Defiance Cidery & Distillery in Middleburg, Virginia. Ingesting too much thujone will cause epileptic-like seizures but it won’t make you hallucinate, says Distiller Peter Ahlf, who distills absinthe at Mt. The spirit is made by soaking six herbs - grande wormwood, anise, fennel, Roman wormwood, hyssop, and lemon balm - in base alcohol and then distilling it to remove thujone, a toxic chemical compound found in wormwood, which was falsely believed to be a hallucinogenic. Artists Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Vincent van Gogh, and writers Oscar Wilde and James Joyce were absinthe drinkers, adding to the drink's reputation as a muse and possible hallucinogenic. The drink, often called the "Green Fairy," was popular with the masses from the 1870s until 1915, when absinthe was banned throughout Europe and much of the world, giving it immediate cool capitol. Breaux performed a molecular analysis of absinthe to show it doesn’t cause hallucinations, allowing the drink to be legally sold in the U.S., after it had been banned for 95 years.Ībsinthe's mystique can be traced back to France’s Belle Époque. Ted Breaux, a scientist and the founder of Jade Liqueurs, had a significant hand in the U.S. Today there is a renewed interest in absinthe, fueled in part by the rise of craft distilleries across the country, a few of which have started producing their own absinthe. The experience of preparing, pouring, and drinking absinthe is difficult to describe without resorting to extravagant language, and so we recommend that you see for yourself what all the fuss is about.RELATED: What's the Difference Between Seltzer, Sparkling and Mineral W. We suspect that the increased sensory awareness – the only true and common effect of absinthe we know of – is what made the drink a hit with artists such as Van Gogh, Hemingway, Rimbaud, and many others (though we don’t believe Van Gogh lost his ear due to an absinthe binge!)Ībsinthe need not remain a mystery to you. As you sip your absinthe, try listening to a favorite song, or looking through a photo-book. Absinthe may not have the same effects as certain illegal drugs, but it definitely awakens the senses in a way that no other alcohol truly can. This mellowing, milky louche heightens your senses of smell, sight, and eventually, taste.Ĭompared to other spirits, absinthe is as unique as they come. The blend of absinthe and water releases many of the herby extracts contained in the drink. The manner by which absinthe is poured will prepare you for a relaxing, enjoyable experience. However, there is a case to be made for the pure enjoyment of absinthe as a calming, revelatory experience in itself. The effects of this high alcohol content, even when diluted in water, as the classic French absinthe pour goes, would have more to do with any physical or mental effects you’ll feel in absinthe. Most absinthes are bottled at or above 70% alcohol by volume. We strongly recommend that you do not drink absinthe in excess, as the alcohol content is so high.Absinthe is one of the more potent alcoholic drinks available. However, the levels of thujone in absinthe are relatively low, and it would take you a dangerous amount of drinks to be chemically effected by thujone. The laws governing absinthe worldwidehave less to do with the drink itself and more to do with the thujone contained therein. So how true are the rumors? How does absinthe compare to other spirits?Ībsinthe does contain a psychoactive ingredient, thujone, which is a byproduct of wormwood. The Green Lady became the Green Curse, and when absinthe was outlawed in much of the Western world, the reputation of absinthe as a powerful hallucinogenic grew along with popular curiosity about the psychoactive ingredients in the drink. The nickname, however, changed as the mental effects of absinthe were exaggerated and blamed for madness, sloth, and even murder. The nickname given to absinthe, La Fee verte (The Green Lady), comes from the “love affair” many drinkers had with absinthe, granting the drink the status of a muse. The enigma of the emerald absinthe comes from the infamous rumors about the effect it has on those who drink it. The charm of absinthe is its history the allure is its pour.
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