There is much renewed interest in Absinthe, which is also known as the Greeny Fairy or La Fee Verte. People want to know how to buy it, what type to buy, how to prepare it and what is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use when preparing a drink.

First be certain to buy a quality Absinthe which is rich in oils and that contains worm wood. There are many Absinthe substitutes and fake Absinthes on sale which contain southernwood or roman wormwood instead of common wormwood (artemisia absinthium). Be sure you buy a proper real Absinthe. If you live somewhere where a good quality Absinthe is hard to fine, you can make your own using essences from AbsintheKit.com.

Once you have got your Absinthe, you will need to learn The Ritual, or La Louche. This is the traditional French or Swiss way of preparing Absinthe and it uses one shot of Absinthe. Instructions:-

To perform the Ritual, you will need an Absinthe glass, a slotted Absinthe spoon, a lump of sugar and iced water.

- Pour between 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into a glass.
- Rest the Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
- Slowly drip iced water over suger either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. After giving the sugar a chance to dissolve and drip it slowly through the slots of the spoon. You will see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The Absinthe louches because the essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water and so make the mixture cloudy or milky when water is added.
- Sit back and enjoy your Absinthe.

The Czech or Bohemian Method is very similar to the Ritual but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is scorned by many Absinthe followers.

The Bohemian method - tips and instructions:-

- Pour 25 to 50 ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the sugar cube into the Absinthe and soak the sugar.
- Place sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
- Set the sugar cube alight for one minute to allow the surgar to melt and caramelize. The sugar should drip through the slots of the spoon and into the Absinthe.
- Place the spoon into the glass and pour the iced water into the Absinthe to put out the flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
- Enjoy the Absinthe drink.

To properly enjoy your Absinthe then you will want some Absinthiana - Absinthe glasses, spoons and even an Absinthe fountain to control the flow of the water. Replicas of antique glasses can be purchased from AbsintheKit.com.

What is the recommended amount of Absinthe to use when preparing an Absinthe drink? A US shot or about 45 ml. Absinthe can be use in cocktails and you can search online for recipes.

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