On the first year of the garden, we planted six tomato plants, one smallish row of lettuce that bolted overnight, and, just for fun, a dozen wormwood plants (Artemisia absithium). Of course, by then the absinthe craze had faded and the silver-slotted spoons were long gone. It didn’t take much for us to soak way too much of those plants (in our houses, of course) in a jug of alcool (grain alcohol), then correct the awful taste of wormwood with a full bottle of pastis. Man, it was strong, and it worked, too. A few years ago, we gave Martin Picard at Au Pied de Cochon a pickle jar full of absinthe; when we later visited the restaurant, about a thousand dollars in cash was sitting in the liquid and people were drinking it right out of the jar. Disgusting. Picard would add more booze when the level dropped. So you have this huge jar of plants and money just sitting there with the top on. Every season we try to concoct a better mix—at home, of course. You’ll need a gram scale for this recipe.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 6 cups (1.5 liters)

　　

MIX A

30 g dried wormwood

　　45 g fennel seeds

　　45 g aniseeds

　　10 g dried angelica root

　　12 g coriander seeds

　　10 g dried lemon peel

　　

MIX B

10 g dried hyssop

　　10 g dried lemon balm

　　10 g dried peppermint

　　

Step 1

In reality, you should macerate Mix A for a few days in a 1 quart (1-liter) bottle of 190 proof (95 percent) clear alcool, then dilute and distill it. But since it is dangerous and mostly illegal, we don’t suggest it. After you get a clear distillate, you would macerate Mix B in it for a few days to impart the greenish tinge (though not the fake mouthwash color) and a light herbaceous tone. Then you would add clean water and strain it through a coffee filter to bring down the alcool content to 90 proof (45 percent). So if you’re bottling in old wine bottles, it should be half mixture, half water. Cork, shake, and serve.

　　

Step 2

Another option (that purists would find disturbing) is to put Mix A in a muslin bag and tie it closed. Soak the bag in 190 proof clear alcool for 3 days in a dark, cool room. Remove the Mix A bag, add Mix B in a muslin bag, and leave again for 3 days, same process. Then remove the second bag and filter the liquid through a series of coffee filters. Add an equal amount of clean water. Or, you can substitute simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water; dissolve the sugar in the water) for part of the water.

　　

NOTE

Step 3

Here is how to find our herb man, a one-stop shop for absinthe ingredients: Herbarôme-la Bottine aux Herbes, 3778 A Rue Saint Denis, Montreal, QC H2W 2M1, (514) 845-1225; [email protected].

　　Reprinted with permission from The Art of Living According to Joe Beef by Frédéric Morin, David McMillan & Meredith Erickson, copyright © 2011. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.