Absinthe Blog

Absinthe has made a comeback recently. Many countries banned absinthe in early 1900’s, claiming it was toxic. During that period, absinthe came under a cloud of suspicion. Many unsubstantiated claims were made on absinthe. Now, a fresh look at absinthe’s effects has revealed a large number of the claims and was instrumental in having the ban revoked.

Old perceptions on absinthe

After an absence of nearly 100 years the ban on absinthe was uplifted recently. It again came to be seen sporting the shelves of bars and restaurants across the world. This was a victory for the drink. Many felt that the ban on the drink was unjustified and arbitrary.

The drink was banned because it produced various side effects on the body. After drinking people claimed that it gave them hallucinations. It was said to cause hysteria. The drink was claimed to give one epilepsy. It even was thought to cause gradual decay of the body which you could pass on to your offspring through your genes.

But circumstances were such that allegations came thick and fast. The drink was banned without any serious research into all these claims. The European Union lifted the ban after it was seen that the ban was irrelevant.

Thujone was named to be the culprit in the drink which caused all the negative side effects. But actually in true absinthe, very little amount of thujone or the other alleged toxic ingredient, wormwood. In fact, it contains less of either than the popular German drink, Vermouth. Vermouth contains large quantities of wormwood. It was never banned or seen as dangerous. Vermouth, incidentally means wormwood in German language.

What you can expect from the drink

Absinthe contains a large quantity of alcohol content. It contains more alcohol than any of your average alcohol drink. Usually the alcohol content is more than 65%, which is high by normal standards. This is the reason why small quantities of the drink is sufficient to feel tipsy.

Effects of the drink, however may be felt as slightly different from other alcoholic beverages. The herbal nature of the drink is to be behind this difference. Absinthe is made from herbs like wormwood, anise, fennel and hyssop. Commonly, the drink is said to give one a sort of clarity in thought in spite of making one inebriated.

Some people are very charmed with these effects and get addicted to Absinthe. But, all said and done, absinthe still does possesses Thujone as well as wormwood, which if taken in excess do cause harm to the body. Exercising discipline is of utmost importance if you are experimenting with absinthe.

Absinthe has a colorful history attached to it. Absinthe’s journey from glory to decadence is an interesting one. From drinking it as a medicine, absinthe was believed by people to be death itself. The sudden rise in fame and popularity of absinthe and its equally sudden exit is intriguing. This is what makes the absinthe story worth retelling.

How Absinthe became the flavor of the moment

It may be difficult for us to imagine that absinthe started off as a medicine. French soldiers fighting in Algeria were offered the drink as a tonic. It was given as a remedy to cure stomach aches. Whether it made them all right or not, they developed a liking for the drink and drank it without prescription. The drink grew bigtime and slowly started gathering a following.

Slowly it got an image as an inebriating drink. People described wonderful experiences they had with the drink. They reported it to give them hallucinations. It made reality as they wished it to be, as Oscar Wilde famously put it. The drink was also stated to bring on a state of reverie.

This brought many artists to experiment with the drink. After taking the drink, they passed their own judgment on the drink. They believed it improved their imagination. Taking the drink was said to spur their creative energies. It gave them fresh ideas for their work. It also began to find a place in their work. Poet Rimbaud began mentioning it in his writings. Van Gogh made it the subject of his paintings.

Association with people of such class gave the drink a bohemian image. It also drove high the popularity of the drink. It became the stuff everyone wanted to taste and try, to say the least.

Absinthe’s journey to decadence

Soon circumstances ran out of favor for the drink.
The wine industry suffered a setback. A disease had ruined the crop and affected production of wines. People who were addicted to drinking wine, saw a replacement, in absinthe. They took to the drink like water.

This coupled with the popularity enjoyed by absinthe gave more reasons for people to take it. People began drinking it indiscriminately, even though the drink contained extremely high levels of alcohol. They probably drank it as they would wine and suffered the consequences. Side by side, people also began experimenting with the original recipe of the drink.

All this lead people to die due to over-consumption or suffer from symptoms like convulsions. It also gave rise to social problems associated with alcohol abuse.

It drove people to murder their own. One such incident proved to be the last nail on the coffin. A farmer in Geneva brutally murdered his wife with a hatchet. This incident sparked off wide-spread antagonism for the drink. The hues and cries became louder and louder. The government finally responded to the cries of the people and banned Absinthe to prevent the situation from worsening. An era for the drink had ended and it was going to be lost in oblivion for some time to come.

Absinthe is back in circulation in places where it was banned ages ago. Connoisseurs of absinthe and other liquor must be a happy with this development. They will relish the ready availability of absinthe after the lifting of the ban. Drinking of absinthe had become so much a part of culture that at the time it was banned it must have elicited strong reactions from either side. For many, Absinthe had become a compelling reason for looking forward to evenings.

Absinthe: Stuff of great evenings

Absinthe became hugely popular in the late 19th century across Europe. The popular cocktail hour, in fact, came to be known as green hour, in recognition of this trend. The huge popularity of the drink had an adverse effect on the sales of other alcoholic beverages. It quickly made drinking other drinks out of vogue.

Many people had the habit of visiting the bars at this time of the day. Most of them did so as a routine and made it a part of their daily trudge back home from work. At its height, one can imagine, that it must have been an hour that these folks looked forward to. It was a ritual they enjoyed to participate in.

Artists enjoyed this routine, in particular. It was a perfect way for them to enjoy evening times. After the hustle and bustle of a harsh day, they probably sighed in anticipation of this part of their evenings. It probably gave their minds relief against the reality of existence.

Artists like the writer Poe and van Gogh were passionate about the drink. The experience was so personal to them that they created their own way of drinking it. Van Gogh began took it with turpentine oil. Poe used to take his after mixing it with tears. This passionate association of artists to the drink lent it a bohemian image. More people were drawn to this drink, as a result.

When the popularity of the drink reached a crescendo, the ban brought it crashing down to earth. It was banned in many countries of Europe and in the US.

Evenings are back to how they used to be

Absinthe was originally taken as a medicine by soldiers. They took it as a cure for fever and stomach ailments. Liking the taste of the drink they continued to drink it even otherwise. It was taken daily and they reported no adverse effects after taking it.

Problems crept up when the demand for the drink became so great that the supply was incapable of meeting it. Some producers seeking to encash on the situation, deviated from the original recipe and made it according to their own fancy. Ingredients not present in the original drink began causing problems like convulsions and even death.

Absinthe, which is more of alcoholic nature, cannot give such symptoms unless drunk in gross amounts. It is made from herbs like wormwood, hyssop, fennel and anise. Wormwood and thujone are reportedly dangerous only when taken in substantial amounts.

This might be the basis why the world has again opened its arms to the drink and made evenings as they once used to be.