Absinthe Controversy - Absinthism and Thujone
On October 07, 2007 in Back to basic
It was thought that excessive absinthe drinking led to effects which were specifically worse than those associated with overindulgence in other forms of alcohol - which is bound to have been true for some of the less-scrupulously adulterated products, creating a condition called absinthism. Undistilled wormwood essential oil contains a substance called thujone, which is a convulsant and can cause renal failure in extremely high doses, and the supposed ill effects of the drink were blamed on that substance in 19th-century studies. Many of these studies were flawed, such as a study by Dr. Magnan in 1869 that exposed a guinea pig to large doses of pure wormwood oil vapor and another to alcohol vapors. The guinea pig exposed to wormwood had seizures while the other did not. Based on this it was concluded absinthe was more dangerous than alcohol. These studies were further taken advantage of as the French word for wormwood is “absinthe,” and it was incorrectly stated that absinthe, the drink, had caused these problems.Past reports estimated thujone levels in absinthe as high, possibly up to 350 mg/kg. More recent studies have shown that very little of the thujone present in wormwood actually makes it into a properly distilled absinthe, even one recreated using historical recipes and methods. Most proper absinthes, both vintage and modern, are naturally within the EU limits. A recent French distiller has had to add pure essential oil of wormwood to make a “high-thujone” variant of his product. It can remain in higher amounts in oils produced by other methods than distillation, or when wormwood is macerated and not distilled, especially when the plant stems are used, where thujone content is the highest. Tests on mice show an LD50 of around 45 mg thujone per kg of body weight, much higher than what is contained in absinthe and the high amount of alcohol would kill a person many times over before the thujone became a danger. Although direct effects on humans are unknown, many have consumed thujone in higher amounts than present in absinthe through non-controversial sources like common sage and its oil, which can be up to 50% thujone. Long term effects of low wormwood consumption in humans is unknown as well.
The effects of absinthe have been described by artists as mind-opening and even hallucinogenic and by prohibitionists as turning good people mad and desolate. Both are exaggerations. Sometimes called “secondary effects”, the most commonly reported experience is a “clear-headed” feeling of inebriation - a “lucid drunk”, said to be caused by the thujone. The placebo effect and individual reaction to the herbs make these secondary effects subjective and minor compared to the psychoactive effects of alcohol.
A study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol concluded that a high concentration of thujone in alcohol has negative effects on attention performance. It slowed down reaction time, and subjects concentrated their attention in the central field of vision. Medium doses did not produce an effect noticeably different from plain alcohol. The high dose of thujone in this study was larger than what one can get from current beyond-EU-regulation “high thujone” absinthe before becoming too drunk to notice, and while the effects of even this high dose were statistically significant in a double blind test, the test subjects themselves could still not reliably identify which samples were the ones containing thujone. As most people describe the effects of absinthe as a more lucid and aware drunk, this suggests that thujone alone is not the cause of these effects. The deleterious effects of absinthe as well as its hallucingenic properties are a persistent myth often repeated in modern books and scientific journals with no evidence for either.
Absinth or Absinthe ?
On October 07, 2007 in Back to basic
The French word absinthe can refer either to the liquor or to the actual wormwood plant (grande absinthe being Artemisia absinthium, and petite absinthe being Artemisia pontica).
The word derives from the Latin absinthium, which is in turn a stylization of the Greek αψινθιον (apsinthion). Some claim that the word means “undrinkable” in Greek, but it may instead be linked to the Persian root spand or aspand, or the variant esfand, which may have been, rather, Peganum harmala, a variety of rue, another famously bitter herb. That this particular plant was commonly burned as a protective offering may suggest that its origins lie in the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European root *spend, meaning “to perform a ritual” or “make an offering.” Whether the word was a borrowing from Persian into Greek, or rather from a common ancestor, is unclear.
Absinth (without the “e”) is a spelling variation of absinthe often seen in central Europe. Because so many Bohemian-style products use it, many groups see it as synonymous with bohemian absinth, even though that is not always the case.
