1855 Absinthe Recipe

[DreamBandit]

Found this 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France, gives the following instructions for making Absinthe and was wondering if anyone could tell me if it seems to be correct or not, (The ones I have found on here are different)

Just thinking about working out a lesser quantity recipe and give it a run as
100 litres seems Over the top..

This is the Recipe and method of distilling it

Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood,
5 kilograms of anise and
5 kilograms of fennel
in 95 litres of 85 percent ethanol by volume.

Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler.
Add 45 litres of water and apply heat;
collect 95 litres of distillate.
To 40 litres of the distillate,
add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood,
1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of lemon balm,

all of which have been dried and finely divided.
Extract at a moderate temperature,
then siphon off the liquor,
filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 litres of distillate.
Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 litres of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74 percent by volume.
May have problems finding some of the ingredients tho..

So, having got this far, What Think you ?? Worth a shot or not ???

DreamBandit

[Bushman]

Yes, it seems to have the main ingredients as different recipes vary a bit. If you read through the different absinthe threads in one of them there is a link to buying the herbs needed. If you choose to make it keep records of the processes and let us know. I would also like to see pictures of the before and after louche.

[njscofflaw]

These historic recipes are what I've been looking for. One day I'll get around to Absinthe as it's a bit of a hobby of mine from a collecting and historical standpoint.


Thanks for posting this, I'm adding this to my notes! It's being added for an attempt well before Dndrhead's post on horsepiss and coon meet prohibition recipe (which I'm still in awe over) I fear that might end in divorce.

[Bushman]

Dreambandit, just got a response from my friend on your recipe. He owns a distillery and makes one of the top absinthe's in the US. Here is his comments on the recipe which I sent him.


Hi,
Yes, it is an accurate recipe from France. In distilling circles it is simply known as the "Pontarlier."We've experimented with it before. It is considered the most basic of the Swiss-process absinthes.
Cheers,
Marc

[Shae]

How long should this age after the final blending/dilution to 74%? I was thinking it'd be like gin...5 weeks or so.

[Zman]

Reduce it to 74% after the final flavor/color infusion. Let it age for about 3 to 6 months, you can let it go for much longer if you wish. You will notice that most of the "grassier" notes reduce after about 3 months of aging, this will be an indicator that it is close to being ready for bottling. Reduce the alcohol volume to about 60 to 68% (or whatever your preferred bottling strength is, just don't go below 60%) just prior to bottling. After bottling let it rest about a month or so before consuming. Absinthe will continue to age/improve after bottling.

[kiwi Bruce]

Found this 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France,
Just thinking about working out a lesser quantity recipe and give it a run as
100 litres seems Over the top..
I agree however the recipe is metric so just move the decimal point to the left and you go from 100 litres to 1 liter
This is the Recipe and method of distilling it

Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood,
5 kilograms of anise Would become 50 grams ETC
5 kilograms of fennel
in 95 litres of 85 percent ethanol by volume.

Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler.
Add 45 litres of water and apply heat;
collect 95 litres of distillate.
To 40 litres of the distillate,
add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood,
1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of lemon balm,

DreamBandit

Hope this helps...Kiwi