Absinthe Wormwood

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. Only Absinthe which has negligible amounts of thujone is legal for sale in the USA because thujone is an illegal food additive there.

Why is there controversy about Absinthe Wormwood?

From a very long time common wormwood is being used in medicine. It has already been used:-
– To weaken poisoning caused by toadstools and hemlock.
– How to use as a tonic .
– To decrease a fever.
– It plays the role of a digestive stimulant.
– Treating with parasitic intestinal worms.
Due to wormwood Absinthe got it’s bitter taste, green color and name. A person can see the appearance of the “louche” effect caused by the essential herbal oils in Absinthe when water is added to the drink.
During 1900s Absinthe was illegalized in many countries because of having thujone content in it. Absinthe drinking was linked to different crimes and problems and thujone was thought to be a psychoactive and psychedelic element. A french man killed his whole family after drinking Absinthe and lots of other alcohols for which Absinthe was claimed to be the basic cause!
Several writers and artists enjoyed this Bohemian drink and it was suddenly a banned and illegal drink. The UK, Spain, Portugal or the Czech Republic are the few European countries where Absinthe was never restricted.

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. Absinthe wormwood does not harm a person but the alcoholic content in Absinthe can be dangerous. Lots of people report about feeling a funny lucid or clear headed type of drunkenness due to high dose of Absinthe.

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.

Absinthe Wormwood is still the most important ingredient in Absinthe today but thujone content is strictly regulated in the European Union (no more than 10mg/kg) and the United States where only trace amounts are allowed. Artificial flavored Absinthe should be avoided.