There is various contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books on which can hardly believe.
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.
At the end of the 19th century and early 20th century Absinthe became well known to the people. During this time a lot of today’s illegal drugs were developed and used by people everyday as medicines. It is used in drinks. Popular drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani (cocaine and wine) and Coca Cola (then made from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). As these drugs and drinks were all thought to be harmless so they were widely consumed throughout Europe.
The reason to link Absinthe with these drugs was it’s popularity with Bohemian artists and writers and also with the harlots of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.
Thujone content in wormwood was believed to be psychoactive and similar to THC in the drug cannabis. Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids which affects the central nervous system and the GABA receptors in the brain respectively. The consumption of wormwood in large quantities give rise to the same effects as caused by the cannabis intoxication.
Selling and buying of Absinthe was not legal in several countries 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. The thujone content in Absinthe is so less that it cannot have any dangerous effects. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has proved that it hardly contained any thujone at all. Before suffering from thujone a person would die of alcohol poisoning.
Studies and research have caused various nations to relegalize Absinthe due to which it can now be enjoyed everywhere across the world.
However it may not make trip or get high, it is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of it’s high proof. It has twice the alcohol content of spirits so one should be careful while drinking it. Absinthe drunker will feel an intoxication that is different from other spirits or fermented beverages. A number of people describe it as a “lucid” or “clear headed” kind of drunkenness. One can understand this by the blend of herbs and the alcohol. A number of people elevate these qualities by preparing cocktails containing Absinthe and the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!
A person can be disappointed with some of the confusing Absinthe information. This herbal alcoholic drink can be prepared with enjoyment. One can get real, top-quality Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com to prepare his own wormwood Absinthe at home.It is a fun and economical way to enjoy Absinthe on this site.