Absinthe Blog

With the senseless prohibition on absinthe having now been lifted, it is now possible to order a shot of absenthe at your local bar if they carry it. However; if they don’t stock it, it is for good reason and that is that due to it’s cost of approximately $50-60 per bottle it is just one more expensive, trendy hooch that they have to worry about their employees guzzling.

You should be able to easily track it down at higher end establishments though and it is going to run you somewhere around $10-15 per shot. If you have never drank liquor that has an alcohol content above 80 proof then you should be aware that most absinthes are over 100 proof.

This means that absinthe is not a drink to play the “big man on campus” with or you may end up spending the night with your head in a toilet or worse yet in the padded cell at your local  jail.

If you are looking for something that will make you see hallucinations than you may have to stop by your local downtown park and buy something from the shady looking guy hanging out in the parking lot, because absinthe won’t do it.

This is because, while the absinthe that you will find for sale here in the U.S., which would be “Lucid” or Kubler is of the highest quality and made to exacting traditional specifications, it does contain a minimal amount of thujone in accordance with U.S. government standards.

Since its appearance in drinking establishments across the country some highly skilled “mix masters” have developed quite a few different absinthe cocktails and some in fact have been reported by those who have tried them to be quite palatable and strong. So, if you are ready for a timely change to something new when you are out on the town on the weekends, you may think of asking the bartender if he or she has one or more absinthe cocktails to recommend.

The effects that traditional absinthe on your body and mind are enveloped in much rumor and myth. The first step in the creation of real absinthe is to macerate wormwood, fennel, and anise with ethanol. The resulting liquid is then distilled; the distillate reduced with water until the desired alcohol content is reached. A secondary herbal maceration is then completed with ingredients such as hyssop, coriander, angelica, veronica, and petite wormwood. This secondary maceration releases chlorophyll into the absinthe yielding the familiar green hue.

Absinthe was banned from much of this planet from the early 1900s until the early 2000s because of a chemical released during the initial macerating process: thujone. Thujone was considered to be a neurotoxin, inducing not only aphrodisiacal and hallucinogenic properties on the imbiber, but also great creative abilities combined with freed inhibitions. In the face of governmental regulation, violent madness was also attributed to thujone.

Modern chemical analysis has yielded thujone safe for human consumption in limited amounts. With the ban lifted in most countries excluding the US, production and interest in the intoxicating beverage has again reached high levels. People jump on the absinthe wagon in droves to be a small, continuing piece of its rich and mysterious legacy. They want to experience its reported abilities to reduce inhibition, flare creativity, and induce ravenous sexual appetites.

The truth lies here: Thujone has not been proven to induce any of these traits, nor have any of the other various herbal ingredients. One component of absinthe has been proven to induce many sorted effects on the human mind and body: ethanol – common drinking alcohol. It is present in absinthe in high quantities, 45 – 75 percent. It may well lessen inhibitory restrictions, induce promiscuous acts, and with extended abuse cause the mind to sense that which does not truly exist. But these effects on the mind and body are not reserved for absinthe alone, any booze will do.

How does Czech absinthe differ from traditional absinthe? The world is in the midst of a new surge in the popularity of absinthe in general, but is important to differentiate between real absinthe and the faux types. This is not to insinuate that Czech-style absinthes are never the real deal; however most generally they are lacking certain key ingredients: namely, anise. These varieties have come to be known as Bohemian-style as they are produced in the Czech Republic. They often are called absinth, the lacking “e” at the end signifies the Bohemian-style recipes.

While traditional absinthes are named after grande wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), they contain a relatively small amount of the plant by volume. The main ingredients of traditional absinthe, named the “Holy Trinity” by connoisseurs, are wormwood, fennel, and anise, with anise being the predominate herb. Thus anise also lends absinthe its dominant flavor. Czech/Bohemian absinths generally lack anise or contain very little.

The primary component that all absinthes contain is ethanol – common drinking alcohol; and they contain it in large amounts. Czech absinthes also contain wormwood, which when combined with ethanol is extremely bitter. Traditional absinthes such as those produced in France and Switzerland are not bitter, but yield a much smoother, anise-flavored experience. In essence, Bohemian-style absinths are not really absinthes at all. They are simply wormwood-containing ethanol marketed under the guise of traditional absinthe in order to reap the profits generated by the new surge of absinthe consumption.

Another important difference in Bohemian-style absinths is that they are generally not produced by the process of distillation. They are simply high-proof alcohol or vodka cold mixed with herbal extracts and tinted with artificial coloring. Traditional varieties are distilled and twice macerated herbal/alcohol blends. In order to compete in the ever-discerning market of absinthes, some Czech absinthe producers are embracing the traditional methods of distillation/maceration along with traditional ingredients, thus breaking away from the Bohemian absinth stigma.

Absinthe is probably the only drink that has managed to get such a fearsome reputation. It is believed that the drink has mind-bending potency and one of Absinthe’s alcohol effects is being hallucinogenic but no real evidence supports this claim.

In an experiment by Dr. Magnan, a study of 250 cases of alcoholism claimed that Absinthe drinkers were worse off compared to regular alcohol drinkers. And those who drank Absinthe experienced rapidly brought on hallucinations among other things. These purportedly Absinthe alcohol effects got a boost in the 1970s when a scientific publication mistakenly stated that thujone (the supposed active chemical in Absinthe) was related to Tetrahydrocannabinol and most probably had the same hallucinogenic properties based on its shape.

