The title of the strongest alcoholic drink is occupied by the famous absinthe or, as the writers of the early 20th century said, "the poet's third eye." Its name is translated from Greek as "bitter wormwood", which is the main ingredient in absinthe. The usual strength of this drink is 70%, but other varieties are sold with 75% or 85% alcohol.
Composition and interesting properties of absinthe
The extract of bitter wormwood contains a large amount of thujone, a colorless substance with an odor that is similar to the aroma of menthol. It is he who gives absinthe that very heady and weakly hallucinogenic effect. In addition to wormwood, the composition of this drink also includes the following herbs - anise, angelica, fennel, licorice, calamus, lemon balm, mint. Less often, but still white ash, coriander, veronica, chamomile, parsley and other aromatic plants are added to absinthe.
Wormwood gives the drink its characteristic greenish color with a rich emerald hue. Less commonly, absinthe can be clear, yellowish, blue, brown, red or even black. The traditional green hue is due to chlorophyll, which decomposes in the light, so it is believed that the initial filling and infusion of absinthe should only take place in dark glass bottles.
Some people prefer to drink the drink diluted and are surprised at its rapid cloudiness. The explanation is quite simple: when mixed with water, the essential oils contained in herbal extracts form an emulsion.
How to drink absinthe?
There are several ways of using this drink, and usually each of them is associated with a specific country of origin.
So, the Czech method, which is also called "crystal", is the simplest of them: you need to take a glass glass with thick walls and pour a little absinthe into it. Then the liquid must be set on fire and left to burn out for 4-5 seconds. They drink such absinthe, blowing out, in one gulp, without a snack.
French method: the volume of the glass is divided into four equal parts, absinthe is poured into one, then a special spoon with a sugar cube is placed on the edge of the glass. Then, through sugar into a glass, you need to pour over the remaining three parts of ice water. As a result, the cube will completely dissolve, and the resulting syrup will mix with the main drink. Another variation of the common usage in France is the replacement of cold water with a liquid with finely crushed ice.
Russian method: pure absinthe is poured into a glass with thick walls, which is then ignited and burned for a couple of seconds. After this time, the first container must be closed with a second glass, as a result of which the flame will quickly go out. Then you need to pour the absinthe into a second container, and quickly cover the first with a napkin and turn it over with an inserted tube. Thus, two cocktails are obtained at once - heated absinthe and its vapors, which are very pleasant to alternate.
