It appears that not many of those who responded actually read the
Absinthe FAQ . I’ve spent several hours researching this and will just mention a few quick points. It appears that much of what we think we know (me included, until I began this little project) about absinthe is based on questionable antiquated medical “research” and on propaganda spread nearly a century ago by moralists, competitors of absinthe producers, and people with other agendas.
A few facts:
Many of the old time producers of cheap absinthe used highly toxic additives like copper sulfate and antimony trichloride. They were also known to use lead containers during the processing. Some modern research indicates that the added toxins and impurities in poorly manufactured absinthe was a more likely cause of problems than the wormwood. Absinthe is typically 68% alcohol (136 proof), so alcoholism / alcohol poisoning was likely a big factor.
Vermouth, chartreuse, and benedictine all contain thujone, the active ingredient in wormwood. Vermouth, which is made using the flower heads from wormwood, takes its name from the German wermuth ("wormwood").
Several commonly used herbs also contain thujone; sage (Salvia officinalis) in particular is
much higher in thujone content than wormwood.
Wormwood oil is used in Absorbine Jr. and Vicks Vaporub.
So the stuff may not be so treacherous and deadly as we were lead to believe. The bad rap for absinthe
may be similar to the outrageous claims made by the anti-marijuana folks – and yes, I assume there are some you here who believe what you’ve been told about that ... ahh well.
Anyway, my point, if there is one, is that my research and my “common knowledge” are not jiving here, and I was simply hoping to get some input from anyone with first-hand knowledge. Looks like I’m once again left to my own devices for researching this matter. If my posts should start going (more?) off the wall, please do let me know. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
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No doubt the authorities will get wind of this upsurge in popularity and try to ban it more effectively.
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Actually, the authorities are quite aware of this upsurge as there are many new brands coming on the market. The trend seems to be in the opposite direction than you expect, since absinthe is now legal throughout the EU. Note that it was never banned by all countries, and those that did once ban it are now again permitting it.
The legal status of absinthe in the “land of the free” is still questionable. Manufacture is illegal but possession is “apparently” OK, and wormwood extract can be openly and legally purchased, perhaps adding to the evidence that absinthe has gotten a bad rap.