Absinthe Recipe

I am here posting the long-awaited recipe for Absinthe. I found this very special recipe in a book I checked out of the San Bruno Public Library some 25 years ago.With the exception of a few modifications, this recipe is more or less true to the original. I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the book or the author of it, and for that I sincerely apologize. I would prefer to give credit where credit is due. Many have asked for this recipe over the years, and I really don't feel the need to hang on to the secret any longer. Give me credit for my generosity, but not for the character of this most seductive of liquors.

[Please recognize that wormwood is known to cause nerve damage with sustained use. And, without wormwood, this concoction cannot truly be called an absinthe. So, I implore you, do not create this beverage without care, nor serve it without caution.]

Absinthe

1 pt. vodka

2 tsp. crumbled wormwood

2 tsp. anise seed + 1/2 tsp. fennel seeds worked in a mortar

4 cardamom pods

1 tsp. marjoram leaves

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. chopped angelica root

1 2/3 C. sugar syrup

Steep wormwood in vodka for 48 hours. Strain through a sieve lined with cheese-cloth. Add all the flavorings and allow to steep for two weeks. Strain this mixture through a sieve lined with cheese cloth. Sweeten this with sugar syrup (recipe follows) and bottle. If one has absinthe spoons the pre-sweetening of the absinthe may be omitted, and each guest may sweeten each serving with sugar cubes to their own taste.

Sugar Syrup

Combine 1 C. sugar and 1 C. water in a saucepan; stir over med heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to boiling point, let boil, without stirring about 7 minutes; cool. Pour into jar, cover and keep refrigerated until use. Makes 1 C.