Knowing How To Measure Thujone Levels in Absinthe

There is much controversy in regards to the levels of the psychoactive chemical thujone in Absinthe and so many individuals wish to know how to measure thujone levels in Absinthe that they have made from home. It’s not possible this at home if you do not have the right equipment and know what you are doing. Thujone levels could be measured by solid phase removal and gas chromatography.

What’s Thujone?

For individuals who have no idea, thujone is a substance found in the herb common wormwood (Artemisia Absinthium) and in earlier times was believed to be psychoactive like THC within the drug cannabis. In large doses it was believed to have psychedelic effects, to cause convulsions, insanity, brain damage, and ultimately death. The alleged effects of thujone along with the fact that Absinthe was an intoxicant, being this kind of strong liquor, were enough for the prohibition movements in France, the United States and also other countries to influence governments to ban Absinthe.

Recently, research has shown that thujone will have to be consumed in large quantities to result in any harmful unwanted effects, so Absinthe with 10mg of thujone per liter or less was legalized in the European Union www.absinthe-sale.com. Many individuals in the USA were disappointed that legalization didn’t happen simultaneously in the United States. The United States needed that alcoholic beverages should be “thujone free”.

Lux and Fire Erowid contacted the two FDA as well as the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to look for clarification on the laws surrounding the Green Fairy and thujone. The FDA used a fairly outdated indicator test to test for the presence of thujone, not proper analytical chemistry. The TTB explained that wormwood products should be thujone free which meant a lot less than the limit of detection – 10 ppm (parts per million).

Ted Breaux, an Absinthe distiller, examined his collectibles, antique vintage bottles of Absinthe, for thujone levels by using gas chromatography and was surprised at their low thujone levels. It had been always thought that vintage pre ban Absinthe contained 260-350mg of thujone per liter, Breaux discovered that the greatest reading from the vintage bottles was 6mg per liter – a very small amount. Also, he analyzed the Absinthes of his Jade collection in which he’d put a “full measure” of wormwood, and discovered that after distillation these also contained only really small levels of thujone.

Absinthe and also the United States 2007

Breaux and also the company Veridian produced an Absinthe called “Lucid” and were able to prove to the FDA and TTB that it contained fewer than 10 ppm of thujone. Lucid started sale in the US in 2007 and was soon followed by a number of other brands of Absinthe. Americans can now experience the taste of Absinthe both at home and in bars throughout the US.

Does Absinthe Have Any Effects?

The thujone content in Absinthe is not high enough to result in hallucinations, but Absinthe is an extremely strong alcoholic liquor, approximately 75% abv. It’s not meant to be consumed straight or on the rocks. The right way to provide Absinthe is to pour a shot inside an Absinthe glass and thin down with iced water poured about a cube of sugar.

It is possible to get drunk fairly speedily when drinking Absinthe because of its strength, nevertheless the drunkenness connected with Absinthe drinking is extremely distinctive from getting drunk on beer, wine or cider. A number of the herbs in Absinthe acts as a sedative plus some as a stimulant so you experience a “clear headed” or “lucid” drunkenness – a bizarre experience!

Absinthe Products and Thujone Levels

It isn’t crucial to know how to measure thujone levels in Absinthe if you utilize kits containing quality essences, like those from AbsintheKit.com, where thujone levels inside the essences are already measured for you. These essences are really easy to use. They’re already distilled, you need to simply mix with Everclear or vodka to make your very own real wormwood Absinthe.