Absinthe Alcohol Effects

The most commonly reported Absinthe alcohol effect is a clear-headed feeling of inebriation, which is sometimes called secondary effect. This state of lucid drunkenness is believed to have been caused by thujone and other compounds. Ted Breaux, a chemist and Absinthe historian, said that these Absinthe alcohol effects might be caused by the fact that some of the compounds act as stimulants, others as sedatives, and collectively create a neutral effect. Other people believe that the placebo effect and individual reaction to the herbs make these secondary effects subjective and minor when likened to the psychoactive effects of alcohol.

According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, a high concentration of thujone in alcohol would have a negative effect on attention performance. One of Absinthe’s alcohol effects is a decrease in reaction time. The subjects seemed to focus their attention more in the central field of vision.

Nowadays, it is known that drinking Absinthe will not cause hallucinations. Although large doses of thujone can cause muscle spasms, there is no real evidence that hallucinations are one of Absinthe’s alcohol effects.

Absinthe, which is often referred to as a “liqueur,” is actually an anise-flavored apertif distilled from several herbs. The main component of Absinthe is alcohol and it is said to be 75% alcohol. Aside from the alcohol, there are several herbs that make up Absinthe and these are the following:

Wormwood or Artemisia absinthum, is a member of the daisy family. Wormwood is the source of thujone and Absinthe bitterness. This also produces the green color in this drink.

Another major Absinthe ingredient is star anise. This is a highly ornamental plant that is a member of the magnolia family. The star anise counters the bitterness of the Absinthe and also enhances the louche. The anise seeds are used also to neutralize the bitter taste.

Absinthe ingredients such as the fennel seed and angelica root both belong to the parsley family and can counter the bitterness.

Peppermint and hyssop are Absinthe ingredients that give the drink its vibrant green color. These aromatic herbs are both members of the mint family and add some freshness to Absinthe.

Licorice is another Absinthe ingredient that helps reduce the bitter taste. It is a member of the bean family and it is one of the most widely consumed herbs in the world.

Coriander, which is a member of the parsley family, is also one of the herbs that counter the Absinthe’s bitterness.

Dittany, an herb that belongs in the mint family, is another Absinthe ingredient that lessens the bitter taste.

Lemon balm, which is also member of the mint family, is used to add a lemon/citrus flavor to Absinthe.

Juniper is a cone-bearing plant that also helps neutralize the Absinthe’s bitterness.

It is said that all of the Absinthe ingredients generally fall into one of the following four categories: mind-altering, aphrodisiac, aromatic or curative.

Many people have praised absinthe over the years, adoring its intriguing effects. People have long referred to the drink as the “green fairy” of La Fee Verte. This is a beverage that has a high alcohol content and this beverage is also made with wormwood. Wormwood is a plant that makes the thujone in the beverage. It is the thujone that the FDA disapproves for human consumption. The drink was first used, long ago, as a medical tonic. The wormwood that is used to make the drink is responsible for the bitter taste that the drink has. This is why (the bitterness) most people dilute the absinthe and usually they dissolve sugar into it as well.

Traditional French Absinthe Ritual

This is the absinthe recipe in which an individual has an absinthe spoon and places it over the glass. This spoon usually contains one or two sugar cubes. Water is poured over the sugar and this sweetened combination is added to absinthe. This will usually cause the absinthe to become milky because the various oils are coming out of the absinthe because the alcohol content has been lowered. A sign of poorly made absinthe is the lack of this milky texture to the absinthe. This occurs because some manufacturers add color to make the absinthe dark green.

Modern Absinthe Ritual

In this absinthe recipe, the drinker only has a shot glass full of absinthe. This absinthe recipe has recently become quite popular. A sugary spoon is dipped in the shot of absinthe and then lit on fire. This sugar is set on fire until the sugar caramelizes. The spoon is then stirred into the drink to give the drink its sweetness.

Many absinthe recipes can be found online very easily. The Internet is a great way to find all kinds of absinthe drink recipes.

Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic, anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called grand wormwood. Absinthe is much talked about because wormwood is one of the main ingredients in the liquor. Wormwood has a naturally occurring chemical called thujone that it contains. This chemical has much mysticism about it, and has interesting effects in itself. This chemical in absinthe, thujone, is said to affect the same area of the brain as THC, the main active chemical in marijuana. People have been know to hallucinate under the influence of absinthe, or the thujone chemical. Much of this is myth and much of it has to do with the high alcohol by volume content of absinthe.Absinthe was originally made in Switzerland as an elixir. However, it became popular in the early 19th century in France, specifically in Paris, where it was drunk by many painters, writers, and artists. Absinthe is traditionally a green color and has been given the nickname The Green Fairy. However, due to the high concentration of alcohol and oils it has, it is usually mixed with three-to-five parts water and sugar is usually added with an absinthe spoon.

Recently absinthe has been pushed in vogue again as many countries in the European Union have legalized its distillation and sale since 1990. There has been a great modern revival in the recent years that is celebrating absinthe as a drink. In the 1990s an importer, BBH Spirits, realized that there was no UK law prohibiting the sale of absinthe (as it was never banned there) other than the standard regulations governing alcoholic beverages.

Hill’s Liquere, a Czech Republic distillery founded in 1920, began manufacturing Hill’s Absinth, a Bohemian-style absinth, which sparked a modern resurgence in absinthe’s popularity.

There’s many places where Absinthe has been banned, but it has never been banned in Spain or Portugal, where it continues to be made today. Likewise, the former Spanish and Portuguese New World colonies, especially Mexico, allow the sale of absinthe and it has retained popularity through the years.