Has anyone ever heard of absinthe?!
Has anyone ever heard of absinthe?
theres a type of alcohol called absinthe
or the green fairy I know that its illegal to sell it in the stores here in the states and I was just wondering if anyone has tried it . Im going to buy some off the internet and I know that they say that it causes you to holosinate and see things and act all funny . but has there been any one that has tried it >?
Answers:
It's totally and completely false that absinthe causes hallucinations, it has been proven over and over again scientifically, either in surviving XIX century absinthe bottle either in todays modern brands of real absinthe.
Absinthe was banned because the early XX century wine producers, being threatened by the huge sales of absinthe lobbied together with religious conservative movements to forbid it under many false pretexts. Eventually, they did it. It was never banned in England, Spain and Portugal, in these two countries it is still produced today. The USA are currently the only country in the world still forbidding absinthe.
The hallucinogenic myth is being perpetuated by unscrupulous vendors (who make fortunes out of the ignorance of mainly american customers) and some manufacturers of a "thing" that is not absinthe. I'm talking about mainly czech producers who claim their "absinth" is "high on thujones".
Wormwood, arthemisia absintium, the plant, does in fact contain the mollecule thujone that despite looking similar to THC is not the same nor does it have the same effects. Before you had any hallucinations with thujone you would die first from it's toxicity since you had to ingest a massive ammount of it. The thing is that the very small ammounts of thujone in wormwood almost disappear completely through the process that any absinthe must suffer to be considered an absinthe: Distillation.
Further example of the ridiculousness of that myth, the aromatic plant used in some dishes, sage, has more thujone than wormwood, not enough to be toxic, of course.
So please, enjoy absinthe for what it really is: the most complex tasting drink made by Man, it can even be superior to the best red wines, and this because:
- ABSINTHE IS: Grape spirit distilled together with up to 9 different herbs, among them green anis (the main constituent), wormwood, petite wormwood, fennel, hyssop, melissa, angelica of the alps, star anis and sometimes coriander seeds. This process of slow distillation is very difficult and complex, it takes up to 18 hours of a carefully monitered distillation, a little too much temperature and it's ruined. That's why it can't be reproduced by amateurs. All spirits after distillation are clear as water, including whiskey and absinthe. Some absinthes are sold that way, others are coloured with natural herbs, so that green is simply clorophile, not some E-23758590...
-ABSINTHE IS NOT: cheap vodka with wormwood soaked in it, it would taste horrible because wormwood contains the second most bitter substance known to Man;
cheap grain alcohol artificially coloured and flavoured (the czech "absinths").
Final note, never, BUT NEVER burn a sugar cube over your absinthe, that's a fake, stupid commercial gimmick invented by the czechs in the 1990's, nobody ever drank absinthe that way in the XIX century. They drinked it this way:
- on a large, clear glass pour no more than two fingers of absinthe; then slowly, very slowly, drop by drop if you can pour ice cold water, no less than 2 parts of water to one of absinthe; you may notice your absinthe will become cloudy, opaque, it's a sign of it's authenticity. Now again very slowly and calmly, proceed with the tasting, absinthe is not to be stupidly gulped down like a shot, it must be appreciated with ease so that all the subtle flavours may toy with your pallate.
Cheers
Source(s):
Me. Absinthe Researcher and Drinker for 20 years.
I have many friends that love absinthe, I didn't care for it. To hallucinate you would have to drink so much that it negates its purpose.....
Yes, and it was illegal here in Switzerland for 100 years. This year it's back on the shelves,and it is good. We did drink the "bootlegged" kind when I first arrive here...It doesn't do any of those things. The tale is that a man drank too much of it and killed his whole family.
My personal theory is that if that's the best stab you can take at spelling hallucinate, you're too young to drink any.
i've drank it before and it doesn't make you hallucinate. it just tastes like crap.
yeah ive had it and its great dont overdo it though nobody wants to spend the night with face ina toilet bowl not being able to walk
if you stick to one shot it should just give you that nice tipsy feel
I tried it when I was in South Africa on an overseas school project, and the bartender broke it down for me. First off... It tastes horrible. But it does seem to have more of an "effect" than alcohol. I would liken it to taking too much cough syrup. Don't believe all the hype about "hallucinations" either, especially with the kind you are buying over the internet. The absinthe that was drank in the "old days" that was said to have given those who imbibed it visions, is not the same as what is produced today.
Absinthe is Anise (Licorice) flavored, though they do sell some that doesn't have that flavoring added. I've tried some before. It is a clean buzz alcohol. What I mean by that is, you get buzzed off of it quickly but you don't feel disoriented like you do with regular alcohol. Also, it wears off well. I've never gotten a hang over after drinking it.
It has wormwood in it which is supposed to be mind altering, but I did not experience anything like that and neither did my mom or husband. Some people say it makes them more creative.
I do prefer drinking this more than other liquors because it doesn't make me feel drunk, just nice.
Absinthe does have a lot more alcohol than most drinks so it will get you drunk fast. It has the same risks as any other alcoholic drink so drink in moderation.
