Born in Switzerland, embraced by France
Absinthe first appeared in the late 18th century in the Val-de-Travers, in Switzerland, before production moved across the border, notably to Pontarlier in eastern France. Distilled from botanicals including grand wormwood, green anise and fennel, it conquered French cafés over the course of the 19th century.
The green hour
In the late afternoon, Parisian café terraces filled up for the apéritif. People called that moment l'heure verte, the green hour, after the color of the drink, also nicknamed "the green fairy." Painters and poets frequented it and portrayed it; Edgar Degas made it the subject of a famous painting, L'Absinthe.
Banned, then back
Blamed for countless ills, absinthe was banned in France in 1915. It gradually returned from the late 1980s under strict regulations, and the ban was formally lifted in 2011. Distillers have since revived the old recipes and rituals.
The ritual, step by step
- Pour a measure of absinthe into the glass. Many vintage glasses have a reservoir or a line marking the dose.
- Rest the slotted spoon across the rim and place a sugar cube on it.
- Slowly drip very cold water over the sugar. In cafés, water fountains with small taps controlled the flow.
- Watch the "louche": the absinthe turns cloudy and milky, almost opalescent, as the water blends in.
- As a rule of thumb, use three to five parts water to one part absinthe, to taste. Stir with the spoon and enjoy.
Sugar is optional: many enthusiasts find it unnecessary with some absinthes, but the gesture is part of the pleasure.
The spoon, a collector's piece
Pierced to let the sweetened water through and notched to sit on the rim of the glass, the absinthe spoon took on countless forms in the 19th century: leaves, geometric patterns, even the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower. Today it is sought after by collectors and cocktail lovers alike.
Our absinthe spoon slips easily into a gift parcel. On its own, or in our Green Hour gift sets with glassware, it lets you give the whole ritual: all that's left is to choose the bottle.
Please enjoy responsibly.