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Now that Absinthe is again legal in many countries, people are asking “What are the effects of Absinthe?”, “Will it make me trip or hallucinate?”, “Will I meet the Green Fairy?”.

Absinthe is a mythical drink with many legends and stories surrounding it. Orginally created in Switzerland as an elixir by Dr Pierre Ordinaire, it quickly became a best selling alcoholic beverage when Henri-Louis Pernod started distilling it in France. It overtook beer, cider and even wine as the most popular drink in France in the period known as La Belle Epoque leading up to the First World War.

Famous drinkers of Absinthe include Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Oscar Wilde who said “After the first glass of Absinthe you see things as you wish they were. Next you see them as they are not. Finally, you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.”

Pernod made Absinthe from a wine base and flavored it with natural herbal ingredients such as wormwood, fennel, aniseed, and many others. Some manufacturers used additional herbs such as coriander and mint.

So, what are some of the effects of Absinthe?

Absinthe was popular in the time known as “The Great Binge”, a time when beverages containing cocaine were popular and the time when heroin was thought safe to use in medicine. It was linked to these types of drugs and was thought to be psychoactive and to cause:-

– Hallucinations
– Hyper excitability
– Convulsions and spasms
– Destroying the intellect
– Insanity
– Addiction
– Damage of the brain
– Violence
– Death

Artists and writers consumed Absinthe to help them get inspiration and many said that it was responsible for their genius. Famous Absinthe poetry.

Absinthe, so the prohibition led people to believe, was going to drive the French people immoral and cause the collapse of the nation. Doctors tested wormwood and thujone, the chemical from wormwood , on animals and claimed that it was like cannabis and that it caused epileptic fits and the prohibition movement blamed Absinthe for causing a man to murder his whole family, despite the fact that he had only consumed two glasses of Absinthe and copious amounts of other alcoholic beverages. Absinthe was also famously blamed for Van Gogh cutting off his own ear and for his suicide.

Absinthe was thought to contain huge amounts of thujone, up to 350mg per liter but high tech tests on vintage bottles have proved these claims to be completely false. Absinthe contained a small amounts, up to 6mg, not enough to cause anyone to even hallucinate a little. Absinthe has been shown in studies to be as safe as any other strong alcoholic drink.

Absinthe is a very strong drink which is up the 75% alcohol and it might not help you see green fairies but it will get you drink rather quickly. The mysterious blend of alcohol and herbs in Absinthe will give you a strange drunken experience, a “lucid” or “clear headed” drunkenness – a completely new experience!

So, what are the major effects of Absinthe? There are no bad effects except a hangover if you overdo it. Absinthe is a drink to be enjoyed and to make you have a feeling of well being. Buy Absinthe of good quality which contains real wormwood or make your own with essences from AbsintheKit.come and enjoy the great taste of the Green Fairy. Absinthe kits are available from http://absinthekit.com/.

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There has been much controversy regarding the thujone levels in Absinthe and whether Absinthe can really make you hallucinate but what about its alcohol content – How much alcohol is in Absinthe?

All commercial alcoholic drinks are labeled according to their alcohol content which makes people able to decide about the drink and also about the quantity of consuming them.

A person needs a hydrometer to measure alcohol content. A thermometer is attached with a hydrometer. The hydrometer swims straight in the liquid. As it is supplied to water the water line stops at the level marked 1.The level of water increases when it is put in sugared water. The float moves lower with the use of hydrometer in fermenting alcohol as the sugar is eaten by the yeast. While preparing alcohol the first measurement (original gravity) is taken with the sugar before the yeast is added and then the final calculation is done after the yeast has finished fermenting.

One can detect the volume of alcohol by the following formula
Formula is Original gravity – Final gravity x 131 = Alcohol by volume.

The EU and the United States use label for the alcohol by volume content of drinks while a few countries go on proof. Studies show that proof is approximately twice alcohol by volume.

Different brands of Absinthe have different alcohol contents. Look at the following statistics:-

Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
The alcohol content in Pernod Absinthe is 68% abv
One can get 70% abv alcohol content in Mari Mayans Collectors 70
Knowledge of La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
The alcohol content in La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise is 68% abv (136 proof)
Knowledge of La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
The alcohol content is 68% abv in La Fee Parisian
Kubler 53 is available with 53% abv (106 proof) of alcohol by volume
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or contains 65% abv of alcohol
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
The volume of alcohol in Jade PF 1901 is 68% abv
One can get 72% abv alcohol content in Jade Edouard
Going through Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)

As you can see Absinthe can range from 53% abv to 75% abv, quite a difference. Now, let’s compare those levels to other alcoholic drinks:-

Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila is available with 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer is available with 4 or 5% alcohol by volume.
One can get Table Wine with 9-12% alcohol by volume.
The availibility of alcohol is 40% in Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)

No other alcoholic drink seems to come close to Absinthe!

The alcohol content can differ in homemade Absinthes. Mix an Absinthe essence from AbsintheKit.com.One can either use Absolut vodka (40% abv) or the Everclear (95% abv) .

