PART THREE ARTIFICIAL LIQUORS CHAPTER 1 UNSWEETENED LIQUORS ABSINTHES 1. --- Distilled Absinthes. Absinthe is made in accordance with a great number of recipes which are all based upon the following plants: grand wormwood, petite wormwood, anise, fennel, and hyssop. In general these different plants are mixed together for distillation; but a few manufacturers prefer to treat wormwood, anise and fennel separately, to later mix the scented spirits in the desired proportions. The raw ingredients are placed into a steam-heated still, such as those built by Deroy Fils Aîné for this purpose, with the desired quantity of alcohol and half the volume of water needed for distillation; the plants are allowed to macerate 12 to 24 hours or even longer; the rest of the water is added and distillation is started. This operation must be conducted slowly to avoid the coups de feu 1 which are harmful to the quality of the product. This operation is stopped as soon as the first spurt of distillate marks 60% (alcohol): rectification is thereby avoided. The heads and tail are collected separately and used to make absinthes ordinaire; only the heart is used to prepare fine absinthes. The milky liquid which distills at the end is added to subsequent macerations. Scented spirit of absinthe is colorless. To color it, a mixture of petite wormwood and hyssop is macerated; a colorator, a special apparatus heated by steam or hot water circulation, is useful for this purpose; the process takes 12 hours. Absinthe is put into barrels for aging, then reduced to desired proof before delivering for consumption. 1
Absinthe ordinaire amounts for 10 liters at 60% Grand wormwood....... 500 gr. Fennel......... 300 gr. Angelica root......... 40 gr. Green anise......... 300 gr. Alcohol......... A.R. Infuse the mixture for 24 hours in the still; distill slowly with care. The spirit thus obtained is colored with: Petite wormwood....... 60 gr. Hyssop......... 60 gr. Melissa......... 80 gr. Peppermint.......... 80 gr. Powdered licorice....... 3 gr. Another recipe Flower tops and dried leaves of grand wormwood.....250 gr. Dried hyssop flower tops................50 gr. Lemon grass......................50 gr. Green anise......................200 gr. Lightly macerate the ingredients in a double boiler with 5.60 liters of 85% alcohol. After 24 hours, add five liters of water and distill gently to withdraw 5.60 liters of good product. Makeup to 10 liters at 46% by adding water (4.40 liters). Color green with indigo blue or better, with chlorophyll. Allow to rest and decant. Absinthe demi-fine Grand wormwood, flower tops and leaves....250 gr. Petite wormwood..............100 gr. Hyssop..................50 gr. Lemon grass.................50 gr. Angelica root.................12 gr. Green anise.................400 gr. Break down and divide the ingredients. Make an alcoolat 2 by macerating with two liters of 85% alcohol. Distill after 24 hours with an addition of two liters of water. Collect 2.30 liters of good product, and add 3.50 liters of 85% alcohol and 4.20 liters of water, to makeup to 10 liters at 40%. 3 Color like absinthe ordinaire. 2
Fig. 57 1. Boiler 2. Wood trim 3. Loading hatch cover 4. Blowoff valve 5. Steam inlet interface 6. Purge interface 7, 8, 9. Still support feet, made of cast iron 10. Threaded fill plug 11. Capital 12. Swan neck 12'. Quick disconnect couplings 13, Chiller containing 2 serpentines 14. Serpentine discharge sight glass 15. Blowoff valve 16. Funnel 17. Chiller overflow 18. Basin overflow 19. Double bottom 20. Rectification plate 21. Distillation receivers 22. Iron supporta 3
Another formula. Grand wormwood...... 250 gr. Petite wormwood...... 100 gr. Hyssop.......... 50 gr. Peppermint......... 50 gr. Green anise......... 400 gr. Star anise......... 200 gr. Fennel........... 200 gr. Coriander......... 100 gr. Macerate with four liters of 85% alcohol. Add 2.50 liters of water and distill. Withdraw 3.80 liters of good product and add 2.50 liters of 85% alcohol. Makeup to 10 liters at 53% with 3.70 liters of ordinary water. Color as before. Fine absinthe. Grand wormwood...... 250 gr. Petite wormwood...... 50 gr. Hyssop.......... 100 gr. Lemon Grass......... 100 gr. Green anise......... 500 gr. Star anise......... 100 gr. Fennel........... 200 gr. Coriander......... 100 gr. Macerate with 5.50 liters of 85% alcohol. After 24 hours, add 2.75 liters of water and distill. Withdraw 2.50 liters 4 of alcoolat; add 2.75 liters of alcohol at 85% and two liters of water to obtain 10 liters at 65%. Color green with indigo blue and caramel, or better, with chlorophyll. 4
