The Bancroft Blog

“Louching” with Friends • Absinthe Fountains at The Bancroft

absinthe fountain

Absinthe is a wormwood-infused liquor that gained unprecedented popularity in the late 19th century as the cocktail of choice throughout Europe and the United States.   It was banned in the early 1900s amid growing fears that it caused harmful mind-altering effects and dangerous hallucinations. Absinthe began to get reintroduced to the world in the 1980s once it was determined the neurotoxin effects of wormwood are only harmful in extremely high doses.   The United States lifted its prohibition of absinthe in 2007…

Photo courtesy Chris Eng
Photo courtesy Chris Eng

The absinthe fountain is the traditional way to enjoy this unique drink. You will be given a goblet containing 1.5oz of absinthe. A “louche” is created when iced water from the fountain is slowly dripped into the glass to mix with the absinthe, releasing the aromatics. Should you desire a balancing sweetness, place the absinthe spoon on top of the rim of the glass and allow the water to drip over one or two sugar cubes when creating the louche.