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.

Artemisia Absinthiumis the botanical and Latin name for the plant Common Wormwood. The name “Artemisia” was kept from the name of the Greek Goddess Artemis. Artemis is known as the goddess of forests and hills, of the hunt and also as a protector of children. Later Artemis and the moon was corelated. Due to the bitter taste of wormwood the word “Absinthium” was thought to be come from the Ancient Greek for “without sweetness”.

The Common Wormwood plant is a perennial herb which often grows on arid ground and in rocky areas of Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean. After streching from people’s gardens it has also been found growing in parts of North America. Common wormwood is also known as armoise, green ginger and grande wormwood.

The silver gray leaves and tiny yellow flowers gives worwood plants a preety look. The production of Wormwood oil is done from the tiny glands on the leaves. The Artemisia group of plants also includes tarragon, sagebrush, sweet wormwood, Levant wormwood, silver king artemisia, Roman wormwood and southernwood. The Artemisia plants come under the Aster family of plants.

Wormwood has been used as a herbal medicine since ancient times and its medical uses include:-
– The labor pains in women can be eased by it.
– It can also be used to counterbalance the poisoning from toadstools and hemlock.
– It can be considered as an antiseptic.
– To ease digestive problems and to stimulate digestion. People lacking sufficient stomach acid can be treated with wormwood.
– As a cardiac stimulant in pharmaceuticals.
– Fevers decreases by it’s use.
– One can use it as an anthelmintic to expel intestinal worms.
– People used it as a tonic.

There is research claiming that wormwood may be effective in treating Alzheimer’s disease and Crohn’s disease.

Effects of Artemisia Absinthium

Wormwood is a key ingredient in the liquor Absinthe, the Green Fairy, which was banned in many countries in the early 1900s. Absinthe is named after this herb which also gives the drink its characteristic bitter taste,

Absinthe was banned because of its alleged psychedelic effects. People thought that it was responsible for hallucinations and mental illness. People attached Absinthe with the Bohemian culture of Parisian Montmartre.

The effects of thujone in wormwood and THC in the drug cannabis are said to be the same. The quantity of thujone is so small in Absinthe that one had to drink excess of Absinthe to feel the harmful effects of thujone!

One can drink Absinthe as any other strong spirit but in balanced amount.

Artemisia Absinthium is the main content of real Absinthe. There are also “fake” Absinthes away from the real Green Fairy which are prepared from other herbs and flavorings. If you want the real thing you must check that they contain thujone or Common Wormwood or use essences,such as those from AbsintheKit.One can visit AbsintheKit.com to make his own Absinthe containing Artemisia Absinthium.

There is so much contradictory Absinthe information available online and in books, it’s hard to know what to believe.

Misleading Absinthe Information

One book “Absinthe The Cocaine of the 19th Century: A History of the Hallucinogenic Drug and its Effect on Artists and Writersin Europe and the United States” by Doris Lanier, compares Absinthe to drugs such as cocaine because it was said to be addictive, to give a sense of euphoria, have psychedelic effects and weaken the brain and other faculties.

During the 19th and 20th century Absinthe became popular all over the world. This was a time in history when many of today’s illegal drugs like crack cocaine, morphine and heroin were developed and used by normal everyday people for medicine, on prescription for coughs etc. It is used in drinks. Popular drinks in bars were Absinthe, Vin Maraiani (cocaine and wine) and Coca Cola (then made from cocaine, wine and kola nuts). The Europeans used these drugs and drinks regularly.

Due to it’s popularity with Bohemian artists and writers and with the courtesans of the Moulin Rouge and Montmartre Absinthe was linked with these drugs.

Wormwood contains thujone which was thought to be psychoactive and alike THC in the drug cannabis. The essential oils contain THC which affects the central nervous system and thujone which affects the GABA receptors in the brain. A person can have hallucinations and fantasies, euphoric feeling, relieve from pain and an aphrodisiac with the over dose of wormwood.

In the beginning of 1900s Absinthe was banned along with some drugs in many countries around the world. Due to the hysteria of the time it was restricted. People lumped Absinthe together with drugs and even as magic mushrooms, LSD, weed, cannabis and ecstasy. 

Absinthe Information – What we now know

We know that medical studies on Absintheand wormwood in the past were not accurate and were “colored” by the prohibition movement of the time and the worry that Absinthe was a drug. Recent studies have shown that after distillation Absinthe contains very small amounts of thujone which cannot harm anyone. The tests on vintage pre ban Absinthe showed that it barely contained any thujone. A person would die of alcohol poisoning long before suffering any side effects from thujone.

As many countries has authorized Absinthe so it can now be drunk anywhere across the world.

It is easy to get drunk on Absinthe because of it’s high proof. It has twice the alcohol content of spirits so one should be careful while drinking it. If you do get drunk on Absinthe you will probably experience a very different intoxication than you would experience from other spirits or fermented beverages. A number of people describe it as a “lucid” or “clear headed” kind of drunkenness. This can be understood with the help of a solution of sedatives and stimulants. By making cocktails containing Absinthe and the drink Red Bull some people enhance these qualities!

A person can be disappointed with some of the confusing Absinthe information. This herbal alcoholic drink can be prepared with enjoyment. AbsintheKit.com is available with real, top-quality Absinthe essences that can be used by an individual to produce his own wormwood Absinthe.It is a fun and economical way to enjoy Absinthe on this site.