Source: wikipedia.org
Where it all began
On October 07, 2007 in Back to basic
The precise origin of absinthe is unclear. According to popular legend, absinthe began as an all-purpose patent remedy created by Dr. Pierre Ordinaire, a French doctor living in Couvet, Switzerland, around 1792 (the exact date varies by account). Ordinaire’s recipe was passed on to the Henriod sisters of Couvet, who sold absinthe as a medicinal elixir. In fact, by other accounts, the Henriod sisters may have already been making the elixir before Ordinaire’s arrival. In either case, one Major Dubied in turn acquired the formula from the sisters and, in 1797, with his son Marcellin and son-in-law Henry-Louis Pernod, opened the first absinthe distillery, Dubied Père et Fils, in Couvet. In 1805 they built a second distillery in Pontarlier, France, under the new company name Maison Pernod Fils.Absinthe’s popularity grew steadily until the 1840s, when absinthe was given to French troops as a fever preventative. When the troops returned home, they brought their taste for absinthe with them, and it became popular at bars and bistros.
By the 1860s, absinthe had become so popular that in most cafés and cabarets that 5 p.m. signaled l’heure verte (“the green hour”). Still, it remained expensive and was favored mainly by the bourgeoisie and eccentric Bohemian artists. By the 1880s, however, the price had dropped significantly, the market expanded, and absinthe soon became the drink of France; by 1910 the French were consuming 36 million litres of absinthe per year.
Source: wikipedia.org
Banned absinthe !
On October 07, 2007 in Back to basic
Spurred by the temperance movement and winemakers’ associations, absinthe was publicized in connection with several violent crimes supposedly committed under the influence of the drink. This, combined with rising hard-liquor consumption due to the wine shortage in France during the 1880s and 1890s, effectively labeled absinthe a social menace. Its critics said that “Absinthe makes you crazy and criminal, provokes epilepsy and tuberculosis, and has killed thousands of French people. It makes a ferocious beast of man, a martyr of woman, and a degenerate of the infant, it disorganizes and ruins the family and menaces the future of the country.” Edgar Degas’s 1876 painting L’Absinthe (Absinthe) (now at the Musée d’Orsay) epitomized the popular view of absinthe “addicts” as sodden and benumbed; Émile Zola described their serious intoxication in his novel L’Assommoir.
Absinthe was banned as early as 1898 in the Congo Free State (later Belgian Congo).
The Lanfray murders were the last straw for absinthe. In 1905 it was reported that Jean Lanfray murdered his family and attempted to kill himself after drinking absinthe. The fact that he was an alcoholic who had drunk considerably after the two glasses of absinthe in the morning was forgotten, and the murders were blamed solely on absinthe. A petition to ban absinthe in Switzerland was quickly signed by over 82,000 people.
Soon thereafter (in 1906), Belgium and Brazil banned the sale and redistribution of absinthe. In Switzerland the prohibition of absinthe was even written into the constitution in 1907, following a popular initiative. The Netherlands came next, banning absinthe in 1909, followed by the United States in 1912 and France in 1915. Around the same time, Australia banned the liquor too. The prohibition of absinthe in France led to the growing popularity of pastis and ouzo, anise-flavored liqueurs that do not use wormwood. Although Pernod moved their absinthe production to Spain, where absinthe was still legal, slow sales eventually caused it to close down. In Switzerland it drove absinthe underground. Evidence suggests small home clandestine distillers have been producing absinthe since the ban, focusing on La Bleues as it was easier to hide a clear product. Many countries never banned absinthe, which eventually led to its revival.
Source: wikipedia.org
World of absinthe regulations
On October 07, 2007 in Absinthe regulations
Currently, most countries do not have a legal definition of absinthe (unlike, for example, Scotch whisky or cognac). Therefore, manufacturers can label a product “absinthe” or “absinth”, regardless of whether it matches the traditional definition. Due to many countries never banning absinthe, not every country has regulations specifically governing it.
Australia and New Zealand
Bitters can contain a maximum 35 mg/kg thujone, other alcoholic beverages can contain a maximum 10 mg/kg of thujone. In Australia import and sales requires a special permit.
Canada
In Canada, liquor laws are the domain of the provincial governments. British Columbia has no limits on thujone content; Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Quebec allow 10 mg/kg thujone, and all other provinces do not allow the sale of absinthe containing thujone (although, in Saskatchewan, one can purchase any liquor available in the world upon the purchase of a minimum of one case, usually 12 bottles x 750ml or 8 x 1L). The individual liquor boards must approve each product before it may be sold on shelves, and currently, only Hill’s Absinth, Elie-Arnaud Denoix, Pernod, Absente, Versinthe and, in limited release, La Fée Absinthe are approved. Other brands may appear in the future.
European Union
The European Union permits a maximum thujone level of 10 mg/kg in alcoholic beverages with more than 25% ABV, and 35 mg/kg in alcohol labeled as bitters. Member countries regulate absinthe production within this framework. Sale of absinthe is permitted in all EU countries unless they further regulate it.
