Absinthe Thujone

In the history of alcoholic beverages absinthe is considered to be the most legendary, although there is basic awareness of this legendary drink most people are unaware of the true facts of this fabulous liquor and very few have had the good fortune of enjoying a glass of this fine liquor. Absinthe has a very illustrious past and in the beginning it was considered as an all purpose tonic.

However, in the later decades it lost its image as a tonic and became famous as a stimulating and inspiring drink. Many artists and legendary writers rightfully attribute their creative genius to this “Green Fairy” as it was lovingly called then. Absinthe has inspired greats such as Van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Hemingway, and Picasso.

The beginning of the twentieth century saw several European countries ban absinthe due to false unsubstantiated rumors and studies. Thankfully in the 21st century most countries have realized that absinthe contains natural ingredients that are similar to peppermint oil or vanilla. Most European countries have lifted the ban and now absinthe is completely legal. In the United States laws still prevent the production and sale of absinthe; however, possession and drinking of absinthe is not a crime.

Unlike other everyday spirits that people drink according to their preference absinthe drinking is an elaborate ritual. This ritual is also called as the absinthe ritual and it is also one of the reasons for the absinthe’s popularity amongst the pantheon of spirits. In the basic ritual, absinthe is poured in the glass. A sugar cube is placed on a special flat perforated spoon and ice cold water is dripped over the cube of sugar. The sugar slowly dissolves and dilutes the absinthe in the glass. As water dilutes the absinthe in the glass, the color of the liquid turns from green to opaque white as the oils are released this is also called as louching. For every part of absinthe three parts of ice cold water is added.

Absinthe bottles are available in capacities of 700 ml, 500 ml, 100ml, and 50ml. smaller size ceramic bottles are also available and considered as collectors or gift items. Sealed bottles of vintage absinthe are considered more precious than jewellery, and it is not uncommon to find collectors pay huge sums to acquire one. The labels on absinthe bottles may spell it as Absinthe, Absinth or Absenta. The French and Swiss use Absinthe, while in Spanish it is spelt as Absenta, the Germans use the word Absinth on bottles. The Czech Republic has many reputed distilleries producing absinthe and they use the word Absinth. Absinthe from the Czech Republic does not contain anise, fennel and other herbs; however, it does contain wormwood and has high alcohol content.

Absinthe has become so popular that absinthe art contests are held every year. The day is not far when absinthe will be permitted in the United States but for now Americans can buy absinthe legally from non-American sources. Just go online and buy your absinthe bottles and other absinthe accessories. One place where you can find the best deals on all absinthe products is Absinthekit.com

Absinthe is a strong liquor which is generally between 45 and 75% ABV (alcohol by volume), about twice as strong as other types of alcoholic beverages such as whisky and vodka.

Otherwise known as “The Green Fairy” or “La Fee Verte”, Absinthe was the drink associated with La Belle Epoque and Bohemian Paris. It was given to French soldiers in the 1840s to treat malaria and they brought the drink home with them. Absinthe bars opened all over Paris and special Absinthe hours or “L’heure verte” took place daily. By the middle of the 19th century Pernod, distillers of Absinthe, were making over 30,000 liters of Absinthe every day for the French people to buy!

About Absinthe History

Legend says that Dr Pierre Ordinaire created Absinthe in the Swiss town of Couvet in the 18th century as an elixir or tonic for his patients. The Absinthe recipe eventually got into the hands of Henri-Louis Pernod who first distilled Absinthe in Couvet and then later in Pontarlier, France under the name of Pernod Fils.

Pernod used a wine base and various herbs including common wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica, dittany, star anise, nutmeg and juniper.

Famous drinkers of the Green Fairy were Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Degas, Gauguin, Verlaine and Baudelaire.

Absinthe became more popular than wine, In France, and the prohibition movement campaigned to get Absinthe banned because:-

– Thujone, in wormwood, was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and thought to be psychoactive.
– Absinthe was linked with the loose morals of the artists, writers and courtesans of Montmartre.
– Absinthe was thought to have psychedelic effects, to cause hallucinations, convulsions and to drive people insane.

It was even claimed that an Absinthe drinker murdered his whole family – just the excuse that the prohibition movement were looking for to persuade the government to ban Absinthe. The buying, selling and consumption of Absinthe in France was made illegal in France in 1915 and in many other countries around this time.

Many studies have shown that Absinthe, including vintage Absinthe, only contains very small amounts of thujone and is perfectly safe to drink. Absinthe has been legalized in many countries since the 1990s and here has been an Absinthe revival in many countries, including the USA who have only recently allowed a few brands to go on sale.

