Bohemian-style Absinth

Bohemian-style Absinth

Bohemian-style or Czech-style absinth (also called anise-free absinthe, or just “absinth” without the “e”) is an ersatz version of the traditional spirit absinthe, though is more accurately described as a kind of wormwood bitters. It is produced mainly in the Czech Republic, from which it gets its designations as “Bohemian” or “Czech,” although not all absinthe from the Czech Republic is Bohemian-style.

Bohemian-style absinth contains little or none of the anise, fennel, and other herbs that are central to the flavor of traditional absinthe. This usually results in a product that is more bitter and less aromatic than traditional absinthe. It is not produced by the traditional means of maceration and distillation, but by cold-mixing high-proof alcohol with herbal oils and artificial colorants — a cheaper production method that involves no distillation.

Typical Bohemian-style absinth has only two similarities with its traditional counterpart, in that it contains wormwood and has a high alcohol content.

Since few countries possess a legal definition for absinthe, producers of Czech style absinth have taken advantage of this situation by borrowing the romantic Belle Époque associations and psychoactive reputation of traditional absinthe to create a market for their dissimilar products. Many of these producers aim to increase the appeal of their wares by making claims as to the thujone content of their absinth, levels which are uncharacteristic of "pre-ban" absinthe. A few Czech products even claim to have levels of thujone that would render them unfit to be sold in many parts of the world.