What is it about absinthe? Mystique, legend, or plain old forbidden fruit syndrome?

Here in London absinthe is legal and available, so any excessive drinking of it must be down to the fact it's the stuff of legend. Which is probably also why we're writing about it.

So let's begin with the key facts:

• Absinthe originated in Switzerland in the late 18th century as a medical elixir
• Its key ingredients are anise, wormwood and fennel
• It became popular in late 19th century France, when the literary crowd discovered it
• In 1915 it was banned in a number of countries (including the U.S. and France) for being psychoactive and addictive
• Pernod Fils, the most popular brand at the time, removed the wormwood, lowered the alcohol content, and called it Pernod (still sold today)
• Some countries never banned it, like the U.K., Spain, Portugal and Mexico
• In the '90s a revival began, and it's now available in most EU countries (but still not the U.S.)
• Now, Bohemian absinthe is a bit more plentiful, but most connoisseurs agree that French is best
  

The traditional way of drinking absinthe is by pouring water over a sugar-cube into a glass of absinthe. The proper ratio, explained Chris from the Met Bar, is 7 parts water to 1 part absinthe (although other sites recommend 2-3 parts water). The sugar cube should sit on an absinthe spoon (and you'll be glad to know that at writing, seven are available at ebay.co.uk) or on a fork.

You can drink absinthe this way at the Met Bar, or at Detroit Bar in Covent Garden, which was the first bar in London to serve absinthe 10 years ago. (Both bars also offer shot and cocktail alternatives to the traditional method.)

And should you decide that staying home while drinking absinthe is best, order yourself a spoon, pay a visit to Gerry's on Old Compton Street (which Chris says has the best selection of absinthe - and pretty much everything else), put on some music by French Pop band Absinthe Duo, and start creating. Just be careful - it is twice as strong as the spirits you usually drink!

Here Is The Writer : Sarah Western

Sarah Western Balzer is the managing director of HITC Life and is always on the hunt for reader-writers, so if you're one, make yourself known (sarah.western@hereisthecity.com). Sarah's other job is running a business that helps expats with lifestyle relocation, and is always on the hunt for clients, so - you guessed it: www.arrivalslimited.com. Sarah moved to London five years ago from New York but is originally from Florida, and still suntans like it's 1989. She is so grateful to the banker who introduced her to Here Is The City that she married him, and they live in Wapping with their son.

view more articles by Sarah Western

Add Comment (go on... log in)

TODAY

• Never Mind the B.llocks?
• Pinstripe Hype Rocks For Charity
• iPhone: I Am Rich and Power Nap

THIS WEEK

• Do Unto Others, J.rk
• The Strangest Dining Experiences
• iPhone: I Am Rich and Power Nap