• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Event Calendar
    • Submit Event
  • About Us
    • Our Contributors
    • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Arts & Entertainment
    • Comedy
    • On Screen Dayton
    • On Screen Dayton Reviews
    • Road Trippin’
      • Cincinnati
      • Columbus
      • Indianapolis
    • Spectator Sports
    • Street-Level Art
    • Visual Arts
  • Dayton Dining
    • DMM’s Brunch Guide
    • Restaurants with Private Dining Rooms
    • Dayton Food Trucks
    • Quest
    • Ten Questions
  • Dayton Music
    • Music Calendar
  • On Stage Dayton
    • On Stage Dayton Reviews
  • Active Living
    • Canoeing/Kayaking
    • Cycling
    • Hiking/Backpacking
    • Runners
  • How to Support Dayton Businesses, Nonprofits During COVID-19

Dayton Most Metro

Things to do in Dayton | Restaurants, Theatre, Music and More

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Chasing the Green Fairy

March 5, 2013 By Dayton Most Metro Leave a Comment


Mr. Brian Petro is a designer, educator, mixologist and bon vivant.  His quest for knowledge never stops and he loves to share what he learns with others.  Today in honor of National Absinthe Day, we rerun this post where Brian researches the green liquid.

imgres-5It was not too long ago that the only absinthe in the United States was smuggled in. You had to know the right people to get a taste of a cocktail that was cloudy, aromatic, and a little bitter. Sure, there were some legal, poor substitutes, but there ain’t nothing like the real thing. The legal state of absinthe was not the only draw; the possibility of not only getting a good buzz, but the possibility of hallucinating also attracted the curious and adventurous.

One of the allures of absinthe, or la fée verte (the green fairy in French), is the mystery that surrounds the drink. In the late 19th century, it was a drink that was enjoyed across the European continent. Kings enjoyed it as much as the working class, which lead to a peak consumption of 36 million liters in France alone. It was so popular that they did not just have a happy hour; they had l’heure verte (the Green Hour). Some of the most creative people of the day were known to be avid absinthe drinkers, like Van Gogh, Gaugin, Oscar Wilde, and later Ernest Hemingway, who made his own drink with it (1 oz. of absinthe in a champagne glass, topped with champagne. He called it Death in the Afternoon). It was also such an interesting emerald color. And when you added the water, it took on a cloudier, softer complexion.

But rumors started to swirl that drinking absinthe caused hallucinations, possibly drove you insane (Van Gogh cutting his ear off didn’t help), or even kill you. They were spread not only by proponents of the growing temperance movement, but by bitter wine growers and merchants that were losing huge amounts of sales to the green liquid. And many of those artists who loved the liberating effects of the drink painted images of listless patrons being enveloped by green demons, or seduced by misty jade ladies. Eventually the universally loved beverage became a universally banned beverage, and with all of its “dangers” it stayed banned in most places for over 80 years.

What absinthe is is much less racy. It is a distilled spirit made with a blend of herbs that is fairly unique to each brand, and adds the green tint it is known for. Anise and fennel are common to all brands, giving the drink a distinctive black licorice flavor. There is also a subtle hint of bitterness on the end from the major culprit to the hallucination myth – grande wormwood. Wormwood contains a chemical called thujone, which in large enough quantities can cause hallucinations. Large quantities which will not be found in just a few glasses. Absinthe also runs at a higher proof than your average liquor, usually clocking in between 90 and 150.

In 2007, the United States allowed the production and importation of absinthe for the first time since 1912.st_15absinthe_f

If you are looking to try some, Salar does have it as part of their liquor collection, and you can also purchase several brands of it at Arrow Wine. And what does one order it in? Glad you asked…

 

The Absinthe Drip

1.5 oz. absinthe
3 – 5 oz. ice water, in a pitcher or carafe
Sugar cube (optional)
Absinthe spoon or other slotted spoon

Pour the absinthe in the bottom of a wine glass or water glass. There is also a specially crafted absinthe glass, but it is not commonly found. If you are using the sugar, place the spoon across the mouth of the glass and place the sugar cube on it. Pour the water over the sugar cube so it all dissolves into the absinthe. As the water hits the absinthe, it will louche (cloud up), releasing some of the more subtle flavors in the spirit. Stir the rest of the sugar into the drink and enjoy.

