There is certainly a great deal of contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books, it’s hard to understand what to trust.
Inaccurate 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 as it was said to be addictive, to give a feeling of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties absinthe spoon.
Absinthe became well known at the conclusion of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, a time referred to as “The Great Binge”. This has been a period in history when a lot of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were developed and made use of by normal individuals 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 produced from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). These drugs and drinks were all thought to be harmless and were widely taken throughout Europe.
Absinthe was linked with these drugs due to its level of popularity with Bohemian artists and writers, who liked to overindulge to help their creativity, and with the loose morals of the courtesans in the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre.
Thujone, the compound in wormwood, was also claimed to be psychoactive and equivalent 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 inside the brain. When wormwood is smoked as a joint or taken by the truckloads, it’s been proven to cause effects much like cannabis intoxication – to cause hallucinations and fantasies, in making the person feel euphoric, to alleviate pain also to behave as an aphrodisiac.
Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in the early 1900s and was made illegal to buy and sell in several countries around the world. We now know that its ban was only part of the hysteria of that time period. People lumped Absinthe, the Green Fairy, together with drugs like heroin (the White Fairy), cannabis and cocaine and even these days there are numerous people and websites who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy.
Absinthe Information – What we now know
We understand that medical studies on Absinthe and wormwood in past times were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of that time period as well as the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent reports have established that Absinthe, once it is actually distilled, only contains really small quantities of thujone – not enough to result in any harmful negative effects or hallucinations, that’s simply a myth. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has shown that it hardly included any thujone whatsoever. An individual would die of alcohol poisoning some time before suffering any negative effects from thujone.
Final results from studies and research have brought on many countries to legalize Absinthe again so the Green Fairy can be enjoyed in bars and in homes around the world.
Eventhough it may not allow you to trip or get high, it is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of its high proof. It offers twice the alcohol content of spirits like vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. Should you get drunk on Absinthe you will probably experience an incredibly different intoxication than you would experience from other spirits or fermented beverages. Many describe it as being a “lucid” or “clear headed” form of drunkenness. This can be explained by the mixture of herbs and the alcohol – a mix of sedatives and stimulants. Some people enhance these qualities by developing cocktails containing Absinthe as well as the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!
So, you will be disappointed if you believe a number of the misleading Absinthe information and acquire Absinthe to give you vivid hallucinations alcohol in absinthe. However, it’s a great tasting herbal alcoholic beverage that is fun to prepare and contains an excellent anise flavor. It’s also possible to enjoy making your own personal wormwood Absinthe from home by utilizing real, top-quality Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com – an exciting and economical method to enjoy Absinthe.
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