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Assembling Your Absinthe Bouquet

Once you understand the basics of absinthe and broadly which path you intend to follow, it’s time to make some flavor decisions. Here we consider how you can put your own thumbprint on the spirit via botanicals and other creative choices.

Courtney Iseman Nov 28, 2023 - 9 min read

Assembling Your Absinthe Bouquet Primary Image

Photo: Matt Graves/www.mgravesphoto.com

Anise, fennel, and wormwood are obligatory in absinthe. Beyond those, you’ll have some decisions to make when it comes to designing your bouquet of botanicals.

“In absinthe distillation, it’s a large amount of green aniseed, fennel seed, and star anise,” says Aaron Selya, director of operations at Philadelphia Distilling. “All contribute different levels of complexity to that anethole flavor, with the grand wormwood, as well.”

Selya also uses spearmint, hyssop, and lemon balm. At Wollersheim in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, distiller Tom Lenerz adds coriander, angelica, lavender, and lemongrass.

T.A. Breaux, the absinthe revivalist behind Jade Liqueurs, says the botanicals are where distillers can flex some creative muscles—by including nontraditional botanicals such as yuzu, for example. Sourcing botanicals from different regions is another way to provide subtle, distinctive character.

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Courtney Iseman is a freelancer writer focused on the craft-beverage space, based in Brooklyn, New York.

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