Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe's important 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 during the early 1900s in many countries around the world and thujone is still tightly regulated these days, specifically in the United States (or states united).
Thujone was thought to be much like THC present in cannabis and Absinthe was alleged to be psychoactive and have psychedelic outcomes causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe had been popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre in Paris and lots of artists and writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green absinthethujone.com Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers consist of Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some state 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, although he had ingested many other strong alcoholic drinks right after the Absinthe.
Prohibition campaigners utilised news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and held accountable France's growing problems of alcohol addiction on the emerald liquor.
Is Absinthe thujone Hazardous?
Today's research suggests that it was really the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe which was dangerous instead of the thujone. Absinthe is twice as strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be utilized when consuming Absinthe. Thujone is simply obtained in minute quantities and should therefore result in no major negative effects or health conditions. The EU stipulates that alcohol based drinks with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level over 25% may only have 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 lower than 35mg with many being under 10mg/kg. In the US it is only legal to get or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.
High doses of thujone could be harmful causing convulsions but you would have to drink a great deal of Absinthe to take that quantity of thujone also it would be impossible to drink that amount, you'd be comatose from alcohol until then!
Absinthe Elements
It is known that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the initial 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 fundamental oil from all of these herbs is responsible for La Louche, the clouding which happens when water is combined with Absinthe. These herbs particularly the aniseed and anise have the effect of the distinctive aniseed or licorice taste of Absinthe and wormwood is liable for the particular bitter flavor. Absinthe is sometimes utilized as bitters in cocktails.
There are lots of brands of Absinthe or Absinthe substitutes which were developed in the prohibit and so contain no Absinthe thujone or perhaps wormwood, but some would say that Absinthe just isn't Absinthe without Absinthe thujone and the bitter taste of wormwood. If you would like real Absinthe look for brands made up of wormwood or Absinthe thujone.
