How to pour it
an absinthe
Pour 3 cl of absinthe into a stemmed glass. Place the absinthe spoon across the rim, with a sugar cube on top if you want sugar.
Let 12 cl of ice-cold water drip, drop by drop, over the sugar cube. That’s four parts water to one part absinthe; you can choose anywhere between three and five parts.
Watch the drink turn cloudy and milky. That is the louche: the oil from the anise and fennel does not dissolve in water.
Briefly stir the sugar that has settled on the bottom, then serve immediately. Lighting the sugar cube is not part of the process; that trick was invented later.
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The story
Absinthe is distilled from wormwood, green anise, and fennel, sometimes with a few other herbs added. Wormwood contains thujone, the substance to which the drink owes its bad reputation; the amount allowed in absinthe is now legally limited. The alcohol content is high, often roughly 45 to 74 percent, and that is precisely why water is added. In the nineteenth century, absinthe was banned across much of Europe following a fierce campaign against the drink. In most countries, that ban was lifted long ago, and absinthe is simply distilled and sold.
The right glass
The classic absinthe glass has a bulbous reservoir base: the hollowed-out section at the bottom indicates exactly how much absinthe goes in, while leaving room for the water above. We do not carry a glass like that, and we prefer to be honest about it. The closest option is a stemmed glass with a bowl that narrows toward the top and has room for three centiliters of liquor plus four times as much water; the two below meet those requirements. The absinthe spoon itself can be found among the absinthe accessories.
Luigi Bormioli Mixology Spirits liqueur glass 23 cl (6 pieces)
Chef & Sommelier Spirits Rhum liqueur glass 17 cl (6 pieces)
Both sets together € 66,90.
The right tools
For absinthe, in addition to the glass, use a jigger to measure out three centiliters and an ice cube mold to get the water properly ice-cold; you can find the spoon itself among the absinthe accessories. These are the bar tools we use ourselves; you can find everything in our bar tools & cocktail sets.
Glass set (our choice 01) + 2 bar tools together € 61,85.
What does this go with?
Absinthe is not yet included in our drinks guide. These are the bottles that come closest: the drink from the two cocktails where absinthe truly belongs, and the anise family. On each drink page, you can read the percentage, what it tastes like, which cocktails it pairs with and which glass you need.
Variations & twists
The amount of water affects the taste: one part to three makes a strong glass, one to five a milder glass. Sugar is optional and is not customary in some regions. There is green absinthe, which gets its color from herbs that steep in it after distillation, and clear absinthe, called blanche. In cocktails, it appears mainly in the sazerac, where the glass is only rinsed with it, and in death in the afternoon, where champagne is added. Read more? View all drinks and brands.
Serving tip
Set out the glass, a carafe of ice water and the spoon before you begin, because the water really does need to be cold. Let the water run so slowly that you see the louche form instead of it appearing all at once. Pour small portions and serve immediately; a glass that sits for a long time loses its aroma.
Good to know
Where does the story about hallucinations come from?
From the nineteenth century. Absinthe was hugely popular and consumed in large quantities, and a vigorous campaign was waged against it. Everything that went wrong was blamed on thujone, and a ban followed across much of Europe. What was in those glasses was mainly a lot of alcohol.
What is thujone?
A substance that naturally occurs in wormwood and enters the drink through the wormwood. How much of it absinthe may contain is regulated by law. In the quantities that end up in a glass, thujone does nothing unusual; the alcohol is by far the strongest component.
Why does absinthe turn cloudy?
Because the oil from anise and fennel dissolves in alcohol but not in water. As soon as water is added, the oil separates into tiny droplets that scatter the light. This is called the louche, and you see the same thing with raki, ouzo, pastis, and arak.
How strong is absinthe?
High. Most bottles are roughly between 45 and 74 percent. After dilution, the drink in the glass is much weaker, depending on how much water you use; with four parts water, about one-fifth remains.
Is absinthe still banned?
In most countries, no longer. The ban was lifted long ago, and absinthe is once again distilled and sold normally, within the limits that apply to thujone. The exact rules vary by country.
Which glass goes with it?
A stemmed glass with a bulbous reservoir base: the hollowed-out section at the bottom indicates the measure of absinthe, with room for water above it. That model is not in our range. A seventeen- to twenty-three-centiliter tulip-shaped stemmed glass is the closest option.
Frequently asked questions
Does absinthe cause hallucinations?
No. That idea comes from the nineteenth-century campaign against the drink and from the enormous quantities of alcohol consumed at the time. The thujone from wormwood is present in small, legally limited quantities and does not cause visions.
How much water do you add to absinthe?
Approximately three to five times the volume of the absinthe. So with 3 cl of absinthe, add around 9 to 15 cl of ice-cold water, drop by drop, until the drink turns cloudy.
Should you set the sugar cube on fire?
No. The burning sugar cube is a later-invented trick unrelated to the original ritual. It burns the sugar and some of the alcohol and compromises the aroma. Water is what opens up the drink, not fire.
Which cocktails contain absinthe?
In the Sazerac, it is used to rinse the glass before the rest goes in; that recipe is on our Sazerac page. In Death in the Afternoon, a splash of absinthe goes under champagne, and we do not yet have a dedicated recipe page for that.
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