The main herbs used to produce absinthe are green anise, florence fennel and grande wormwood, often called the 'holy trinity'. Many other herbs may be used as well, such as hyssop, melissa, star anise, petite wormwood (Artemisia pontica or Roman wormwood), angelica root, Sweet Flag, dittany leaves, coriander, veronica, juniper, nutmeg, and various mountain herbs.
The simple maceration of wormwood in alcohol (as called for in absinthe kits) without distillation produces an extremely bitter drink because of the presence of the water-soluble absinthine, one of the most bitter substances known to man. Authentic recipes call for distillation after a primary maceration and before the optional secondary or 'coloring' maceration. The distillation of wormwood, anise, and Florence fennel first produces a colorless distillate that leaves the alembic at around 72% alcohol.
The distillate can be bottled clear, to produce a Blanche or la Bleue absinthe, or it can be colored using artificial or natural coloring. Traditionally the natural coloring step is done by steeping petite wormwood, hyssop, and melissa, among other herbs, in the liquid. Chlorophyll from these herbs give it its famous green color and this green absinthe is known as a verte. After this process, the resulting product is reduced with water to the desired percentage of alcohol.
In at least one documented case it can be naturally colored red, called a rouge or rose, by using a red flower/herb. Since the color is achieved by steeping herbs, it is theoretically possible to create a 'naturally colored' absinthe of any color by using the correct plant material, although only one historical rouge brand has been discovered thus far.
Absinthe can also be produced by mixing steam-distilled oils in high-proof alcohol, called an oil-mix.
Historically, most absinthes contain between 60% and 75% alcohol. It is said to improve materially with storage, and many pre-ban distilleries aged their absinthe in neutral barrels before bottling. In the late 19th century, cheap brands of absinthe were occasionally adulterated by profiteers with copper, zinc, indigo plant, or other dyes to impart the green color, and with antimony trichloride to produce or enhance the louche effect (see below). It is also thought that the use of cheaper industrial alcohol and poor distillation technique by the manufacturers of cheaper brands resulted in contamination with methanol, fusel alcohol, and similar unwanted distillates. This addition of toxic chemicals is likely to have contributed to absinthe's reputation as a hallucination-inducing or otherwise harmful beverage.
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