Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-04-12
ABsINTHE MADE IN NEW YORK.
One Small Cabaret Turns Out 5000 Gallons
Annually


Near to Fifth avenue, downtown, in
New York city, there is dark little cab
aret whose furniture consists of we'll
worn casks a tiny bar and shelves
stacked with bottles, filled mainly with
cordials.
Behind this room is a still where, for
the past forty-three years, an average of
5000 gallons of absnthe has been annual
ly produced, las good" the proprietors
will modestly claim, "as the imported ar
ticle."
But this same proprietor is no respect
or of tradition, for he rudely skaters all
belief in that famous fairy" the green
eyed" and relegates it to the world of
myth along with Tell and his apple and
Washington and his Ratchet.
"Abslnthe," he says proudly els a
Swiss drink. / am a Swiss. Absinthe
does no more harm than gin or whisky,
only absinthe is so good you drink too
much"
The absnthe maker then explained
that the insidlous drink must be harm
less, inasmuch as 1t is made only of spir-
it's and eighteen different herbs, seeds
and roots. The name is derived from
wormwood, one of its chief ingredients.
This plant grows in the coolest parts of
the mountains of Switzerland, where it's
cultivation is the main industry of the
people of those cantons.
1t grows to the heighth of about AZ
feet, but 1t is in it's prime when it is
about feet high. 1t Is then harvested
and dried in dark rooms, ventilated by
means of Stats. When baled and deliv-
cred in this country the best grades are
worth from 10 to Is cents pound.
/ The flavor of the absinthe is DUE not
to the NORWOOD, but to anise seed. The
process of manufacture of absinthe Is
distillation, and, like all distilled liquors
1t is at first white It's color is obtained
In the casks to which it is Immediately
transferred after it Is distilled and where
1t remains for about seven months. 1t is
then ready for use. But, like certain
wines, the longer 1t remains in the wood
the finer 1t becomes, but because 1t loses
about one tenth of It's bulk in the course
of year it is rarely more than year
old when bottled. In bottles 1T does not
perceptibly improve.
AS to the proper mode of serving this
beverage, the expert said: Don't shake
it, Just pour about one ounce in COB
let containing one piece of ice, pour In
water slowly and stir with spoon. Bet
ter still, get a regular apsinthe glass, fill
the top with ice and put the absinthe In
the little cup at the bottom, and then
pour the water on the ice so as to let II
drip slowly through the pin hole.
I'm some parts of Switzerland they use
white wine instead of water. There is
nothing in what is called washed alb
sinthe."
rs there much absnthe made in this
city outside of your placer"
Yes; there are 100 places here where
they make 1t on the sly, but with drugs
not herbs. That is bad, very bad and
harmful But. you must know that oils
essences and poor spirits are the com
ponent parts of great many cordials
and liquors now sold in this country.
know a man who can make bottle oil
key of whisky, gin or absinthe In hall
hour. In Switzerland there are hundreds
and hundreds of distilleries. For ex-
ample, near the little town of Pontar-
lier there are at least forty. Over there
they sometimes drink what Is called
suissesse,' that is, a mixture of absinthe
and ansette, but that is drunk chiefly by
women.
1.-THE proper time to drink absinthe is
Just before dinner, one glass. and that
should be slipped so as to last at least
half an hour. The reason why absinfhe
becomes opalescent? Well. that Is be-
cause the spirits hold the oils of the
herbs. and when you put the water In
they are precipitated.
ssAmerican absinthe retails at 81 gaE
lon. or 81. rs a bottle, while the foreign ar
ticle is worth from $3.50 to $1.75 bottle
1t is rarely imported in wood