Absinthe wormwood is normally Artemisia Absinthium or Grand Wormwood which is actually a variety of wormwood which does not contain a vast amount of the chemical thujone. Roman Wormwood also contains thujone alike the Grand Wormwood so drinks with two types of wormwood may contain more thujone. Thujone amounts can differ between brands significantly, some Absinthes only have negligible amounts of thujone, whereas others have up to 35mg/kg. In the USA Absinthe with trace amounts of thujone is legal for sale.
What is the reason for controversy about Absinthe Wormwood ?
Medicines have been made using this common wormwood, Artemisia Absinthium since Ancient times. It has been utilized:-
– To counteract poisoning caused by toadstools and hemlock.
– Ways of using it as a tonic.
– One can also use it for reducing fever.
– As a digestive stimulant.
– To cure parasitic intestinal worms.
Green color, bitter taste and name of Absinthe is based on wormwood herb used in it’s preparation. When water is added to the drink the famous “louche” effect is visible.
Due to the harmful effects of thujone Absinthe was restricted in many countries. People thought that Absinthe drinking gave rise to violent crimes, serious intoxication, insanity and the thujone content in it played the role of psychoactive, psychedelic and an hallucinogen. People believed that Absinthe was the main reason behind the murder of a french family!
From being a trendy Bohemian drink enjoyed by many writers and artists, such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway and Oscar Wilde, it was suddenly a banned and illegal drink. Absinthe was unauthorized in many European countries and in the USA but was always authorized in the UK, Spain, Portugal or the Czech Republic.
Absinthe Wormwood Revival
There was never any real evidence linking Absinthe drinking to hallucinations or insanity and it is now known that Absinthe is no worse than any other highly alcoholic drink. As Absinthe has approximately twice the alcoholic content in comparison to other drinks so it should be consumed in moderation but the wormwood in it is not harmful at all. The consumption of decent amount of Absinthe can make a person feel a funny lucid or clear headed type of drunkenness.
During the 1990s many nations authorized Absinthe which made Absinthe drinking more interesting. There are many different types and brands of Absinthe available to buy and buyers can even order Absinthe essence, to make their own Absinthe, online from companies like AbsintheKit.com.
The thujone content of wormwood should not be used more than 10mg/kg in the European Union and in the United States it can be used only in trace amounts. Look for Absinthe that contain real wormwood and herbs not artificial flavors.