As long as you enjoy absinthe moderately, you can drink it whenever you feel like it. We'd just like to recommend that if you're planning on drinking other spirits as well, you should drink the absinthe first so you can appreciate it best. During the 19th Century, absinthe used to be served as an aperitif before dinner - widely known as “l'Heure Verte” - the green hour - between 5pm and 7pm.
According to historic adverts and texts, absinthe was enjoyed with sugar from about 1850, if not before. Sugar helps to ease the bitter taste of absinthe, and can enhance certain flavours. However, most absinthe lovers prefer to enjoy their absinthe without any sugar - yet again, this is entirely up to you and your personal preferences! Some absinthes 'need' sugar because of their strong taste, others don't simply because they're already smooth enough. Learn more about
whether or not to add sugar to your absinthe.
Decanters, brouilles and absinthe fountains were invented for one particular purpose: to enable you to pour the water into your absinthe glass as gently as possible – ideally, drop by drop – especially at the begining, when the absinthe starts to louche. There are two main reasons for pouring the water carefully:
• The louche is even more beautiful. • The different aromas of your absinthe develop more slowly, and can become much more complex and interesting. (Chemistry helps to understand this phenomenon: each essential oil precipitates at a different dilution, and pouring the water slowly enables the aromas to develop one after the other).
Although Absinthe does keep well, there are a few steps to take, so that neither the alcohol, nor the chlorophyll escapes:
• You should store it with the bottle standing up, away from light, and at a temperature that does not rise above 30°C, to protect the chlorophyll. • You should use a cork stopper, rather than a metal or a plastic, so that the alcohol doesn't evaporate, and so the absinthe doesn't lose its flavour. If you wish to store your absinthe for longer than six months after you opened it, you should change over to a cork stopper if you're not already using one. • When your bottle is more than half empty, you should fill it into a smaller bottle, so that the surrounding air inside the bottle doesn't influence the taste.
Perhaps you would also like to know, that if you just opened a bottle, you should let it air for a bit. Furthermore, some absinthes age very well, so you should not hesitate to store your favourite ones in the cellar for a few years!
