absinthe

moon man · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:31

Is the absinthe sold today just alcoholic or does it have effects caused by the other things in it ?
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What does absinthe do to you?
Drinkers of absinthe experience a double action intoxication. This intoxication combines the effects of strong alcohol and a secondary effect said to be a "clear-headed" feeling of inebriation.

Absinthe can have an effect that has been described as a "clarity" or "heightened state of mind".

Chemist and absinthe expert, T.A. Breaux describes it as a push-me, pull-you effect of the various herbs, some have a heightening effect while others have a lowering effect. Mr. Breaux also describes the effect as "lucid" which is the name that he gave to the first authentic absinthe approved for sale in the US since its ban in 1912.

DAnDan · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:33

A lot of it depends where, and what you buy. Ones from a supermarket are likely to be just flavoured, coloured, 55% stuff, with none of the actual herb extracts.

Spend some more and get a proper one, with the actual stuff in (wormwood is it?) and it's said to be pretty good

PMKeates · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:42

Absinthe does still contain thujone, the supposedly hallucinogenic chemical, but it is only a small quantity. In my experience of drinking absinthe it makes you anything but 'clear headed'. However, the taste is quite fresh which could make it seem that way.

Tefal · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:45

moon man said:
Is the absinthe sold today just alcoholic or does it have effects caused by the other things in it ?
.

purely alcoholic in this country the active "extras" are banned.

Camarilla · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:56

From my admittedly tiny experience of absinthe, it's not really an different than any other spirits in terms; you drink it, you get drunk. Now, I've never gotten bladdered on it (frankly, I think it's too expensive to use for that), so I've only gotten merry, but it felt the same as getting merry from vodka or schnapps or whatever else. It certainly doesn't give you hallucinations or any of that crap.

Also, as said above, make sure you avoid cheap stuff, because it's nothing more than flavourings and colourings added to neutral alcohol. Also, don't bother with 'Bohemian' absinthe (or 'absinth'), it's little more than wormwood alcohol, without the anise and fennel that give absinthe its flavour. Also, don't do the whole fire ritual with the burning sugar lump, that's a modern invention, and makes it taste... odd, in my opinion.

For what it's worth, La Fée and Apsinthion are nice, and not that expensive.

Ahleckz · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:56

Is thujone another word for wormwood? I was of the belief that wormwood was the thing that caused any hallucinogenic effects.

You won't find 'proper' absinthe here. Also, absinthe is horrible.

Camarilla · 5 Dec 2011 at 20:58

Tefal said:
purely alcoholic in this country the active "extras" are banned.

No they aren't, they never have been.

Ahleckz said:
Is thujone another word for wormwood? I was of the belief that wormwood was the thing that caused any hallucinogenic effects.

You won't find 'proper' absinthe here. Also, absinthe is horrible.

Thujone is a chemical in wormwood, yes. Claims it causes hallucinations have never been proven, though in large quantities it can cause muscle spasms.

Ahleckz · 5 Dec 2011 at 21:03

Ah right, so thujone is what the clever folk call it and wormwood is for the commoners. Gotcha.

Whilst 'proper' absinthe wasn't banned here, thujone/wormwood is subject to EU controls and any limits found in food and drink are very low.

cm1179 · 5 Dec 2011 at 21:04

only tried absinthe once and that was in prague. as soon as it entered my mouth, my body rejected it, resulting in a coughing fit for 30 seconds. put me off for life.

my friend did stupid amounts of the stuff, though he used to set it on fire first. i think he was cheating.

Camarilla · 5 Dec 2011 at 21:09

Ahleckz said:
Ah right, so thujone is what the clever folk call it and wormwood is for the commoners. Gotcha.

Thujone is the active chemical in wormwood, like tetrahydrocannabinol is to cannabis, so it's more like thujone is for the scientists, wormwood's for everyone else

Ahleckz · 5 Dec 2011 at 21:14

Thanks for clarifying that.

Energize · 5 Dec 2011 at 21:21

Thujone is an antagonist of the GABA and 5-HT3 receptors, so one would expect it antagonises the sedative and amnestic effects of alcohol and reduces nausea. Based on it's pharmacology it would not cause hallucinations or any significant psychoactive effect other than anxiety.