Absinthe spoons,Absinthe glasses, fountains, drippers and brouillers are all collectively known as Absinthiana and are the accoutrements used in the preparation of Absinthe. As original items are now highly valued by collectors so these antiques and collectibles are being sold for quite substantial prices.

If you cannot afford original Absinthiana then you can buy replicas from companies such as AbsintheKit.AbsintheKit.com can help in preparing perfect Absinthe in style.

Types of Absinthe Spoons

Absinthe spoons, cuilleres, were introduced in the 1880s to make Absinthe preparation easier. In the beginning perforated cups over Absinthe glasses had been used. These spoons were pierced or slotted for dripping of sugar and water into the absinthe.

Absinthe spoons or cuilleres are available in various shapes and size and prepared from many different kinds of metal. Absinthe spoons are available in more than 375 varieties according to Marie-Claude Delahaye.
Among all the types of spoon the French Pelle is the most common type includes “les feuilles d’Absinthe” which have got Absinthe foliage designs on them. In 1889 the inauguration of the Eiffel Tower was also admired by the famous spoon design featuring the Eiffel Tower.
“les Grilles” or “Les Grillagees” means lattice which is the second group of Absinthe spoons. “Les cuilleres” are the third type which includes designs with a long handle and a cradle for holding sugar cubes.

Some of the most famous Absinthe spoons are “Les Cuilleres de Poilus”. Shell casings, aluminum, tin and brass were the materials used by the French soldiers to prepare the Cuillere spoons. These spoons were only made at the start of the war because Absinthe was banned in France in 1915. Soldiers designed these spoons according to their drinking cups. These beautiful and unique spoons are now considered as highly collectible antiques.

Absinthe was banned because of the alleged psychedelic and psychoactive effects of thujone, the chemical found in the herb wormwood which is a major ingredient in Absinthe. After being proved that Absinthe contain only small amounts of thujone which cannot harm a person it was authorized in several nations.

The Absinthe Ritual

There is a ritual to be followed by lovers of the Green Fairy (Absinthe). It is necessary to have these items to prepare the perfect Absinthe
- An Absinthe spoon
- Different types of Absinthe Glass
- Absinthe
- One has to take iced water
Some people would also say that an Absinthe fountain, brouiller or carafe should be used for the water.
How to prepare the Absinthe
- The glass should not contain more than 25-50ml of Absinthe.
- A sugar cube should be placed on the Absinthe spoon kept motionless on the glass.
- One should pour the iced water slowly on the sugar cube. The louche can be seen from the bottom of the glass.
Louching, or clouding, happens because the essential oils from the herbs are not soluble in water. The finished drink should be milky or cloudy looking.

The perfect ratio of water and Absinthe is between 3:1 and 5:1 according to taste.

The Absinthe ritual can become entertaining with the use of Absinthe spoons and other Absinthiana.