Pontarlier Absinthe Grand wormwood dried and stripped 0 k. 250 Green anise............ 0 k. 500 Fennel............ 0 k. 500 Alcohol at 85%............ 9 l. 5 Macerate the plants with the alcohol for 12 hours; add 4.50 liters of water at the time of distillation. Distill to withdraw 9.50 liters of scented spirit. Continue the operation to obtain the phlegms, to be used in a subsequent distillation. 5 The green color of the liquor is obtained by way of the following plants: Petite wormwood dried and stripped..... 0 k. 100 Hyssop (dried flower tops)......... 0 k. 200 Lemon balm dried and stripped...... 0 k. 050 Scented spirit from the distillation...... 0 l. 40 The petite wormwood is cut into little pieces; the hyssop and melissa are reduced to powder in a mortar; then everything is digested with the spirit under gentle heat in the still. The operation finished, the liquid, now cold, is filtered through a hair sieve 6 and the plants are drained. To this colored liquor, 5.50 liters of scented spirit are added and it is reduced to 74% with 0.5 liter of water, so as to obtain 10 liters of product. Absinthe of Montpellier. Grand wormwood, dried...... 0 k. 250 Green anise......... 0 k. 600 Fennel......... 0 k. 400 Coriander......... 0 k. 100 Angelica seeds......... 0 k. 050 Alcohol at 85%......... 9 l. 5 The distillation is done as we have previously indicated and the coloration is obtained in the same way with the following plants: Hyssop flowers, dried...... 0 k. 075 Melissa, dried......... 0 k. 075 Petite wormwood......... 0 k. 100 5
Absinthe of Lyon. Petite wormwood......... 0 k. 300 Green anise......... 0 k. 800 Fennel......... 0 k. 400 Angelica seeds......... 0 k. 050 Alcohol at 85%......... 9 l. 5 The color is obtained using the following plants: Lemon balm......... 0 k. 100 Petite wormwood, dried...... 0 k. 100 Hyssop flowers, dried...... 0 k. 050 Dried veronica......... 0 k. 050 Absinthe of Fougerolles. Green anise......... 0 k. 750 Fennel......... 0 k. 410 Grand wormwood, stripped..... 0 k. 260 The color is obtained using the following plants:: Lemon balm......... 0 k. 075 Hyssop......... 0 k. 060 Petite wormwood......... 0 k. 066 Veronica......... 0 k. 066 Alcohol at 85%......... 9 l. 5 Water......... 5 l. Macerate in the alcohol for 12 hours; add the water at the time of distillation. Withdraw 9.50 liters of good product. Continue distilling, to collect the phlegms. Reduce the proof to 74%. Absinthe of Besançon Grand wormwood, stripped..... 0 k. 400 Green anise......... 0 k. 500 Fennel......... 0 k. 660 Coriander......... 0 k. 066 The color is obtained using the following plants: Melissa......... 0 k. 050 Petite wormwood......... 0 k. 100 Hyssop......... 0 k. 083 Alcohol at 85%......... 9 l. 5 Water......... 5 l. Proceed as before. 6
Absinthe of Nimes Grand wormwood, stripped..... 0 k. 366 Green anise......... 0 k. 366 Fennel......... 0 k. 250 Coriander......... 0 k. 040 Elecampane root 7......... 0 k. 025 Angelica root......... 0 k. 025 The coloration is obtained using the following plants: Petite wormwood......... 0 k. 080 Hyssop......... 0 k. 075 Melissa......... 0 k. 025 Veronica......... 0 k. 040 Alcohol a 85%......... 9 l. 5 Water......... 5 l. Proceed as before: Swiss Absinthe blanche. Grand wormwood, stripped... 0 k. 275 Petite wormwood, stripped.... 0 k. 112 Hyssop blossoms......... 0 k. 110 Veronica......... 0 k. 055 Genepi......... 0 k. 055 Roman Chamomille...... 0 k. 025 Green anise......... 0 k. 025 Fennel of Florence....... 0 k. 525 Coriander......... 0 k. 100 Angelica seeds......... 0 k. 055 Alcohol at 85%......... 9 l. 6 Macerate the plants and distill in the same way as for green absinthe. The good product is reduced to 74º. Crème d'absinthe surfine Leaves and flowertops of grand wormwood...25 gr. Petite wormwood...............6 gr. Peppermint (dried leaves)............6 gr. Green anise...............6 gr. Fennel...............25 gr. Calamus aromaticus............15 gr. Zests of two lemons. Macerate for two days in four liters of 85% alcohol, add 3.50 liters of water, distill and withdraw 3.80 liters. Add cold a syrup prepared over heat using 5.50 kilograms of sugar and 2.5 liters of water 8. Makeup to 10 liters with water, mix, color green, and filter. 7
