Absinthe is currently once again a well known alcoholic drink, because of its legalisation in the USA and other countries after many ages for being illegal. Many young adults are attempting it the first time and knocking it back with no contemplation on its alcohol content. So, what is Absinthe proof?
Absinthe happens to be an anise flavored liquor which is made from distilling alcohol using a mixture of herbs together with wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed and fennel. It is actually popularly known as the Green Fairy, La Fee Verte, because of the typical emerald green coloring of classic verte varieties of Absinthe.
Absinthe is normally consumed diluted with iced water according to the Ritual. You have to drip the water over a sugar lump on a slotted spoon and into the Absinthe which in turn causes the Absinthe to louche – a lovely effect.
Absinthe was forbidden during the early 1900s not because of its high alcohol content but due to the wormwood inside it. Dr Valentin Magnan analyzed worwmood on guinea pigs in 1845 and discovered that a guinea pig given wormwood oil had convulsions, whilst, a guinea pig given alcohol just became drunk. By 1872 Magnan had isolated the chemical thujone from wormwood and, soon after tests on dogs, established that thujone was much more harmful than ethanol (alcohol) and so Absinthe was far more harmful than other types of spirits. He and others in the medical occupation were convinced that thujone was psychoactive and brought on psychedelic effects. Absinthe was for that reason prohibited.
Even in 1975, a nature magazine stated that a thujone particle was identical in structure to THC from the drug cannabis and they therefore acted in a similar manner.
We now know that all these claims are incorrect and false. Thujone just isn’t like THC, even though it does act on the GABA receptors of the brain, when consumed in considerable amounts. We also recognize from testing Absinthes, including vintage Absinthe, that Absinthe only consists of very small quantities of thujone, nowhere near enough to be harmful. You would need to drink quantities of Absinthe and die of alcohol poisoning just before suffering any effects from thujone!
Although Absinthe will not cause us to hallucinate or convulse, it’s a highly alcoholic drink which must be ingested carefully because it will get you intoxicated quite quickly.
What is Absinthe proof?
Let’s see what the proof of well-known brand names of Absinthe is:-
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof0
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian 68% abv (136 proof)
Kubler 53 53% abv (106 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% abv (130 proof)
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
Jade PF 1901 68% abv (136 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)
If we compare that along with other alcohol based drinks we can observe that Absinthe is very strong:-
Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer happens to be 4 or 5% alcohol by volume (8-10 proof).
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof).
Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)
If you make homemade Absinthe making use of essences from AbsintheKit.com in that case your homemade Absinthe’s proof will depend on what neutral alcohol you make use of.
What is Absinthe proof? Very high is the answer!