstood history, so this week we will focus on Absinthiana, followed by the history of Absinthe, and finishing with a review of Vieux Pontarlier absinthe.
At the peak of absinthe’s popularity, there was a well-defined ritual associated with it, and numerous ways of preparing the drink. The drink was so popular in France by the 1860′s that 5pm was referred to as l’heure verte (“the green hour”). Absinthes are bottled between 45-75% ABV, with some brands as high as 89.9% ABV. To make the drink more consumable, it is traditional to add a sugar cube and water. This preparation, often called a “green fairy,” is where the ritual becomes important.
At the most basic level, the preparation of absinthe involves placing a sugar cube on a slotted spoon above the absinthe (usually about 1 fl oz of absinthe). The drinker then adds water, ideally one drop at a time, until the drink changes from clear green or white (depending on the absinthe being a verte or blanche respectively) to a cloudy mixture. This cloudiness is from the same louching effect we discussed with Pernod.
The simplest Absinthiana is therefore just a slotted spoon, however spoons can range from a basic absinthe spoon available on Amazon for $5 to extremely complex and expensive antique spoons. This spoon can theoretically be used with any glass, however special ‘reserve glasses’ exist specifically for absinthe. These glasses, again available onAmazon for about $11, have a small reservoir for the absinthe (either a bulb as this glass, or an etched line). Typically, one should fill the glass to the line with absinthe, and then begin the preparation.
Photo by Eric Litton
Ice cold water should be dripped, drop by drop, from either a pitcher or carafe. This is a time consuming process. By carefully dripping the water, the sugar is dissolved, instead of lying at the bottom of the glass. For the purpose of care-free dripping, the final two common items of absinthiana exist: Absinthe fountains and brouilleurs. Both of these do the task of dripping water extremely slowly into the glass; the fountain over the sugar and the brouilleur combining the spoon and fountain into one convenient package.
A local bar had an absinthe fountain, so of course I ordered a proper green fairy if only to experience an absinthe fountain in use. I would buy one for myself, but I don’t have the room or need for a $67 absinthe accessory. Nonetheless, after watching a fountain in action, it’s very tempting. While I struggled with a slow enough pour at home with my glass and spoon, the bar tender was able to simply fill the fountain, put two drinks (a friend ordered one as well) underneath the fountain, turn the taps and walk away.
The final piece of absinthiana that we will talk about are brouilleurs. These combine the slow drip of water with the sugar through various methods. Generally, they have space for sugar, and a reservoir for water. Instead of needing to add water slowly, you can simply fill the reservoir, add sugar either to the reservoir or a platform below it and the brouilleur slowly fills the absinthe glass either through a small steady stream or constant drips. There are innumerable brouilleurs of all shapes and sizes, and as I’ve never used one or even seen one in person I’m not going to cover them any more in depth.