France
In addition to EU standards, products explicitly called “absinthe” cannot be sold in France, although they can be produced for export. Absinthe is now commonly labeled as spiritueux à base de plantes d’absinthe (”wormwood-based spirits”). France also regulates Fenchone, a chemical in the herb fennel, to 5 mg/l. This makes many brands of Swiss absinthe illegal without reformatting.
Switzerland
To be legally sold, absinthe must be distilled and either uncoloured or naturally coloured. In Switzerland, the sale and production of absinthe was prohibited from 1908 to 2005.
United States
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, “The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain Artemisia absinthium is prohibited.” This runs contrary to FDA regulations, which allow Artemisia species in foods or beverages, but those that contain Artemisia species, white cedar, oak moss, tansy or Yarrow, must be thujone free. Other herbs that contain thujone have no restrictions. For example, sage and sage oil (which can be almost 50% thujone) are on the FDA’s list of substances generally recognized as safe.
The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law and regulations among American absinthe connoisseurs is that it is probably legal to purchase such a product for personal use in the U.S. It is illegal to sell items meant for human consumption which contain thujone derived from Artemisia species. (This derives from an Food and Drug Administration regulation, as opposed to a DEA regulation.) Customs regulations specifically forbid the importation of “absinthe”. Absinthe can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs if it appears to be for human consumption and can be seized inside the U.S. with a warrant.
A faux-absinthe liquor called Absente, made with southern wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum) instead of regular wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), is sold legally in the United States and does not contain thujone.
Source: wikipedia.org
What is Czech Absinthe ?
On October 07, 2007 in Czech Absinthe
Often called Bohemian-style, Czech-style, anise-free absinthe or just absinth (without the “e”), Bohemian absinth is produced mainly in the Czech Republic where it gets its Bohemian designation. It contains little to no anise, fennel or other herbs normally found in the more traditional absinthes produced in countries such as France and Switzerland, and can be extremely bitter. Often the only similarities with its traditional counterpart are the use of wormwood and a high alcohol content; for all intents and purposes, it should be considered a completely different product. In most cases, Bohemian-style absinths are not processed by distillation, but are rather high-proof alcohol or vodka which has been cold-mixed with herbal extracts and artificial coloring. Not all absinth produced in the Czech Republic is in the Bohemian style, and there has been a resurgence of traditional absinthe to compete better with the growing world market.
Absinthe (with anise) has been consumed in Czech lands (then part of Austria-Hungary) since the turn of the 20th century, notably by Czech artists, some of whom had an affinity for France, frequenting Prague’s Cafe Slavia. Its wider appeal is uncertain. Contemporary Czech producers claim absinth has been produced in the Czech Republic since the 1920s, and that their brands use the same eighty-year-old recipes (i.e. in case of the Hills company, “98% the same”), but there is no independent evidence to support these claims. Since there are currently few legal definitions for absinthe, producers have taken advantage of its romantic associations and psychoactive reputation to market their products under a similar name. Many Bohemian-style producers heavily market thujone content, exploiting the many myths and half-truths that surround thujone even though none of these types of absinth contain enough thujone to cause any noticeable effect.
The Czech- or Bohemian-style absinth lacks many of the oils in absinthe that create the louche, and a modern ritual involving fire was created to take this into account. In this ritual, absinth is added to a glass and a sugar cube on a spoon is placed over it. The sugar cube is soaked in absinth then lit on fire. The cube is then dropped into the absinth setting it on fire, and water is added till the fire goes out, normally a 1:1 ratio. The crumbling sugar can provide a minor simulation of the louche seen in traditional absinthe, and the lower water ratio enhances effects of the high-strength alcohol.
It is sometimes claimed that this ritual is old and traditional; however, this is false. This method of preparing absinth was in fact first observed by Czech manufacturers in the late 1990s and used as a marketing tool, but has since been accepted by many as historical fact, largely because this method has filtered its way into several contemporary movies. Amongst many of the more traditional absinthe enthusiasts, this method of preparing absinthe is looked down upon, and it can negatively affect the flavor of traditional absinthe.
There are a few Czech products which claim to have levels of thujone which would make them illegal to sell in Europe, as well as the rest of the world. Some of the most expensive Czech products go to the extent of macerating wormwood in the bottle quite similar to an absinthe kit. There is no historical basis for a high thujone level which in fact lends an overwhelming bitterness. Absinthe connoisseurs consider these drinks to be overpriced marketing gimmicks with no historical relationship to real absinthe.
Source: wikipedia.org