2. - Absinthes from essences Absinthe ordinaire Essence of grand wormwood... 3 gr. Essence of star anise....... 6 gr. Essence anise......... 1 gr. Essence of sweet fennel...... 1 gr. Alcohol at 90%......... 5 l. 100 Water............ 4 l. 900 Dissolve the essences in the alcohol; add the water and color with vegetal green and caramel. Allow to rest for a while. Yields 10 liters at 46% Absinthe demi-fine Essence of grand wormwood... 3 gr. Essence of petite wormwood.... 1 gr. Essence of peppermint...... 0 gr. 5 Essence hyssop.......... 0 gr. 2 Essence angelica......... 6 gr. Essence of anise.......... 3 gr. Essence of star anise...... 0 gr. 2 Essence of coriander....... 0 gr. 2 Essence of sweet fennel........ 1 gr. 5 Alcohol at 85%......... 6 l. 200 Water............ 3 l. 800 Proceed as for absinthe ordinaire. Yields 10 liters at 53%. Fine Absinthe Essence of grande wormwood... 3 gr. Essence of petite wormwood.... 1 gr. Essence of hyssop......... 0 gr. 6 Essence of melissa......... 0 gr. 6 Essence of anise......... 10 gr. Essence of star anise....... 10 gr Essence of sweet fennel...... 3 gr. Essence of coriander....... 0 gr. 2 Alcohol at 85%......... 7 l. 5 Water............ 2 l. 5 Proceed as before. Yields 10 liters at 65%. 8
VARIOUS SPIRITS Swiss Vulnerary 9 Spirit Take 100 grams of dried leaves of each of the following plants: Wormwood Lavender Rosemary Angelica Marjoram Rue Basil Melilot Savory Calament Melissa Sage Fennel Mint Wild Thyme Hyssop Oregano Thyme Alcohol at 85% 6 l. 4 Maceration: 48 hours. Add three liters of water and distill with direct fire; withdraw 6.20 liters of scented spirit; reduce the liquor with 3.80 liters of water. Yield: 10 liters. Vulnerary elixir (revulsive 10 ) Wormwood, stripped...... 0 k. 052 Angelica (seeds)......... 0 k. 052 Basil............ 0 k. 052 Calament.......... 0 k. 052 Fennel............ 0 k. 052 Hyssop............ 0 k. 052 Lavender........... 0 k. 052 Marjoram.......... 0 k. 052 Melilot............ 0 k. 052 Melissa............ 0 k. 052 Mint............ 0 k. 052 Oregano............ 0 k. 052 Rosemary.......... 0 k. 052 Rue............ 0 k. 052 Savory............ 0 k. 052 Wild thyme......... 0 k. 052 Thyme............ 0 k. 052 Alcohol at 85%......... 5 l. White sugar......... 2 k. 500 Distill and rectify twice. Amend the volume to 10 liters with water. Balm humain Balsam of Peru 11......... 15 gr. Wormwood......... 15 gr. Cumin seeds......... 450 gr Coriander.......... 30 gr. Orange peel......... 15 gr. Alcohol at 80%......... 5 l. 65 White sugar......... 2 k. 500 9
1. Literally, gunshots. The reference is to eruptions in the still due to excessive heat input. 2. An alcoholic extract of plant material. Alcoolats were used to create various products besides liquor, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. 3. The math is suspect. With these numbers, the final product should be of considerably higher proof. In addition, absinthe semi-fine by definition should be of higher proof than absinthe ordinaire. 4. This is an obvious typo. It should read 5.2 liters. There is no point in using 5.5 liters of 85% alcohol only to leave half of it in the still. In addition, the math will not work with 2.5 liters; with 5.2 it is close. Note the differences between the various products: To make ordinaire, a substantial quantity of high-proof alcoolat (also called scented spirit) is cut with an almost equal quantity of water to make a low-proof, watered-down liquor. To make demi-fine, a lesser quantity of scented spirit is created, but at the same time the product is cut with water, the proof is boosted with refined alcohol - yielding a probably not very fragrant product, but with more kick than the ordinaire. Absinthe fine contains the greatest ratio of scented spirit and boosting alcohol, and the least amount of mixing water, to yield not only a higher proof, but a more powerful scent than the others. 5. Pontarlier absinthe is Swiss absinthe. Note that a large amount of high-proof spirit is collected, and bottled with no watering down at all, other than the small amount required to bring it down to drinking proof, and with no addition of supplemental alcohol. In addition, the flegmes, which are rich in essential oils even though undrinkable, are added to a subsequent distillation to recover those oils. The resulting powerful, supercharged (in terms of scent) spirit is Swiss absinthe. This is indicative of the manufacturing process, not a geographical origin. That Swiss absinthe was esteemed over, and more expensive than all other absinthe is therefore no surprise. 6 Tamis de crin - a filter made of cloth woven from animal hair. Such filters are still used today in air filtration applications. 7. Inula Helenium, a plant of the sunflower family. 8. This product is a crème (liqueur) as opposed to an extrait such as absinthe, because it s sugared before bottling. 9. A substance intended to help heal wounds and sores by external application. 10. A pain reliever that works by diverting blood or disease from one part of the body to another. Also called a counter-irritant. 11. A syrup derived from the Peruvian Balsam tree, used to treat wounds. 10