There’s a great deal of contradictory Absinthe information available on the internet plus in books, it is hard to know what to assume.
Inaccurate Absinthe Information
One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th 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 just like cocaine as it was stated to be addictive absinthekit.com, to give feelings of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain as well as other faculties.
Absinthe became widely used at the conclusion of the 19th century and early twentieth century, a time known as “The Great Binge”. This was a moment in the past when a lot of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were produced and made use of by normal people for medicine, on prescription for coughs etc. and in drinks. Popular drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani (cocaine and wine) and Coca Cola (then created from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). These drugs and drinks were all believed to be harmless and were widely consumed throughout Europe.
Absinthe was linked with these drugs because of its level of popularity with Bohemian artists and writers, who liked to overindulge to help their creativity, and also the loose morals of the courtesans in the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.
Thujone, the substance in wormwood, was also claimed being psychoactive and comparable to THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in the drug cannabis (marijuana). Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids and therefore are both from essential oils but THC affects the central nervous system whereas thujone has an effect on the GABA receptors within the brain. When wormwood is smoked as a joint or ingested in big amounts, it has been recognized to cause effects much like cannabis intoxication – to cause hallucinations and fantasies, in making the individual feel euphoric, to alleviate pain and also to behave as an aphrodisiac.
Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in early 1900s and was made illegal to get and sell in many countries all over the world. We now know it’s ban was only part of the hysteria of the time. People lumped Absinthe, the Green Fairy, together with drugs like heroin (the White Fairy), cannabis and cocaine and even now there are many people and websites who mention Absinthe within 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 were not accurate and were “colored” because of the prohibition movement of that time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent reports have demostrated that Absinthe, once it is actually distilled, only contains very small quantities of thujone – inadequate to result in any harmful side effects or hallucinations, which is just a myth. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe indicates that it hardly comprised any thujone in any way. Someone would die of alcohol poisoning long before suffering any negative effects from thujone.
Results from studies and research have triggered many countries to legalize Absinthe again therefore the Green Fairy can be positively enjoyed in bars and in homes around the globe.
Eventhough it might not exactly allow you to trip or get high, it’s easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of its high proof. It’s got twice the alcohol content of spirits such as vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. If you get drunk on Absinthe you will probably experience a very different intoxication than you’d probably experience from other spirits or fermented drinks. Many describe it as a “lucid” or “clear headed” kind of drunkenness. This could be explained through the combination of herbs and the alcohol – a mixture of sedatives and stimulants. Some people enhance these qualities by designing cocktails containing Absinthe as well as the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!
So, you will end up disappointed if you believe some of the misleading Absinthe information and acquire Absinthe to offer you vivid hallucinations. However, it’s a great tasting herbal liquor which is fun to make and contains a great anise flavor. It’s also possible to enjoy making your own personal wormwood Absinthe at home through the use of real, top-quality Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com – a fun and economical method to enjoy Absinthe.