[ Absinthe Hour 5-7 Party ]

What, how, and should I?

It's a cold January and the excitement of the holidays are over, now what? Is it the time to have an absinthe hour? Absinthe is a potent green alcoholic drink, technically a gin, originally having high wormwood content.

Absinthe History:

In the early 19th and 20th century absinthe was consumed by many Parisian artists and writers, Hemingway, Toulouse-Lautrec, Picasso and van Gogh just to name a few. Toulouse-Lautrec painted glasses filled with the green liquid. It was considered a drink of aesthetes.

In the 1840s, French army doctors issued absinthe to soldiers for the prevention of fevers and treatment of other ailments. The French Soldiers enjoyed it beyond medicinal. When they came back from the war in Algeria, they continued the trend in France.

Instead of happy hour, the time between 5-7 every evening was known as "the green hour" in France. People gathered in cafes, visiting and unwinding over glasses of absinthe.

It was band in the US in 1915 but the band was lifted in 2007.

My Story: I was in a thrift shop and saw this interesting “beverage dispenser”. Not knowing what it was, I just had to have it. Well, I purchased an absinthe fountain. It holds the cold water that dilutes the absinthe.

Absinthe Hour: Have a party. Invite guests to dress in an era; 1890's, 1920's or 1960"s. Recreate the ritual of serving absinthe. Make sure you have other beverages, not sure what too much absinthe will do!

Serve: Cheese, charcuterie, crudités, and sliced baguette

Absinthe Ritual:

Step 1: Pour absinthe into a glass that has a bulge or mark at the base. This marks off the amount of spirit to pour, 1- 1.5 ounce.

Step 2: Place sugar cube on absinthe spoon. With all the flatware that I own, I don’t have an absinthe spoon. Family hint, hint.....

Step 3: Fill absinthe fountain with ice water. You can use a water pitcher. Pour the water over the spoon and sugar cube into the glass of absinthe. (1 part absinthe to 2-3 parts water).

Check out your local liquor store for a bottle of absinthe. They vary in price and one even comes with the slotted spoon!