Drinking absinthe is a bit ritualistic if you drink it as directed. You are supposed to pour a shot of absinthe in a clear glass. Then place a slotted spoon, I use an actual absinthe spoon, on the top with a sugar cube or two and pour ice cold over the top. The green liquor will change to a milky green color. It's really cool.
no. . there is a brand in the store that is sold. They had some kind of special on this alcohol on the food network channel or maybe it was either the public channel or the history channel.
either way it seems to be making a come back.
I used to work in a liquor store so I was very interested in knowing what this liquor was.
The original absinthe was a killer. It contained wormwood and was in part responsible for the deaths of bohemian artists and writers in19th century France. The absinthe now sold can be purchased in Mexican liquor stores, imported from the Czech republic.Costs 25USD for a small bottle, tastes nasty, no hallucinations. Popular with Spring Breakers who don't know any better.
Well lets see, you are looking for the drug aspect of it, and that's why it was outlawed. The versions now are nothing compared to its forefather. Its what Edgar Allen Poe drank to inspire his poems. First it's a drug you pour it over a sugar cube to negate the bitterness of it. Why would you want to drink it anyway? Is it the allure of something new? Your obviously young, and the question provides the age evidence. Yet it is illegal for a reason... It's harmful. It was made illegal because of the brain damage that occurred from its consumption. The hallucinations are caused from the damage in the brain and it depends on the amount you drink or the potency of the drug. The wormwood extract is what killed alot of the poets in the 17 and 18 centuries, yet the newer versions dont have the wormwood extract, or atleast they aren't supposed to.
Be careful when you order it to the states online. You will usually get the "fake" absinthe or absinthe flavored liquor instead. It is extremely difficult to even have it shipped, (illegal for places to ship it to the USA). I heard we can purchase it in Canada though. Is that true?
Absinthe is a distilled, highly alcoholic, anise-flavored spirit derived from herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia absinthium, also called grand wormwood. Although it is sometimes mistakenly called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is, therefore, classified as a liquor or spirit.
Absinthe is typically green (either naturally or with added color) and is often referred to as la Fée Verte ('The Green Fairy'). Because of its high proof and concentration of oils, absintheurs (absinthe drinkers) typically add three to five parts ice-cold water to a dose of absinthe, which causes the drink to cloud, called 'louching'; often the water is used to dissolve added sugar to add sweetness. This preparation is considered an important part of the experience of drinking absinthe, so much so that it has become ritualized, complete with special slotted absinthe spoons and other accoutrements. Absinthe's flavor is similar to other anise-flavored drinks, with a light bitterness and added complexity imparted by multiple herbs.
Yes, I've drunk absinthe several times. The last time was last week at a tasting of several different types of absinthe in London, where it was never banned.
Absinthe is an aniseed flavoured spirit that is clear until water is added to it, when it turns milky.
Absinthe contains a number of herbs and spices, but the one that got it that reputation - most likely unfairly - is wormwood. Wormwood has an ingredient called thujone which has a structure similar to T.H.C. which is the active chemical in cannabis.
There is a tiny amount of wormwood - used for its bitter flavours - in Absinthe, and you'd have to drink an enormous amount of it to be affected. Bear in mind that absinthe has a very high alcohol content, around 70% alcohol (normal spirits are 40%), but that it is drunk with 6 -8 times as much water, thus diluting the alcohol and active ingredients.
However, it was made illegal in France and some other countries because of fear that people were made mad by absinthe. The stories about the effect of the wormwood content were over exagerated. But there was tremendous consumption of absinthe in France and people certainly drank too much.
What does it do? Same as any other spirit. It makes you drunk if you have too much of it. Does it make you high? Well, it didn't affect me. I think you'd have to drink so much of it that you'd be drunk from its high alcohol content first
Does it still have wormwood in it? Yes of course. Bear in mind it wasn't made illegal in all countries and even though France made absinthe illegal and thus Pernod made a wormwood free replacement drink known as Pastis, Pernod continued to make real absinthe for export.
I'm not a lawyer but the absinthe merchants say that it is only illegal to SELL absinthe in the US, but legal to buy and consume it, and so companies like eabsinthe.com ship personal orders to the US and guarantee refund if a consignment is lost or seized.
However, if you want to know what absinthe is like without buying it, go to any bar or pub and ask for a glass of Pernod or Ricard pastis. Pastis is the wormwood free replacement produced after absinthe was made illegal. These also have lower alcohol, so you add less water. The taste and look of pastis is the same as absinthe.
This online merchant that will ship absinthe to US customers from the UK - see http://www.eabsinthe.com
nasty stuff contains wormwood . french painter toulouse la trec drank it , also cleaned his brushes with it .
Yes, I know poeple who have tried it and made it.
Use caution, Personally I wouldn't get any from someone I didn't know. The active ingredient is wormwood oil witch is a poison. You will Hallucinate and feel very wierd. Colors will look blury but very sharp and you may feel creative. You will also have the worst headache you have ever had the next day.