Recipes To Share

Posts Tagged ‘alcoholic beverages’

When you have bought or made your own Absinthehow to prepare it is the next issue because Absinthe is not like any other alcoholic beverage, it is usually served diluted with iced water. In La Belle Epoque in France and Switzerland Absinthe was served in a traditional way. One can go through “The Ritual” or “La Louche” to gather information.

Absinthe How to Prepare using The Ritual

To perform the Ritual, you will need the following:-

- Absinthe – A good quality Absinthe containing real herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. The Absinthe with thujone is necessary.
– An Absinthe glass – An antique Absinthe glass or replica one is required. AbsintheKit sell replicas of antiques like Pontarlier glasses and Eiffel Tower spoons.
– A slotted Absinthe spoon (also known as a cuillere).
– Necessity of a cube of sugar.
– Take iced water in an Absinthe fountain or in a carafe.

Instructions for preparing the perfect Absinthe drink:-

- Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– One has to rest the Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
– One can slowly drip iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. When it is drip slowly then the sugar get chance to dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. You should see a lovely “louche” effect as the water mixes into the alcohol. The essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water which causes Absinthe to louche.
– Sit back and enjoy the Green Fairy, as Absinthe is commonly known.

The Bohemian or Czech Method

This method of preparing Absintheis not traditional but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is not appreciated by many Absinthe followers.

You will need:-

- Absinthe
– Buy an Absinthe glass
– Take an Absinthe slotted spoon
– A cube of sugar
– Take a lighter or match
– Iced water

Instructions and tips for using the Bohemian method:-

- Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– One has to place sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
– The sugar cube should be kept alight for sometime to caramelize and melt. With the help of the slots of the spoon sugar is dropped into the Absinthe.
– A person is able to put out any flames and cause the Absinthe to louche by putting the spoon and pouring the iced water into it.
– Enjoy your Absinthe drink.

* Care should be taken with this method because the Absinthe in the glass may set alight too *

Absinthe can also be used in many cocktails. Ernest Hemingway is known to have liked mixing it with champagne, he called it “Death in the Afternoon”.

A lot of mysteries, stories and legends are there surrounding Absinthe. Now it is ready to give the enjoyment to the drinker.

When you have bought or made your own Absinthehow to prepare it is the next issue because Absinthe is not like any other alcoholic beverage, it is usually served diluted with iced water. This way of serving Absinthe is the traditional way that was used in La Belle Epoque in France and Switzerland. It is known as “The Ritual” or “La Louche” and is easy to learn.

Absinthe How to Prepare using The Ritual

To perform the Ritual, you will need the following:-

- Absinthe – A good quality Absinthe containing real herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. It is necessary to have thujone in the Absinthe.
– An Absinthe glass – an antique Absinthe glass or replica one is important item. AbsintheKit sell replicas of antiques like Pontarlier glasses and Eiffel Tower spoons.
– One must take a slotted Absinthe spoon.
– A cube of sugar is needed.
– It is good to use iced water in a carafe or in an Absinthe fountain.

Instructions for preparing the perfect Absinthe drink:-

- Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass.
– One has to rest the Absinthe spoon over the rim of the glass and place a cube of sugar on it.
– Slowly drip iced water over the sugar either by dripping from the tap of the fountain or by using a steady hand to pour from a carafe. By slowly dripping it sugar will dissolve and drip through the slots of the spoon. As the water is mixed into the alcohol a “louche” effect is visible. As the essential oils of the herbs are soluble in alcohol but not in water so the Absinthe louches.
– A person can have fun with Absinthe commonly known as the Green Fairy.

The Bohemian or Czech Method

This method of preparing Absintheis not traditional but is a modern way of preparing cheap Czech Absinthes. The Bohemian method is disliked by lots of Absinthe followers.

You will need:-

- Absinthe
– An Absinthe glass
– Take an Absinthe slotted spoon
– Use a cube of sugar
– A lighter or match is needed
– Iced water

Instructions and tips for using the Bohemian method:-

- Pour 25-50ml of Absinthe into the glass and dip the sugar cube into it to soak the sugar.
– Place sugar cube on the Absinthe spoon and rest on the rim of the glass.
– The sugar cube should be kept alight for sometime to caramelize and melt. The right way is to drip the sugar through the slots of the spoon into the Absinthe.
– Put the spoon into the Absinthe and pour the iced water into the Absinthe to put out any flames and to cause the Absinthe to louche.
– Absinthe drink can be enjoyed like this.

* Care should be taken with this method because the Absinthe in the glass may set alight too *

Absinthe can also be used in many cocktails. Ernest Hemingway is known to have liked mixing it with champagne, he called it “Death in the Afternoon”.

A lot of mysteries, stories and legends are there surrounding Absinthe. Now one can enjoy drinking this famous mythical drink.

Champagne is traditionally used on special occasions like while celebrating a milestone or during marriages.  Considered to be a flexible beverage, Champagne can be served with a meal or with dessert.  For many years, this truly refreshing and exotic drink has been used as a way of celebration and just enjoying the times that lie ahead.

Champagne comes from the vineyards of the French region.  If you get a bottle and notice Champagne imprinted on the label, you can rest assured that the bottle was produced in the vineyards of France.  If you don’t get Champagne that was produced in the infamous French regions, you are pretty much just buying the standard sparkling wine.  You should also make sure that the bottle is spelled “Champagne”, with a capital C.  French manufacturers are very protective of this very name, and therefore are the only ones that are authorized to use it.

Champagne is made using three different types of grape- Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay.  Noir and Meunier are types of black grapes, while the well known Chardonnay is a type of white grape.  The label on the bottle will signify what type of Champagne you are buying, so you’ll know what flavor to expect.  There are also types of this wine that are a blend of different grapes, providing quite an exquisite taste to say the least.

Much like sparkling wine, Champagne is very common with celebrations and such.  Although it is actually considered to be a type of sparkling wine, Champagne is much better.  You have to be careful where you buy it though, as a lot of manufacturers like to use cheaper grapes, which don’t taste the same.  If you have ever tasted this wine before – you’ll know first hand what quality tastes like.

A lot of people prefer Champagne because of the bubbles that are known to spew forth once a bottle has been uncorked.The bubbles that come out of this type of wine principally are result of liquid that are disturbed by the carbonic acid gas.  Once the liquid is disturbed, the bubbles form and short out of the bottle.  This is a natural reaction of the double fermentation process that can only be found with a bottle of Champagne.

The next time you have a celebration and need something to make the celebration a bit more interesting, you should grab a bottle of Champagne.  Few things compliment a celebration like the bursting bubbles of a fine bottle.  You can find quality Champagne at ABC stores or other stores that sell alcoholic beverages.  Even though it may cost you a bit of money – when you pop the top you’ll be glad you bought it.