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"Meum est propositum in Taberna mori"
 
  ABSINTHE  
- The Green Muse
- La Fee Verte
 






 
 

Absinthe is an alcoholic drink made with an extract from wormwood (Artemisia absinthium).

Absinthe or "the green muse"appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity.

Below I have a gathered some links to some fairly good web page treating different sides of this mysterious, vivid liqueur that inspired many famous artists.

 
       
 

Absinthe is an ancient, bitter liquor originally made by soaking the leaves of the wormwood herb in wine or spirits, absinthe was so unpleasant that its name is believed to be connected with the Greek word "apsinthion," meaning "undrinkable." Despite its taste absinthe has long attracted a bohemian following, largely for its hallucinogenic properties.

In ancient Greece, thinkers like Pythagoras recommended that pregnant women drink absinthe to ease labor pains. Centuries later, Swiss villagers in the Alps concocted their own version of the liqueur, distilling wormwood with anise seed and other popular herbs, and using it as a common folk remedy. In the late 19th century, the most faithful drinkers of "the green fairy" were European artists, including Impressionist painters like Manet, Degas, and van Gogh. Authors like Paul Verlaine and Arthur Rimbaud also favored the green liqueur.

In 1263, the Guild of Anisette Workers was formed in the rue Vieille-du-Temple. Its members ground star anise with a rounded pestle and macerated the powder for use in preparations for ointments, medicines and liqueurs.At the end of the 18th century, the Henriod Damsels of Val de Travers in the Neuchatel Canton of Switzerland combined the benefits of anise and grand absinthe to make an elixir. They grew the plants themselves in their garden and distilled them in their kitchen, using a small still on a tripod over the hearth. A French doctor exiled from Franche-Comtè, Doctor Ordinaire, prescribed the elixir to his patients suffering from stomach problems.

 
After his death the production went commercial in 1797, when Henry-Louis Pernod purchased the secret recipe and opened an absinthe factory in Pontarlier, France. During the early 1900s Switzerland continued its production, exporting more than 3 million gallons each year, and by 1910, absinthe sales had reached 32 million liters annually in France.
 
 
 
Wormwood, however, contains thujone, a psychoactive ingredient similar to marijuana's key component (THC). Thujone is toxic to the brain and liver, and over time may cause convulsions, hallucinations, and psychoses. Absinthe eventually became viewed as a health risk; Switzerland banned it in 1908, the United States followed in 1912, and by 1915 even France had outlawed it.
artemisia absinthium
 

In 1920, five years after its ban in France, Absinthe made a legal comeback- well, sorta. Pernod, who had been churning out Absinthe since 1805, came out with an Absinthe-like drink called- surprise- Pernod, which is widely available today. The recipe, though, isn't the same. Among other things, the wormwood had been all but removed. Wormwood, as you likely know, contains the psychoactive chemical, thujone. Absinthe orignally had some where around 100 milligrams of Thujone per liter.Today the thujone concentration (it varies from 10 mg to 30 mg or even more) in Absinthe. But Pernod has nearly none, as do Absente and Versinthe, which have 3.5 and 1.5 milligrams per liter, respectively. Pernod is vol. 40% (80 proof), Versinthe, vol. 45% (90 proof), and Absente, a hefty vol. 55% (110 proof) The accepted concentration by European Community today is 10 mg thujone/54% alchol graduation.

Absinthe substitutes arose in response, including wormwood-free drinks like ouzo, anis (anisette), and Pernod, which taste similar to their infamous predecessor. Absinthe remains legal in a few countries, however, such as Spain and the Czech Republic, and with the availability of on-line ordering, it began making a comeback in the late 1990s, despite its dangers.

In the U.S., original Absinthe is illegal to sell for human consumption because it contains thujone, which is banned by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in foods for human.

 






       
     
 

Below have I assembled some links related to Absinthe

 
   
absinthe.se a superior site dedicated to Absinthe

Zoomgraphics Absinthe page. The main feature of this page is the absinthe timeline and "famous absinthe drinkers"

Angela Absinthe
The Green Fairy that Lives in the Absinthe Wants your Soul
la Fée Verte Absinthe House with absinthe guide and galleries
absinthe restaurant
Absinthe Brasserie and Bar in Hayes Valley
Wormwood
The "green muse" of France
Absinthe Originals is dedicated to the sale of absinthe collectibles and Belle Époque bar ware
The Wormwood Society
promote accurate, current information about absinthe aid in the repeal of the ban on absinthe in the US
Jade Liqueurs have since 2000 made classic absinthe
L'Heure Verte
La Passion de l'absinthe. Guide of the Absintheur.
Absinth-Guide.de
Absinth Forum

 
Absinthe Online
Liqueurs de France was formed by an Englishman and a Frenchman who had met through their shared love of Belle Époque antiques and united in their passion for authentic absinthe. They have commissioned the distillery of Les fils d'Emile Pernot in Pontarlier to recreate a series of authentic absinthes using traditional methods.
Buy Absinthe, absinthe pralines, posters, spoons etc
AbsintheBuyersGuide.com - A Guide To Absinthe
den ægte Krut's Karport absinth
Erowid Absinthe Vault Images
The Absinthe Literary Review

Absinth und Alandia
- die Welt des Absinth
- dein Absinth Shop im Netz!

thujone.info
Accurate, authoritative information about THUJONE, the controversial active ingredient in ABSINTHE

Published Scientific Papers on Thujone
 





         
   
 
 
Successor of Absinthe
 

In Absente, Absinthe Refined, is the Wormwood, the botanical that caused the initial ban, replaced with a less bitter cousin called Southern-Wormwood, also known as "Petite Absinthe,"
Absente - Absinthe Refined

 

Pernod is now launching a new product “Pernod aux extraits de plantes d’absinthe”. Like the product sold in the 19th century, this new spirit has an alcohol content of 68° and contains no added sugar, but with thujone content in accordance with the legislative constraints in force. Made from extracts of "roman wormwood", "wormwood" and a blend of other aromatic herbs, this drink is inspired by the old formula
Pernod site

 
Viewpoints:
Smoothe taste but lacks complexity and effects other than that of alcohol. A nice pastis but the best parts are absent. .
 

 
 

In Aix en Provence do Liquoristerie De Provence produce Versinthe and Lamesinte.

Versinthe did first appear in February 1999.
Liquoristerie De Provence
 
 
 






 
   
 
   
 
La Fee Verte
   
 
 
Adding Wormwood,
is it advisable?
greensireen @ absinthe-lovers wrote:
---------
"Most Spanish and Swiss absinthe is potent enough, as is the Frenche Le Fee. Simply adding wormwood to bad absinthe won't always have the desired effect.
 
Definitely be careful if you're going to use wormwood oil! 1tsp. per fifth is plenty. If you buy good absinthe, you needn't add anything.
 
Fake absinthe  isn't worth wasting the money on. I have heard nothing but bad things about the Czech brands. The variety I make is quite potent and has a good flavor. If you don't want to go through the trouble of research, assembling a lot of herbs, and experimenting in order to make it yourself, it's better to get a quality absinthe and enjoy it. Trying to fake it on the cheap can be dangerous and is less than appealing to the palate."
 
 
 
 




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This page was updated at  07.05.2008