Absinthe thujone

Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe’s important ingredient, the plant called Common Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium to give it its botanical name. The chemical thujone was partially liable for Absinthe being banned in the early 1900s in many countries around the globe and thujone is still tightly regulated today, especially in the United States (or states united).

Thujone was regarded as similar to THC present in cannabis and Absinthe was speculated to be psychoactive and have psychedelic outcomes causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe has been popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre inside Paris and several artists absinthelegal.com and also writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers include Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some say that Van Gogh’s madness was caused by Absinthe and that he cut off his ear under its influence. Absinthe was even blamed for a man murdering his family, despite the fact that he had eaten many other strong alcoholic refreshments after the Absinthe.

Prohibition campaigners utilized news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and held accountable France’s growing problems of alcohol dependency on the emerald liquor.

Is Absinthe thujone Unsafe?

Today’s studies suggest that it was actually the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe that was dangerous as opposed to the thujone. Absinthe is two times as strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be taken any time ingesting Absinthe. Thujone is just obtained in minute quantities and should therefore trigger no major side effects or health issues. The EU states that alcoholic beverages with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level more than 25% may only have a maximum of 10mg/kg of thujone, beverages classed as “bitters” may contain up to 35mg/kg, it is not totally clear which class Absinthe matches but most brands of Absinthe have much under 35mg with many being under 10mg/kg. In the US it is simply legal to buy or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.

High doses of thujone can be hazardous causing convulsions but you would have to drink a large amount of Absinthe to take that volume of thujone plus it would be impossible to drink that amount, you would be comatose from alcohol before then!

Absinthe Ingredients

It is said that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the initial Absinthe distillery, utilized the herbs wormwood, aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica root, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, juniper and veronica to create his famous Pernod Absinthe. The essential oil from all of these herbs is in charge of La Louche, the clouding which happens when water is combined with Absinthe. These types of herbs especially the aniseed and anise are responsible for the distinctive aniseed or licorice flavor of Absinthe and wormwood is responsible for the actual bitter flavor. Absinthe is oftentimes employed as bitters in cocktails.

There are numerous brands of Absinthe or Absinthe alternatives which were developed during the ban and for that reason contain no Absinthe thujone or perhaps wormwood, but many would say that Absinthe just isn’t Absinthe without Absinthe thujone and the bitter style of wormwood. If you would like real Absinthe try to find brands made up of wormwood or Absinthe thujone.