There is so much contradictory Absinthe information available on the web plus in books, it’s difficult to know what to assume.
Misleading Absinthe Information
One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the ineteenth century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writers in Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, even compares Absinthe to drugs like cocaine since it was said to be addictive https://absinthekit.com, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the mind as well as other faculties.
Absinthe became well known at the end of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, a time known as “The Great Binge”. This has been a period throughout history when a lot of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were produced and used by normal people for medicine, on prescription for coughs etc. as well as in drinks. Popular drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani (cocaine and wine) and Coca Cola (then made from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). These drugs and drinks were all believed to be harmless and were widely taken throughout Europe.
Absinthe was connected with these drugs for its level of popularity with Bohemian artists and writers, who liked to overindulge to aid their creativity, and with the loose morals of the courtesans on the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.
Thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was also claimed being psychoactive and comparable to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) within the drug cannabis (marijuana). Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids and so are both from essential oils but THC affects the central nervous system whereas thujone has an effect on the GABA receptors inside the brain. When wormwood is smoked as a joint or used in mass, it is often proven to cause effects just like cannabis intoxication – to cause hallucinations and fantasies, to make the person feel euphoric, to relieve pain and to behave as an aphrodisiac.
Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in early 1900s and was made illegal to buy and sell in numerous countries all over the world. Now that we know that its ban was just part of the hysteria of the time. People lumped Absinthe, the Green Fairy, along with drugs like heroin (the White Fairy), cannabis and cocaine and even now there are lots of people and websites who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy.
Absinthe Information – Everything we now know
We all know that medical studies on Absinthe and wormwood in earlier times just weren’t accurate and were “colored” because of the prohibition movement of that time and also the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent surveys have shown that Absinthe, once it is actually distilled, only contains really small levels of thujone – insufficient to cause any harmful side effects or hallucinations, that’s just a myth. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has shown that it hardly contained any thujone whatsoever. An individual would die of alcohol poisoning some time before suffering any unwanted side effects from thujone.
Outcomes from studies and research have triggered many countries to legalize Absinthe again so the Green Fairy can be enjoyed in bars and in homes around the globe.
Eventhough it might not exactly cause you to trip or get high, it’s easy to get drunk on Absinthe for its high proof. It’s got twice the alcohol content of spirits like vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. If you do get drunk on Absinthe you will probably experience an incredibly different intoxication than you would experience from other spirits or fermented drinks. Many describe it as being a “lucid” or “clear headed” sort of drunkenness. This can be explained through the mixture of herbs and the alcohol – a mixture of sedatives and stimulants. Some people enhance these qualities by developing cocktails containing Absinthe and also the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!
So, you’ll be disappointed if you believe a number of the misleading Absinthe information and purchase Absinthe to give you vivid hallucinations. However, it’s a delicious herbal alcoholic beverage which is fun to make and contains a great anise flavor. You may even enjoy making your very own wormwood Absinthe from home through the use of real, top-quality Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com – an exciting and economical approach to enjoy Absinthe.