How to drink Absinthe

Savor the potent spirit – up to 140 proof! – that is once again being sold in the U.S. after a nearly century-long ban.

You Will Need
* Absinthe
* A jigger
* A parfait glass
* A slotted spoon
* A sugar cube
* Ice-cold spring water
* A lighter or match (optional)

Step 1
Pour an ounce or two of absinthe into a tall, heavy, thick-stemmed glass, like a parfait glass.

Step 2
Place an absinthe spoon – a flat, metal, slotted spoon – across the rim of the glass.

Step 3
Put a sugar cube on the slots of the spoon.

Step 4
Slowly drip three to six ounces of cold spring water over the sugar cube until the sugar is dissolved. The absinthe will turn from transparent green to a cloudy green or yellow.

Some people dip the sugar cube in absinthe and set the cube on fire before dousing it with ice water.

Step 5
Stir with the slotted spoon and enjoy.

Fact: Governments around the world banned absinthe in the early 20th century because it was thought to cause madness.