Absinthe thujone

Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe’s important ingredient, the plant called Common Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium to give it its botanical name. The chemical thujone was partially liable for Absinthe being banned in the early 1900s in lots of countries around the world and thujone is still tightly regulated these days, especially in the United States (or states united).

Thujone was thought to be similar to THC seen in cannabis and Absinthe was speculated to be psychoactive and have psychedelic effects causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe has been popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre in Paris and lots of artists absinthelegal.com and also writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers consist of Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some claim that Van Gogh’s madness was brought on by Absinthe and that he cut off his ear under its influence. Absinthe was even blamed for a man murdering his family, despite the fact that he had eaten a number of other strong alcoholic drinks following the Absinthe.

Prohibition campaigners used news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and held accountable France’s growing problems of alcoholism on the emerald liquor.

Is Absinthe thujone Unsafe?

Today’s studies suggest that it was really the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe which was dangerous as opposed to the thujone. Absinthe is two times as strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be utilized whenever consuming Absinthe. Thujone is only present in minute quantities and must therefore result in no major negative effects or perhaps health issues. The EU stipulates that alcoholic beverages with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level over 25% may only have a maximum of 10mg/kg of thujone, beverages classed as “bitters” can easily contain as much as 35mg/kg, it is not completely clear which class Absinthe suits but most brands of Absinthe have much less than 35mg with many being below 10mg/kg. In the US it is only legal to purchase or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.

High doses of thujone could be hazardous causing convulsions but you would have to drink a lot of Absinthe to consume that quantity of thujone and it will be impossible to drink that amount, you would be comatose from alcohol before then!

Absinthe Compounds

It is said that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the first Absinthe distillery, utilized the herbs wormwood, aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica root, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, juniper as well as veronica to make his famous Pernod Absinthe. The essential oil from all of these herbs accounts for La Louche, the clouding which comes about when water is combined with Absinthe. These herbs specially the aniseed and anise lead to the distinctive aniseed or licorice style of Absinthe and wormwood is liable for the actual bitter flavor. Absinthe is oftentimes used as bitters in cocktails.

There are many brands of Absinthe or Absinthe alternatives which were developed in the bar and therefore contain no Absinthe thujone or wormwood, but a majority of people would say that Absinthe isn’t Absinthe without Absinthe thujone and the bitter flavor of wormwood. If you would like real Absinthe look for brands containing wormwood or Absinthe thujone.