"Louche" effect
True absinth turns a milky colour when diluted with ice water. This is due to a number of factors. The first influencing factor is the herbal content in the absinth. Anise, wormwood and other herbs contain compounds which are dissolved into the alcohol and stay suspended, invisible, until the amount of alcohol in the glass is reduced. This introduces the second influencing factor: water. When the percent of alcohol is decreased below a certain threshold, the compounds are no longer able to remain separate and join to one another, becoming visible and turning the absinth milky. The third influencing factor is temperature. Alcohol’s volume is very temperature sensitive, this is why it is used in thermometers. Chilled absinth will produce a more dramatic louche effect than warm absinth since the chilled absinth’s alcohol volume is less than when it is warm, more dissolved compounds are forced out of solution because they have lost even more “hiding places”. Conclusion: for the most dramatic louche effect, use chilled absinth and add ice water. Or add a couple of cubes of ice to the absinth, allowing it to melt into the absinth for 5 minutes and then add ice water. Adding warm water to warm absinth will not result in a spectacular louche.

Click picture to see "louche" effect movie.

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