It is rare to find a cocktail that uses absinthe as a major ingredient. But since it is close to Mardi Gras, here is a traditional New Orleans cocktail that will make you feel like you are there for the celebration.

Sazerac

2 oz. rye whisky
3-4 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
1 tsp. of sugar
Splash of absinthe
Lemon twist

Prepare two glasses, chilling one glass with ice and water for the cocktail, one to mix the cocktail in. In your mixing glass, muddle the sugar and the bitters together. When it is well mixed, add the rye whisky and some ice, and chill the whole concoction. Pour the ice out of the second glass and add the splash of absinthe, swirling it around to coat the walls of the glass. Pour out the excess absinthe. Strain the rye mixture into the coated glass, Twist the lemon peel over the glass, and drop the peel into the drink or discard it.

Filed Under: Dayton Dining Tagged With: Absinthe, Brian Petro

Reader Interactions


Comments

Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Featured Events

  • Fri
    05
  • Sat
    06
  • Sun
    07
  • Mon
    08
  • Tue
    09
  • Wed
    10
  • Thu
    11

Miamisburg Baseball Fundraiser

11:00 am | City Barbeque- Centerville

Carry Out Fish Fry

11:00 am | St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church

Xenia Food Truck Rally

4:00 pm | Xenia Station

Knights of Columbus Council 3754 Fish Dinner

5:00 pm | Marian Manor Hall

First Friday St. Paddy’s Day Beer Crawl

5:00 pm | Downtown Tipp City

Spring BLOOMS – First Friday

5:00 pm | 1880 Candle Co.

Antioch Shrine Center Fish Fry

6:00 pm | Antioch Shrine Center

Irish Club Fish Fry

6:00 pm | The Irish Club of Dayton

Karaoke!

6:30 pm | Yellow Cab Tavern

Two for the Road Live

7:00 pm | Mr Boro’s Tavern

Murder Mystery Dinner

7:00 pm | Spaghetti Warehouse

Prime Time’s Wedding Open House

9:00 am | Prime Time Party Rental

Growing Green: Local Food & Economics

10:00 am | online event

Girl Scout Cookie and Wine Pairing Walk

12:00 pm | The Windamere

Mardi Gras Gumbo Dinner

5:00 pm | South Park American Legion Post 675

Amplified!

8:00 pm | The Phone Booth Lounge

The Menus

8:30 pm | JD Legends Entertainment Complex

Pancake Box Brunch

9:00 am | Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm

Break The Cycle of Stress

10:30 am | Glo Juice Bar +Cafe

Prime Time’s Wedding Open House

11:00 am | Prime Time Party Rental

The Art of Suspense

2:00 pm | Virtual Event

Cult Movie Night: CAROUSHELL

7:30 pm | The Neon

Free Boot Camp Workout

5:30 am | The Park at Austin Landing Miamisburg OH

25% Off Pizza Monday

11:30 am | Oregon Express

$2 burger night

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Grand Opening

7:00 am | Nutmeg Cafe

Grand Opening

11:00 am | Thai Table

Trivia Tuesday

7:00 pm | The Brick Tap & Tavern

9to5: The Story of a Movement – Virtual Event with the Filmmakers

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

Live Trivia- In Person or Virtually

7:00 pm | Star City Brewing Company

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

5:00 pm | Bullwinkle’s Top Hat Bistro

Get to Know Your Machine – Sewing Basics

5:30 pm | Needle, Ink and Thread

Trivia w/ DagaTrivia

6:00 pm | Eudora Brewing Company

Trivia Night

6:30 pm | Troll Pub at the Wheelhouse

5 course Wine Dinner

6:00 pm | Salar

Tom Helbig presents Pedaling Good Vibes Around America

7:00 pm | Virtual Event

More Events…

DMM E-Newsletter


Give us your email address and we'll send you our DMM E-Newsletters
Email:  
For Email Marketing you can trust
Back to Top

Copyright © 2021 Dayton Most Metro · Terms & Conditions · Log in