How to drink absinthe. For those of you who are new to absinthe, the traditional method for tasting absinthe is with water and sugar. The water is used to dilute the alcohol, and the sugar is used to mask the bitterness of the absinthium (wormwood) and other oils.

The traditional ritual for serving absinthe is to pour ice-cold water over a cube of sugar that is resting on a slotted spoon. Typically 3 - 5 portions of water to one portion of absinthe. The slotted spoon is suspended over a glass with the portion of absinthe. The cold water dissolves the sugar, both entering the glass to mix with the absinthe. As the cold water mixes with the absinthe, it clouds, this effect is called the "louche".

Most absinthes produced today are already sweet and adding sugar may obscure the wonderful flavors that the distiller intended for you to enjoy.