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Later,
Shark
Later,
Shark
uality absinthe, properly distilled, does have a different effect over and above the results of alcohol, though at up to 70%, the effects of the alcohol alone can be considerable. Absinthe's effects, despite popular conception, are not due to the wormwood (Artemisia Absinthia) alone. Absinthe's constituents consist of a very delicate balance of various herbs, most of which contribute in one way or another to its intoxicating effects. [Chemist and absinthe expert] Ted Breaux once explained it that it is a push-me, pull-you effect of the various herbs, as some are of an heightening effect, and others are lowering. The effect on the individual is subjective, and can best be described as a kind of heightened clarity of mind and vision, mildly ponderous and sparkling, and warmed by the effect of the alcohol. This seems to wear off after 20 or 30 minutes, leaving one with an alcohol buzz. 2-3 glasses seems to do the trick. More than that, depending on the proof of the alcohol, will just make you very drunk.
But saying all that, 'secondary effects' seem to be quite subjective. Some have never felt them at all. Some say one brand works for them, others another. Many absintheurs ... have placed absinthe's 'effects' low on their priority list when it comes to judging modern commercial absinthes, preferring to focus on actual herbal constituents, manufacture and historical detail.
When considering why the temperance groups were so keen to ban absinthe in the last century, one must also consider the contribution of the high alcohol content to "absinthism", as well as the flood of cheap and adulterated products in the market at its heyday (many unscrupulous absinthe manufacturers added toxic chemicals to the brew to achieve the green color and the "clouding" effect when the water is added, both of which came from wholly natural and herbal sources in proper absinthe). When someone consumes 20 or more glasses a day of a 120-150 proof alcoholic beverage (which were possibly contaminated with toxic metals as well), it can tend to have a deleterious effect on them.
Whether it was a bad rap or not, absinthe, in New Orleans, as well as in the rest of the United States, was banned in 1912. Interestingly, however, the current U.S. Customs restrictions on the importation of absinthe only date to 1958. The USDA and FDA regulations also ban the sale or importation of any beverage containing wormwood.
Unlike other proscribed drugs, however, absinthe failed to attract alternative entrepreneurs. As a liquid, the risk and cost of smuggling it made it far less attractive a product than a powder or dried leaves. It's also relatively mild in comparison to truly dangerous drugs, so for the most part nobody bothers with any active efforts to go after the few absintheurs there may be.
After its banning, imitations, using anise and other legal herbs in place of wormwood, appeared. The most well-known is contemporary Pernod, which was originally the best and most famous brand of absinthe; it's still made today but the similarity is only in color and brand-name. Pernod now has very little of the very floral, herbal content of the Pernod Fils Absinthe of old, is now a pastis with a strong anise flavor, and by all accounts is an entirely different beverage today. In New Orleans, the preferred absinthe substitute is Herbsaint, a locally-made anise liquor which is used in cocktails as well as in cooking. It's an absolutely lovely-tasting pastis drink, at 90 proof, and has a flavor that I believe to be superior to Pernod. It's also used in making the superb local cocktail called The Sazerac.
It's been asserted that the trouble the governments thought to see in absinthe wasn't due to the thujone at all, but simply to the alcohol -- I'd have to dispute that assertion. If it was just the alcohol, why have they still been making 120 proof Polish vodka all these years, and Bacardi 151, and Everclear? Clearly current regulations (which either ban or limit the amount of thujone content) seem to have a problem with thujone/wormwood derivatives. The bottom line is ... thujone is present in absinthe, but in such trace amounts that by the time you consumed a toxic dose you'd be dead of alcohol poisoning, many times over. Apparently the distillation process removes most if not all of the toxicity of the wormwood in well-made absinthe; that, plus its trace amounts in the elixir, make absinthe -- consumed responsibly, as any strong spirit -- perfectly safe. Additionally, wormwood is also one of the herbs used (in trace amounts) to make that flavored wine and essential Martini ingredient that we all know as vermouth. The name of the drink comes from the German wermuth, which means wormwood.
Also, the truth is ... you can kill a rat by giving him the same amount of essential oil of coriander as essential oil of wormwood.
