What makes absinthe cloudy

Thujone, for example, the main flavoring in Absinthe is oil based and hydrophobic. Ouzo, as well, is made from Anise and fennel oil. This effect was first described by Wilhelm Ostwald in and is known as the Ostwald Ripening effect. In simple terms,. The Ostwald Ripening effect occurs when an added ingredient creates a reaction that no longer puts the initial compound in equilibrium either due to the PH level changing, temperature changing and the number of common ions changing the ability for the alcohol to bond with the oil.

The target liquid starts out clear because everything is in solution. As you add a second liquid, a cloudiness starts to form. That's because you've changed the balance in the system by adding a new player and suddenly other chemicals don't want to stay in solution anymore.

As I've written about in the context of fat-washing spirits , alcohol can dissolve both polar water-loving and non-polar oil-loving molecules. Since aromatic essential oils are nonpolar, they are ok with hanging dissolved in alcohol. Add some really-polar water, though, and the essential oils aren't so happy anymore and start coming out of solution. Straightforward enough, right? Here's where it gets interesting. Notice the third frame in the illustration above, labeled "precipitation.

Eventually, those chemicals will completely separate from the original solvent. Think of it this way: shake up oil and water really hard and it goes cloudy. Let it rest for a few minutes, though, and the oil and water eventually part. Likewise, mix up coffee grounds with water and the coffee will stay murky in your French press for quite a while. Let it sit, though, and eventually those grounds settle to the bottom. That's the way the world of solubility and precipitation works.

Except, my friend, in the case of the absinthe louche. As it turns out, when you add water to absinthe, the cloudy mixture that results will stay cloudy and will not further separate for months. It's about as weird as if you were to toss a handful of sand into a swimming pool and the pool stayed cloudy for the entire summer.

I'm not just making this stuff up and it wasn't even cocktail nerds who got all excited about it in the first place. Scientists call the louche phenomenon the " ouzo effect " after the popular anise-flavored Greek spirit.

Here are a few choice quotes from a recent scientific summary of the phenomenon:. Thus, cheap absinthe was adulterated with a lot of junk, such as copper sulfate to turn it green. There is zero licorice root in real absinthe. Real absinthe is flavored with aniseseed and fennel.

Other possible herbal additions include lemon balm, hyssop, spearmint, coriander, angelica and veronica. No sugar is added, although you can place a slotted absinthe spoon on top of your glass and pour cold water over a sugar cube in the French fashion if you like. Depending on the absinthe, the taste ranges from smooth, delicate and floral to pungent and spicy. If there are no real essential oils in the alcohol, there will be no louching.

So why not light it on fire? Never happened. You can find decent absinthe in the U. He thinks such standards will be formalized in the European Union and United States within the next year. He says absinthe works great in coladas, and in mojitos without the lime. Six of the most memorable, new local craft brews from Hey, Hawkeye fans, hit these 9 spots in Pasadena before or after the Rose Bowl game.