It is difficult to select the right one as there are many contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books.
Misleading Absinthe Information
One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writersin Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, compares Absinthe to drugs such as cocaine because it was said to be addictive, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties.
Absinthe became popular at the end of the 19th century and early 20th century, a time known as “The Great Binge”. During this time a lot of today’s illegal drugs were developed and used by people everyday as medicines. Also in drinks. The well known drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani and Coca Cola. These drugs and drinks were claimed to be harmless and were widely consumed all over Europe.
The cause of linking Absinthe with these drugs was it’s popularity with Bohemian artists and writers, who have it to help their creativity and with the loose characters of the courtesans of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.
Thujone was also claimed to be psychoactive and same as THC in the drug cannabis. Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids and are both from essential oils but THC affects the central nervous system whereas thujone affects the GABA receptors in the brain. When wormwood is smoked as a joint or consumed in large quantities, it has been known to cause effects similar to cannabis intoxication – to cause hallucinations and fantasies, to make the person feel euphoric, to relieve pain and to act as an aphrodisiac.
Several countries banned Absinthe along with some drugs in the early 1900s. We now know that its ban was just part of the hysteria of the time. Most of the people and websites are there today who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy.
Absinthe Information – What we now know
We know that medical studies on Absintheand wormwood in the past were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of the time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent studies have shown that after distillation Absinthe contains very small amounts of thujone which cannot harm anyone. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has shown that it hardly contained any thujone at all. Before suffering from thujone a person would die of alcohol poisoning.
As many countries has authorized Absinthe so it can now be drunk anywhere across the world.
Even though it may not make you trip or get high, it is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of its high proof. It has twice the alcohol content of spirits so one should be careful while drinking it. The intoxication experienced from Absinthe is very different from other spirits or fermented beverages. It is described as a “lucid” or “clear headed” kind of drunkenness by several people. This can be understood with the help of a solution of sedatives and stimulants. By making cocktails containing Absinthe and the drink Red Bull some people enhance these qualities!
The misleading Absinthe information can make a person to buy Absinthe to give him vivid hallucinations. The preparation of this anise flavor alcoholic beverage is entertaining. A person can also enjoy making his very own wormwood Absinthe at home by using real, top-quality Absinthe essences.It is a fun and economical way to enjoy Absinthe on this site.