Now this begs the question that what a koozie is, after all. Actually it is the modernized form of a beer sleeve or stubby holder from the days of the past. Invented by one Shane Walsh, a beer koozies is generally a round cylinder provided with a round base too. This cylinder is cut open from the top so that you can put your beer can in it. But fresh cold beer can create a vacuum inside a cylinder of this nature and that is why a hole is provided in the base. They are made up of many materials but the ones used popularly are neoprene, polyester and open cell foam. These materials are perfect for koozies because of the way they react to a temperature difference. They ensure that even the last drop of beer in that can stays as cold as the first one and your hand remains absolutely warm throughout. The latest designs even have buttons or zips.

If the party is being thrown on a really special occasion, you can even get personalized koozies designed and ordered to leave a lasting impression on the minds of your visitors. All you need to do is get a small logo, image or caricature designed which actually represents the theme of the party and the occasion. Then this picture will be screen printed on the cylinder to complete the process. As of today, giving out personalized koozies has almost become the unspoken norm at almost all kinds of parties – a formal get together for a sorority or fraternity, an after wedding party, a bachelor or bachelorette party, a wedding anniversary or birthday party and the like. This is because it is in people’s nature to get nostalgic after many years and remember the little things like the lovely memento that was given out to mark the occasion. Also such personalized koozies can be used for a long time to come.



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Your first step is to procure what’s known as a “neutral spirit.” This can be vodka, grain alcohol, or wine. (Traditionally, wine has been used in the most respected commercial formulations.) Make sure your base isn’t too concentrated or flavorful. Your next step is to “macerate” the spirit with a prepared batch of herbs. In general, for every three quarters of a liter of spirit, add a third a cup of herbs. In the Spanish formulation, herbs include: wormwood, anise seeds, angelica root, and coriander. For the Winston La Fée Verte formulation, use wormwood, anise, angelica root, peppermint leaf and hyssop. Other spices to add could include thyme, cardamom, lemon balm, mint, nutmeg, and sage. Please note, however, that if you use a lot of sage, star anise, wormwood or nutmeg, you may toxify or partially toxify the absinthe. One of the reasons why absinthe is banned or regulated in so many countries is that certain preparations contain a chemical called thujone, which can damage receptors in the central nervous system. A small amount of thujone won’t likely cause a toxic reaction, but if you are making a home formulation, avoid using wormwood stems or macerating your spirit for more than a few months.

Keep the absinthe in a cool location at a constant temperature away from sunlight. Once this process is finished, distill the beverage. This will leave you with a liquid that’s not suited for drinking – it will likely be brown in color and highly astringent. Next, you will need to “finish” the batch to produce appropriate coloration and taste. You can finish with an array of herbs (and even wormwood). Common herbs used in finish include hyssop, melissa, peppermint leaf, and mint.

An alternative way to go is to create multiple distillates with separate flavors to mix later to taste. For instance, you can create a pure “anise” absinthe as well as a pure “peppermint” absinthe and then mix them after the process is finished to create a flavor, color, and bitterness level to your taste.

After macerating the finish, filter the absinthe again and prepare for either bottling or consumption. You can play with both the coloration and taste even at this stage. Add corn syrup or Splenda to sweeten the brew. Alternatively, dilute the beverage with water or add vodka or another base spirit to punch up its alcohol content.

Be aware that if you use too many herbs or too strong a maceration in your preparation, your drink will likely end up tasting bitter or overwhelming. You might also overwhelm the wispy natural green color of the concoction if you steep too long. Conversely, if you add too much base spirit, you can overwhelm the flavoring. If you water the absinthe down too much, you will get an effect known as “louching” — your beverage will cloud.

Once you finish your formulation, you can bottle the absinthe in mason jars, bottles or other glass casings. Be sure to keep your absinthe corked, stored in a cool dark place, and rotated regularly to ensure evenness of flavor and body.

Not all absinthes must be made via distillation. You can find herbal kits (on the internet and elsewhere), which can help you make absinthe, bypassing the distillation stage. You can also create what is known as clear absinthe (also known as Suisse la Bleue), in which there is no finish applied. Although the Suisse la Bleue will be clear (or near clear), you can still taste the flavor traces left over by the initial maceration.

Make sure to prepare all of your ingredients on clean surfaces. Vary up your blend of preparatory herbs to explore different finished products. In fact, you can vary your recipe practically every step! Experiment with the fineness of your herbal preparation, the dimensions of your storage containers, the temperatures at which you store the beverage, the duration of maceration (both initial and finished), the type and strength of the base spirit, your method of filtration and distillation, and the length of time you age your finished product. Above all, make sure that you enjoy the process — experiment often, but experiment safely.

Green Devil provides information, tips and kits on the making and history of absinthe throughout the ages.  Learn more about the allure this beverage has held over the centuries or make your own absinthe alcohol and find out for yourself.

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