Being aware of How Safe is Absinthe

Absinthe is known for being famously restricted in the early 1900s due to worries over its safe practices absinthedistiller. Even today, many people associate it with drugs just like cannabis and speak about it causing you to “trip” or hallucinate and didn’t Van Gogh commit suicide because of Absinthe? Are these claims and stories simply urban legend or could they be true – how safe is Absinthe?

Absinthe is usually a strong alcoholic beverage made with herbs such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. It is actually around twice as strong as other spirits for instance whisky and vodka. It has an anise taste and is also typically served diluted with iced water which makes the Absinthe louche if it’s combined with the alcohol.

How Safe is Absinthe

Absinthe, or maybe the Green Fairy, was a well-liked drink in the Great Binge of 1870 – 1914 in France, a period when cocaine was applied in beverages and cough drops and heroin was utilized as a morphine substitute and in cough medicine for the children. Absinthe was incorrectly compared to cannabis since it was considered that thujone, a substance in wormwood, was similar to THC in cannabis. Thujone was reported to be psychoactive and to trigger psychedelic effects.

The healthcare profession became concerned with the recognition of Absinthe and whatever they called “Absinthism”, an ailment caused by extented drinking of Absinthe. They stated that long-term usage of Absinthe caused:-

– Frothing of the mouth and also convulsions
– Hypersensitivity to pain
– Delirium
– Insanity
– Decrease in libido
– Paralysis
– Brain damage
– Death

The French Academy of Medicine pushed for Absinthe to become prohibited, as did prohibitionists and wine producers who were unhappy with Absinthe’s popularity. In 1905 a man in Switzerland killed his family and this crime became referred to as “The Absinthe Murder” because he had taken two glasses of Absinthe earlier that day. The man had actually consumed many alcoholic beverages AFTER the Absinthe but this fact was dismissed and the crime was used by prohibitionists to fuel their campaign.

Absinthe was suspended in 1912 in the United States and in 1915 in France.

Modern tests on Absinthe created from original recipes and gas chromatography tests on classic bottles of Absinthe have revealed that Absinthe is made up of very little thujone and thus could hardly possibly lead to the effects assumed by doctors during the early 1900s. People would certainly die of alcohol poisoning prior to ingesting a dangerous amount of thujone! It was concluded that Absinthe is perfectly harmless when consumed in moderation, after all it’s very high proof.

Absinthe was made lawful in lots of countries while in the late 1980s and 90s but Americans were required to hold back until 2007 for quite a few brands to be made lawful in the US or risk getting Absinthe shipped over from various other countries.

So, how safe is Absinthe today? It is just as safe as any other strong liquor and will not get you to hallucinate. Buy quality Absinthe which meets EU or US guidelines or create your own using correct essences. AbsintheKit.com make essences for the Absinthe industry as well as the public. They are easy, safe and can be transported worldwide. Just be careful that you do not drink an excessive amount at once!