La Fe Verte
OLD ABSINTHE RECIPES

TINCTURE OF WORMWOOD

Wormwood, in course powder 3 ounces
Diluted alcohol 1 pint

Make a tincture by maceration or percolation, obtaining 1 pint.
– The ERA Formulary, 1914

ABSINTHE

• Spirit of Wormwood – 175 parts
• Best Sugar – 125 parts
• Orange Flower Water – 13.5 parts
• Water – 125 parts

Dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the orange flower water. Thoroughly mix in the syrup the white of one egg. Next add the wormwood spirit, and heat the mixture very gently over a water bath, so as just to coagulate the albumen. Immediately remove the liquid from the fire and filter.
— Scientific American Cyclopedia, 22 ed., 1903

ABSINTHE

• Flowering tops of Wormwood – 4 lb.
• Tops of Artemisia pontica – 2 lb.
• Angelica root – 15 grams
• Calamus aromaticus – 15 grams
• Chinese aniseed – 15 grams
• Dittany of Crete leaves – 15 grams
• 88 proof Brandy or Spirit – 4 gal.

Macerate 10 days. Add 1 gal. water. Distill 4 gal. by gentle heat. Dissolve in the distilled spirit crushed white sugar, 2 lb.
— Scientific American Cyclopedia, 22 ed., 1903

ABSINTHE OF MONTPELLIER

• Wormwood (dried) – .25 kg.
• green Anise – .6 kg.
• Fennel – .4 kg.
• Coriander – .1 kg.
• Angelica seed – .5 kg.
• Alcohol, 170 proof – 9.5 l.

Digest the ingredients for 12 hours with alcohol, then add 4.5 l. of water, then distill 9.5 l. of perfumed spirit. Color as follows: dried hyssop (herb and flowers) .75 kg., dried lemon balm .75 kg., small wormwood (Artemisia pontica) .1 kg. The small wormwood is broken in small pieces, the hyssop and lemon balm are reduced to powder in a mortar. Digest the whole of the perfumed spirit at a low temperature. Allow to cool. To this colored liquor add 5.5 l. of perfumed spirits, and reduce to 148 proof with .5 l. of water to produce 10 liters of product.
— Scientific American Cyclopedia, 22 ed., 1903

TINCTURE ABSINTHE COMPOUND

• Oil of Wormwood – 15 drops
• Oil of Anise – 8 drops
• Oil of Fennel – 8 drops
• Oil of Coriander – 8 drops
• Oil of Origanum – 4 drops
• Oil of Angelica – 4 drops
• Oil of Cardamom – 4 drops
• Alcohol – 1 pint

Dissolve the oils in the alcohol and color green with chlorophyll.
— The ERA Formulary, 1914

TINCTURE ABSINTHE COMPOUND

• Wormwood – 1.0 ounce
• Gentian – .5 ounce
• Bitter orange peel – .5 ounce
• Rhubarb – .25 ounce
• Aloes – 20.0 grains
• Cascarilla – 20.0 grains
• Diluted alcohol – 1.0 pint

Reduce the drugs to a coarse powder and prepare 1 pint of tincture by maceration or percolation. This preparation is also known as Stoughton Bitters.
— The ERA Formulary, 1914

CREME D’ABSINTHE (by Essences)

• Essence of absinthe – .06 gr.
• Essence of English mint – .06 gr.
• Essence of anise – 3 gr.
• Essence of fennel – .08 gr.
• Alcohol, 170 proof – 3 l.
• Sugar – 5.6 kg.
• Water – 2.6 l.

— Scientific American Cyclopedia, 22 ed., 1903

ABSINTHE OF LYONS

• Wormwood (dried) – .3 kg.
• Anise (green) – .8 kg.
• Fennel – .4 kg.
• Angelica seeds – .05 kg.

Coloring:

• Lemon balm – .1 kg.
• Artemisia pontica (dried) – .1 kg.
• Hyssop (herb and flowers) – .05 kg.

–

• Veronica (dried) – .5 kg.

— Scientific American Cyclopedia, 22 ed., 1903

WITH FLOWERS AND WITH WOMEN

With flowers, and with Women,
With Absinthe, and with Fire,
We divert ourselves a little,
Act out our role in whatever drama.

Absinthe, on a winter evening,
Lights in green the burning soul;
And the Flowers, on the beloved,
Grow fragrant before the clear Fire.

Later, the kisses lose their charm
After several seasons;
The mutual betrayals
Part us one day without tears.

We burn letters and bouquets.
And the fire leads us to the future;
And if sad life is saved,
There is Absinthe, and its hiccups.

The portraits eaten by flames.
The burned fingers tremble.
In death we sleep long,
With flowers and with Women.

-Charles Cros

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