Absinthe Kit: brew your own with wormwood and spices
Inside the box sits a clear organiser filled with dried herbs and seeds, each in its own compartment. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is the ingredient that defines absinthe and gives it that bitter, herbal edge. No alcohol is included: you supply that yourself with vodka or another neutral spirit. The herbs are measured for about one litre, so a smaller bottle will give you a more concentrated and more bitter result.
Absinthe built its reputation in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when it was the drink of writers and painters in Paris. Most Western countries banned it in the 1920s and it stayed almost impossible to find for decades, until re-legalisation brought it back in the 1990s. Plenty of myth still surrounds it. Thujone, a compound that occurs naturally in wormwood, usually features in those stories, which are told with far more certainty than the facts allow.
What the kit contains
- The herbs and seeds that form the flavour base of absinthe, wormwood included
- A clear box with separate compartments so the herbs stay apart
- A description of the traditional absinthe ritual
- Step-by-step instructions for making your own
- All of it in a printed presentation box
How it works
The enclosed instructions walk you through the recipe. In broad terms you steep the herbs in a strong neutral spirit and strain the mixture afterwards. Absinthe is traditionally not served neat: cold water is poured over a sugar cube into the glass, which turns the drink cloudy and milky. Since you choose the base spirit, you also decide how strong the result is. Follow the alcohol rules where you live and drink in moderation.
At Avalon Magic Plants you will find more to make at home, from loose herbs and herbal extracts to tea blends.