Absinthe was banned in the 1900s because of claims that thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was like THC in the drug cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects. The claims about Absinthe has been totally wrong but there can be risk to health because of over dose of any drink. People in Memphis have realized this and, in 2006, Memphis was the city that drank the least alcohol in the USA – more than 6/10 Memphis citizens had not even consumed a sip of alcohol in at least a month when they were polled.

However alcohol is not harmful when drunk in moderation but it is necessary to have know about alcohol content in Absinthe and other alcoholic drinks.

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Artemisia Absinthiumis the botanical and Latin name for the plant Common Wormwood. The name “Artemisia” originated from the name of Greek Goddess Artemis. Artemis was not only the goddess of forests, hills and hunt but also a saviour of children. Artemis was later linked to the moon. It is thought that the Latin “Absinthium” comes from the Ancient Greek for “unenjoyable” or “without sweetness”, referring to wormwood’s bitter taste.

In the rocky areas and on arid ground of Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean this Common Wormwood plant is grown. It has also been found growing in parts of North America after spreading from people’s gardens. Armoise, green ginger and grande wormwood are the other names for common wormwood.

The silver gray leaves and tiny yellow flowers are attraction of wormwood plants. The production of Wormwood oil is done from the tiny glands on the leaves. The different plants of Artemisia group are tarragon, sagebrush, sweet wormwood, Levant wormwood, silver king artemisia, Roman wormwood and southernwood. The Artemisia plants belongs to the Aster plant family.

Wormwood has been used as a herbal medicine for different medical purpose
– It can be used in easing labor pains in women.
– The poisoning from toadstools and hemlock can be counteracted.
– A very good antiseptic.
– Digestive problems are relieved by using it. People having less amount of stomach acid can be cured with the help of wormwood.
– As a cardiac stimulant in pharmaceuticals.
– One can use it in reducing fevers.
– It can be beneficial in removing intestinal worms.
– It was mainly taken as a tonic.

Alzheimer’s disease and Crohn’s disease can be cured by wormwood.

Effects of Artemisia Absinthium

Wormwood is a key ingredient in the liquor Absinthe, the Green Fairy, which was banned in many countries in the early 1900s. Absinthe is named after this herb which also gives the drink its characteristic bitter taste,

Absinthe was banned because of its alleged psychedelic effects. It was thought to be the reason behind hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe was also linked to the Bohemian culture of Parisian Montmartre with its loose morals, courtesans and artists and writers.

There is no difference between the chemical thujone in wormwood and the THC in the drug cannabis. Studies showed that Absinthe contained very small amounts of thujone and one will have to drink enough Absinthe to get the harmful effects of it!

There is no harm in drinking Absinthe but one should be carefull while consuming it because it is about twice as strong as other drinks.

One is not getting the real Absinthe without Artemisia Absinthium. Many manufacturers make “fake” Absinthes using other herbs and flavorings but these are not the real Green Fairy. If you want the real thing you must check that they contain thujone or Common Wormwood or use essences,such as those from AbsintheKit.com, to make your own Absinthe containing Artemisia Absinthium.

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There is various contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books on which can hardly believe.

Misleading Absinthe Information

One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writersin Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, compares Absinthe to drugs such as cocaine because it was said to be addictive, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties.

The period during which Absinthe became a well known product is known as “The Great Binge”. This was a time in history when many of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were developed and used by normal everyday people for medicine, on prescription for coughs etc. and in drinks. Bars used to sell Absinthe, Vin Maraiani and Coca Cola. These drugs and drinks were believed to be free from side effects and so they were widely consumed throughout Europe.

Due to it’s popularity with Bohemian artists and writers and with the courtesans of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre Absinthe was linked with these drugs.

Thujone was also claimed to be psychoactive and same as THC in the drug cannabis. Both THC and Thujone are terpenoids and are both from essential oils but THC affects the central nervous system whereas thujone affects the GABA receptors in the brain. The decent amount of wormwood intake can cause the same effects as caused by cannabis intoxication.

Many nations restricted the sell and buy of Absinthe in the early 1900s. We now know that its ban was just part of the hysteria of the time. Most of the people and websites are there today who mention Absinthe in the same sentence as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy. 

Absinthe Information – What we now know

We know that medical studies on Absintheand wormwood in the past were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of the time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent studies have shown that after distillation Absinthe contains very small amounts of thujone which cannot harm anyone. Even tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe has proved that it hardly contained any thujone at all. Alcohol can kill a person before the thujone effects.

Results from studies and research have caused many countries to legalize Absinthe again so the Green Fairy can now be enjoyed in bars and in homes across the world.

Anyone can easily get drunk on Absinthe due to it’s high proof. The alcohol content in it is double in comparison to spirits like vodka or whisky so care should be taken when drinking it. Other spirits or fermented beverages cannot give the same drunkenness feel as given by Absinthe. It’s explanation is given as a “lucid” or “clear headed” type of drunkenness. This can be described by the blend of herbs and the alcohol. These qualities are improved by making cocktails having Absinthe and the caffeine loaded drink Red Bull!

The misleading Absinthe information can disappoint a person. There is fun to make this great anise flavor herbal alcoholic beverage. AbsintheKit.com is available with real, top-quality Absinthe essences that can be used by an individual to produce his own wormwood Absinthe.Absinthe can be enjoyed at low cost at AbsintheKit.com.

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