AbsintheHour » Absinthe History

THE reference for antique absinthe spoons

Jen Dixon — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 09:58:33 +0000

I grabbed a copy of this from a seller on Amazon.fr – a good price, new in plastic wrap, and it will pay for itself with the knowledge it’ll be giving me.

It’s not easy to get ahold of, but if you want to search, here is the ISBN-10: 2951531613 and the ISBN-13: 9782951531611.

I feel much more confident in my bargain hunting now.

Absinthe the alleged aphrodisiac

Jen Dixon — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:12:50 +0000

The opening paragraph of “FRANCE: End of a Dynasty” Time Magazine, Monday September 2, 1940

War has not been kind to the descendants of Henri-Louis Pernod, that Frenchman who in 1797 gave to the world the aperitif known as absinthe. Henri-Louis used the formula of a Dr. Ordinaire, who was celebrated up & down the Alps for cures effected with mountain herbs. One of these herbs was wormwood, an excellent stomachic, which by the time of World War I had also acquired a reputation as an aphrodisiac, thereby helping to enrich the firm of Pernod Fils, leading manufacturer of absinthe. In 1914 the publisher of a small Paris newspaper started a campaign to prohibit absinthe, based on the popular beliefs that: 1) wormwood is an aphrodisiac; 2) continued use of aphrodisiacs produces impotence; 3) France is a nation of absinthe sippers; 4) therefore France as a nation is becoming impotent. Frenchmen’s mortal fear of impotence, coupled with war hysteria and a falling birth rate, put the campaign over with a bang.

I’ve heard of “beer goggles” and “whiskey dick”…
Looks like absinthe should have its own little phrase.

In the Absinthe, 1914

Jen Dixon — Sun, 09 May 2010 14:27:33 +0000

New York Public Library
No known copyright restrictions

698 Pages of Stuff I’ll Probably Never Use

Jen Dixon — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 10:54:23 +0000

A Treatise on the Manufacture & Distillation of Alcoholic Liquors by P. Duplais, translated by M. McKennie. Facsimile of the 1871 Edition. Edited by David Nathan-Maister.

Perhaps when I’m living in a remote finca in Spain, I’ll try my hand at distillation… or probably not. Either way, I’m happy to have this amazing reference on my shelf.

Want one of your own? Amazon UK or Amazon US.

Absinthe Brouilleur Auto-Verseur

Jen Dixon — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:00:20 +0000

Historically, the brouilleur is an alternative to the slotted spoon and the above Auto-Verseur is a replica of the famous Absinthe Oxygénée Cusenier Auto-Verseur mixer. Beneath the water cup at the top is a see-saw mechanism to deliver a controlled drip of water into the absinthe below.

One can put sugarcubes into the cup and then top with water, or as I prefer, a big chunky ice cube to further chill the water before it drips down to the the mechanics.

A delightful and indulgent way to prepare your absinthe louche.

For more information on historic absinthe accessories, I recommend the superb Absinthe Encyclopedia by David Nathan-Maister. Worth every penny.