Learned experts on the subject of absinthe also assert, after careful chemical study of the original recipes and processes, that the storied effects of thujone in absinthe are highly overrated. Any elusive "secondary effect" above and beyond the alcohol in absinthe is due to the multiple effects of the myriad herbs found in real absinthe -- some do this, some do that, some bring up, some bring down. It's a combination of the herbs that does it (whatever "it" is, if anything).
However, there are a lot of really stupid and misinformed people out there who think that wormwood is The Key to Everything, and seek pure essential oils of wormwood in an extremely misguided attempt to "get high". It has been shown that consuming pure essential oil of wormwood, a poisonous concentrate containing high amounts of thujone and with neurotoxins intact, can cause renal failure and death if consumed. Pure essential oil of wormwood is not absinthe. IT IS POISON.
The New England Journal of Medicine, in reporting a case of renal failure in a man who drank as little as 10ml of wormwood oil, notes that French research in the 1860s in which small doses of pure wormwood oil were administered to dogs and rabbits led to "convulsions, involuntary evacuations, abnormal respiration and foaming at the mouth." Gee, sounds pleasant, doesn't it? You don't want to be drinking this stuff in some lame attempt to get high. Most essential oils are highly concentrated and not meant for internal consumption in this manner.
It was reported in the early 20th Century that patients hospitalized in Paris for absinthe intoxication were noted to suffer "epileptiform activity (seizures), chest effusion, reddish urine and kidney congestion", and while patients did experience alterations in consciousness, auditory and visual hallucinations, they also suffered terrible seizures and kidney problems. This seems to have been another big reason for its being banned, although these effects are much more likely to have been due to the contaminants and metals in the cheap absinthes consumed by the poorer classes, and not from any of the well-made products. Absinthe seems to be more of a victim of a zealous prohobitionist and temperance movement than being a victim of its ingredients.
It seems to me that if one obtains true, well-made absinthe it is perfectly safe if consumed in reasonable moderation, as with any other alcoholic beverage with a similar content of alcohol. Getting drunk on it all the time is at least as bad as getting drunk on anything all the time, so there's no need for all this fuss. Also, it goes without saying that anyone who voluntarily drinks pure essential oil of wormwood is as stupid and suicidal as anyone who drinks from a container of poison.
Absinthe is still available in many parts of Europe, including Spain, Portugal, the Czech Republic and the U.K., where it is now quite the trendy thing amongst patrons of bars and coffeehouses. During my Spring 1996 trip to Eastern Europe, I sampled what I thought to be a modern iteration of The Green Fairy for the first time in the form of locally-made Hill's "Absinth" at the Globe Coffeehouse and Bookstore in Prague. I was quite curious, and in the interests of taking a dip into New Orleans history, I ordered some. It was emerald-green, and was served neat -- not in the old traditional manner, with an absinthe spoon and sugar cube. I don't think tradition would have helped. It was ... rather vile, actually.
It had a powerful kick, due to its high alcohol content, and my travelling companion opined that it smelled to him rather like turpentine. Unfortunately, its flavor resembled turpentine as well, and was nothing like the Herbsaint pastis that I had come to enjoy so much.
I didn't notice any particular effect from the thujone content, and if I had to drink copious amounts of this swill to get any effect, I declined to find out if the effect was forthcoming. I've since learned that this Czech brand, Hill's, is considered to be akin to window cleaner by absinthe connoisseurs, which is not surprising. I did not order another. After all, I did want to find my way back to my hostel that night. Actually, I didn't, but that's another story ...
If you plan to sample absinthe in reasonable, moderate quantities, I can recommend the Spanish brands Deva and Mari Mayans, which are quite good. Deva has more of a bitter edge to it and benefits from the addition of a sugar cube, while Mari Mayans has a wonderful sweetish flavor not unlike my own beloved Herbsaint, making the additional sugar optional. I understand the best absinthe in the world is the elusive Swiss elixir usually called "La Bleue"; unfortunately it's still banned in Switzerland and therefore extremely difficult to get, and extremely expensive as well. Don't bother with the Czech Hills brand, although I understand Czech brand Sebor is quite good.
Originally posted by: MisterJackson
So this is the stuff Johnny Depp drinks in "From Hell"