What was that magickal drink that Mina was drinking in Bram Stoker's Dracula? It was Absinthe. It has been banned from this country and many others due to the fact that it causes hallucinations. Not to mention that wormwood is a poison. I've made this drink and haven't suffered any hallucinations. But then again, I don't drink much. Also, not much wormwood is put into this drink. It hasn't made me sick, but I can't speak for everybody. If you are concerned about the wormwood, don't add it.
Ingredients:
1 pint vodka
2 tsp. crumbled wormwood (dried)
2 tsp. anise seed
1/2 tsp. fennel seed
4 cardamom pods
1 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. chopped angelica root
1 2/3 cups sugar syrup
Preparation:
Place vodka in a large jar with a tight fitting lid. Add wormwood and shake well; steep for 48 hours and strain out. Crush seeds and pods in mortar. Add them and all remaining herbs to vodka and steep in a warm place for 1 week. Filter and sweeten. Pour into a bottle and enjoy a piece of history.
Suggestion: Pour a half glass of water into a half glass of Absinthe for authenticity.
Note: This drink will be very bitter even with
the sugar syrup in it. Wormwood is a bitter herb. And unlike the
movie, this drink will not be green. It will be brown.