About Absinthe Essences

To enjoy Absinthe, you can either order bottles of Absinthe on-line or you can make your own Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com. These essences are used by the Absinthe industry and are made using traditional herbal ingredients such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. Simply mix with either Everclear or vodka to make your very own Absinthe. There are four different types of essence available.

About Absinthe Preparation

The correct way to prepare Absinthe is to follow the ritual:-

– Pour 25-50ml Absinthe into an Absinthe glass.
– Rest a slotted Absinthe spoon on the top of the glass.
– Place a sugar cube on the spoon.
– Drip iced water over the sugar using an Absinthe fountain or pour slowly from a carafe.
– Watch the Absinthe louche.
– Drink your wonderful Absinthe drink.

I hope you have now learned all about Absinthe, the mysterious drink with a very interesting past and a great taste.

Absinthe the legendary alcoholic beverage of nineteenth century Paris is making a stunning comeback and its no surprise that people want to know all they can about absinthe. Absinthe has the distinction of having many nicknames it was called the “Green Fairy”, “Green Muse”, and the “Green Goddess”. What adds to its mystique and aura is its fascinating history and romantic connections to the nineteenth century art scene of Europe. Absinthe’s supposed unique effects and its great taste are also responsible for more and more pleasure seekers wanting to know more about absinthe.

Dr. Pierre Ordinaire a French doctor is credited with creating absinthe for the first time during his stay in Switzerland. The good doctor wanted to create a digestive tonic to treat stomach ailments using wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Wormwood was known for its healing and curative properties since ancient times. The digestive tonic prepared by the good doctor had high alcohol content and an anise flavor.

In the year 1797 Major Dubied realized the potential of absinthe as an alcoholic beverage and bought absinthe recipe from Dr. Ordinaire. Major Dubied then started commercial production of absinthe liquor along with his son-in-law Henri Louis Pernod in the Val de Travers region of Switzerland. Absinthe was beginning to be accepted by people favorably and so Pernod moved production to a bigger facility in Pontarlier, France. Initially the Pernod Fils distillery distilled only 16 liters of absinthe a day but as absinthe’s popularity grew they were soon distilling more than 400 liters of absinthe a day. Absinthe popularity was on a steady ascendance and by the end of nineteenth century France alone consumed more than 2 million liters of absinthe a year.

France was one place where absinthe’s popularity was the greatest and it was loved by both the aristocracy and the common public. The bohemian culture of nineteenth century France embraced absinthe and many a great painters, writers and intellectuals routinely reached out for a glass of the green fairy. Some famous names included Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. By 1870 absinthe popularity was at an all time high and it was common for people to begin their day with a glass of absinthe and end their day with more than one glass of absinthe. Absinthe brought about a unique democratization of European society; it was loved by bankers, musicians, butchers, laborers, artists and women. Absinthe drink was prepared using an elaborate ritual and special absinthe spoons, absinthe glasses, absinthe fountains were used in this ritual.

The amazing popularity enjoyed by absinthe eventually caused its downfall. The temperance movement and the anti alcohol lobby pressed hard for its ban. Absinthe was blamed for “absinthism” a mental condition characterized by violent behavior and madness. The wine industry of nineteenth century, already reeling due to absinthe’s popularity, supported the ban calls and lobbied hard with several governments in Europe. By the end of the first decade of the twentieth century most countries in Western Europe had banned absinthe. Only Spain, the Czech lands (Bohemia, Czech Silesia, and Moravia) and the United Kingdom did not ban absinthe.

Absinthe remained banned in the United States and several European countries for most of the twentieth century; however, in the light of new discoveries at the end of twentieth century that conclusively proved that absinthe did not contain harmful levels of mind bending substances like thujone, most countries legalized absinthe once again.

Unfortunately, absinthe is still considered illegal in the United States; only a watered down version of absinthe is permitted to be produced and sold in the US. The good news is that US citizens can still buy absinthe online from non-US producers or better still order absinthe kits and absinthe essence and make their very own absinthe at home. These absinthe essences are made using traditional absinthe recipes. 20 ml of absinthe essence is mixed with 730 ml of vodka or Everclear or any other neutral spirit to prepare 750 ml of absinthe.

There are several websites from where you can order your absinthe, absinthe kits, absinthe essence and other absinthe accessories. The most trusted and reputed name is absinthekit.com. Absinthekit.com offers some of the best deals available on the internet for several types of genuine absinthe essence, and other absinthe accessories.