While most alcoholic beverages have a very specific ordering that governs classification and labeling, absinthe has never been particularly regulated.
According to popular treatises of the nineteenth century, absinthe was freely classified into different types based on the criteria of alcohol content and total quality: ordinaire, demi-fine, fine and suisse (although the latter does not denote the origin ).
Many contemporary absinthe critics classify absinthe simply as a distilled or mixed beverage, based on the production method. Although absinthe distillate is generally considered qualitatively much superior to the other, the simple wording "distilled" on the label does not provide any guarantee of quality of the ingredients and method.
Blanche or la Bleue : this wormwood (also known as the Bleue in Switzerland) is bottled immediately after distillation; it is visually colorless (clear). Originally, the name la Bleue was a term used for contraband Swiss wormwood, but it has become a popular noun which more generally indicates Swiss products after the prohibition phase.
Verte (green, in French): it is a Blanche that undergoes a coloring procedure so that a mixture based on herbs is infused into the distillate. This trick gives the drink a peridot green hue and an intense flavor. The Verte represent the most common type of absinthe in the nineteenth century. Artificially colored green essences can be defined Verte even if they do not possess the characteristic herbal-based flavors that come from the aforementioned infusion process.
Absenta (wormwood, in Spanish): it is sometimes associated with a regional style that often differs slightly from the French alter ego. The discrepancy in the organoleptic and gustatory characteristics consists in the use of Alicante anise, which often denotes a typical citrus scent.
Hausgemacht (German, indicates those homemade, often abbreviated as HG) refers to the clandestine absinthe distilled at home (this is not the Swiss brand La Clandestine ). The Hausgemacht is produced in small quantities for personal use and not for the market. In the past, after the commercial ban on absinthe, there was an increase in clandestine distillation (even by former producers), especially in Switzerland. Here, even if the ban was subsequently revoked, some clandestine distillers did not legitimize the relative production anyway. It is believed that the reasons may be related to tax evasion and the mystical appeal of the smuggled product which would increase the value of the drink.
Bohemia or Czech or Absinth (without the "e") or Absinthe Without Anise is a type of Czech wormwood, also referred to as "bitter absinthe". It is produced mainly in the Czech Republic, from which it takes the name Bohemian or Czech, although not all Czech assents are of this type. Typically, Bohemia has a hint of anise, fennel and other herbs typical of the traditional one; it is very weak and therefore has little to do with those that became popular in the nineteenth century.
