Absinthe Sugar: Do you need it?

Today’s topic of Absinthe Sugar is a question that a good number of people are dealing with in regard to preparing and consuming Absinthe, especially Absintheurs that are new to the world of Absinthe. That is why we want to address it in order to make it easier for you to understand what this is all about.

The ritual of drinking Absinthe

As most of you know, the sugar (cube) is a big part of the drinking ritual, no matter which one you choose to use. Make sure to check out our other Blog posts about Absinthe Rituals, in order to get an overview about the different ones, as well as the Dos and Don’ts of preparing Absinthe.

Drink Absinthe with sugar cubes

A lot of times whether one actually needs the sugar (cubes) arises. So why do you take sugar at all? 

When Absinthe was becoming popular, we are talking about the 19th century, people loved sweet things. People didn’t think of low-carb or any other modern diets, they simply consumed what they loved. Sugar was like a candy, people loved it. Additionally, Absinthe is quite a strong drink and sugar can mask the high alcoholic volume as well as a bitter taste, resulting of the wormwood plant. All in all, people often drank Absinthe with lots of sugar, more cubes than we actually use today! As you can see in the following historical photography, the spoon is literally loaded with sugar.

Still nowadays, people actually love the sugar in their Absinthe, especially being used to commercial lemonades and other soft drinks that contain a good amount of sugar. Adding to the factor of taste, some people also like the history behind Absinthe, i.e. using the Absinthe spoon & sugar ritual. They enjoy the process of preparing their drink just as much as the drink itself.

Maybe you ask yourself why the spirit Absinthe is not sugared at the distillery, if you add sugar anyway? The answer is, that sugar would crystallize, if you add it to a high proof spirit like Absinthe. Therefore, premium quality, high proof Absinthes are never sweetened, their sugar content is zero.

Drink Absinthe without sugar

Experienced Absintheurs often skip the sugar. They do it, because they want to drink the pure drink without the masquerade of sweetness. There are also some Absinthe brands, that are easier to drink without sugar. These are often the white, uncolored Blanche Absinthes. As these Absinthes skip the coloring process with additional herbs, their taste is often softer in comparison to green Absinthes. This means they are less bitter and therefore a sweetener is not necessarily needed.

You can also say, the lower the alcoholic volume of the specific brand, the more you should try the Absinthe without adding sugar cubes. A typical example are the Swiss La Bleue Absinthes. You drink them without a sugar cube, as they “only “have 53% alc. by vol. compared to the classic alcohol content of 68%. Additionally, they use a lot of anise, which already gives the Absinthe a sweet note. 

Other ways of sweetening your glass of Absinthe

One disadvantage of sugar cubes is, that they need some time to dissolve. Especially in a bar, this time-consuming way of making an Absinthe can be a pain. Therefore, already in the early days of Absinthe an alternative way of preparing Absinthe with a good sweetness was popular. Instead of sugar cubes sugar syrup was used. Do you want to learn more?  Make sure to check out how to prepare an Absinthe Gommée!

Nico from the ALANDIA-Team

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