All About Wine And Its Goodness!

There has been much controversy regarding the thujone levels in Absinthe and whether Absinthe can really make you hallucinate but what about its alcohol content – How much alcohol is in Absinthe?

Due to the label on all commercial alcoholic drinks about alcohol content people are capable for making informed decisions about drinking them and how much to consume.

A hydrometer is used to measure the alcohol content. A hydrometer looks a bit like a fishing float with a thermometer attached. The direction of hydrometer is vertical when kept in liquid. As it is supplied to water the water line stops at the level marked 1.If it is supplied in sugared water the level will be higher as the water gets denser. The float moves lower with the use of hydrometer in fermenting alcohol as the sugar is eaten by the yeast. One has to calculate the original gravity and then the final gravity of alcohol.

One can detect the volume of alcohol by the following formula
Original gravity – Final gravity x 131 = Alcohol by volume.

The alcohol by volume content of drinks is shown by label both in the EU and the US. Studies show that proof is approximately twice alcohol by volume.

Different brands of Absinthe have different alcohol contents. Look at the following statistics:-

Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
The alcohol content is about 53% abv (106 proof) in La Clandestine Absinthe
According to the studies Sebor contains 55% abv 
The alcohol content is found to be 60% in Pere Kermanns
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof)
One can get 70% abv alcohol content in Mari Mayans Collectors 70
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise contains 68% abv (136 proof) of alcohol
What is La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
The alcohol content in La Fee Parisian is 68% abv (136 proof)
Kubler 53 contains 53% abv (106 proof) of alcohol by volume
The alcohol content is found to be 65% abv in Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
The volume of alcohol in Jade PF 1901 is 68% abv
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
What is Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)

As you can see Absinthe can range from 53% abv to 75% abv, quite a difference. Now, let’s compare those levels to other alcoholic drinks:-

Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila is available with 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer is available with 4 or 5% alcohol by volume.
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof).
The alcohol by volume is 40% in Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)

No other alcoholic drink seems to come close to Absinthe!

One can find differences in alcohol content of homemade Absinthes. A person can mix an Absinthe essence from AbsintheKit.com.com with Absolut vodka (40% abv) and another might make it with Everclear (95% abv) – a huge difference.

Absinthe was banned in the 1900s because of claims that thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was like THC in the drug cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects. We now know that claims that Absinthe is an hallucinogen are completely false but we do need to remember that any liquor can be harmful to our health if we consume too much. People in Memphis have realized this and in 2006, Memphis was the least alcohol consuming city in the USA – many Memphis citizens had not even drunk a sip of alcohol in at least a month when they were polled.

Alcohol is fine if consumed in moderation but you need to know how much alcohol is in Absinthe and other alcohol that you buy and consume.

 

 

Tags: absinthe, alcohol content in alcoholic drinks, brands of Absinthe

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 14th, 2009 at 10:48 pm and is filed under food and wine. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.