Absinthe Ritual - the traditional way
1. Pour a shot of absinthe into the absinthe glass.
2. Place an absinthe spoon on top of the glass.
3. Put a sugar cube on the absinthe spoon.
4. Drip a few drops of iced water onto the sugar cube to saturate it completely.
5. Then wait and watch the sugar cube which will slowly collapse and finally drip into the glass.
6. Finally, add the iced water in a thin stream.
Absinthe Ritual - the modern way without sugar
1. Pour a shot of absinthe into the absinthe glass.
2. Add some ice cubes and wait until the mixture starts to louche gradually from the bottom.
3. Wait until the cloudy bottom part reaches apr. 3/4 of the whole mixture.
4. Shake it until the mixture becomes completely cloudy.
5. Have a sip and see if you like it.
6. If it is still too strong wait a bit to get the higher absinthe/water ration and try it again until you find the right ratio.
The water
The water must be iced. Put some ice into a water jar and wait until some of the ice melts down. You start with a cool drink which slowly warms to a room temperature as you drink it. That way your glass of absinthe will taste better.
The sugar
Absinthe used to be served with the sugar. However, it is purely a matter of taste. The 19th century poets and artists added at least one sugar cube to their absinthe and sometimes even two or three. However, this would definitely be too sweet. Therefore, we suggest starting without the sugar or with half a sugar cube only. Later, you can always add some more.
How much water
As with the sugar, it is a matter of taste. However, the absinthe/water ratio should be at least 1:3 and you might add some more water for casual drinking up to 1:5.
