Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe’s essential ingredient, the plant called Common Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium to give it its organic name. The chemical thujone was partially accountable for Absinthe being banned in the early 1900s in several countries around the globe and thujone is still tightly regulated today, specifically in the United States (or states united).
Thujone was considered to be just like THC present in cannabis and Absinthe has been speculated to be psychoactive and have psychedelic results causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe was popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre within Paris and lots of artists www.absinthelegal.com and also writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers include Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some claim that Van Gogh’s madness was due to Absinthe and that he cut off his ear under its influence. Absinthe was even blamed for a man murdering his family, even though he had eaten a great many other strong alcoholic drinks right after the Absinthe.
Prohibition campaigners used news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and blamed France’s growing problems of alcohol dependency on the emerald liquor.
Is Absinthe thujone Harmful?
Today’s research suggests that it was really the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe which was dangerous as opposed to the thujone. Absinthe is twice as strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be taken when consuming Absinthe. Thujone is only obtained in minute quantities and must therefore cause no major side effects or even health conditions. The EU states that alcohol based drinks with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level above 25% may only consist of a maximum of 10mg/kg of thujone, beverages classed as “bitters” can contain up to 35mg/kg, it is not completely clear which class Absinthe suits but most brands of Absinthe have much under 35mg with many being beneath 10mg/kg. In the US it is simply legal to get or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.
High doses of thujone could be dangerous causing convulsions but you must drink a lot of Absinthe to take that quantity of thujone and it will be impossible to drink that amount, you’d be comatose from alcohol before then!
Absinthe Elements
It is stated that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the initial Absinthe distillery, employed the herbs wormwood, aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica root, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, juniper and veronica to create his famous Pernod Absinthe. The primary oil from all of these herbs is responsible for La Louche, the clouding which occurs when water is put into Absinthe. These types of herbs particularly the aniseed and anise have the effect of the distinctive aniseed or licorice taste of Absinthe and wormwood is responsible for the particular bitter flavor. Absinthe is usually utilized as bitters in cocktails.
There are lots of brands of Absinthe or Absinthe substitutes which were developed throughout the prohibit and therefore contain no Absinthe thujone or even 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 search for brands containing wormwood or Absinthe thujone.