What are the ingredients in absinthe?
Mostly ethanol (ordinary drinking alcohol). There is a “holy trinity” of herbs in virtually all absinthe: Green anise (Pimpinella anisum, not to be confused with star anise, which is Illicium verum) Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium and Artemisia pontica) Florence Fennel (various cultivars of Foeniculum vulgare) Recipes vary. One distilled absinthe from Spain manages to make do with only wormwood and green anise. Hyssop and lemon balm (also called melissa) are often used, as is, especially in Spanish absinthes and some clear Swiss absinthes, star anise. A variety of other herbs and spices, such as tansy, coriander, veronica and angelica, were historically, but less commonly, used. It’s ironic that the liquor named after wormwood contains a relatively small amount of the plant, compared to the total of other herbs used in virtually all recipes. Anise is the predominant herb.
