frightened to meet the Green Fairy after a pour of absinthe ? Do n’t be . Though absinthe is the subject of many nicknames and stories , it ’s basically just an aromatic , high - proof inebriant that has been redistilled with plants and herbs including anise seed , common wormwood , and common fennel .
With a minuscule help from inquiry scientist and absinthe expert Ted Breaux , we ’ve compiled the five self-aggrandising myths about absinthe – and why they are n’t genuine .
1. Absinthe is hallucinogenic.
Despite the plug from Hollywood and some sword ’ marketing safari , absinthe is n’t hallucinogenic . This misconception begin in the 19th century when absinthe product was n’t regulated . Since absinthe was so popular , some producers used industrial - grade non - drinkable alcoholic drink and flavored it with commercial vegetable oil extracts , says Breaux .
Both the oils and the heart were clear , so the colour and clouding up core were artificially created with copper color sulfate and antimony trichloride , respectively . When squander on a regular basis , this intermixture could get atomic number 29 perniciousness and atomic number 51 poisoning — both of which can cause hallucination .
The low price point of the result product imply that it was mainly imbibed by the lower course of study . When the effects of long - terminal figure intake kicked in , these individuals would be sent to sanitariums for their symptom . Though millions of others drink unadulterated absinthe every 24-hour interval , accounts of hallucinations and wildness were treat as being the case for any and all absinthe usable . Since wormwood is n’t used in many other products , it was an easy target .
Fourteen years ago , Ted Breaux begin testing samples of all the vintage and new distilled absinthes he could find . Using accelerator chromatography and a mass spectrometer , Breaux and partner tested for any and all have it away hallucinogenic compound . At the metre , the reigning theory was that thujone , a of course occurring compound in wormwood , stimulate hallucination . After a thorough assault and battery of test , no hallucinogenic compounds were found in any substantial amount in any of the absinthe .
2. Countries banned absinthe because it’s hallucinogenic.
Absinthe is n’t hallucinogenic , so why was it cast out ? light answer : its popularity . As the most democratic spirit in France at the time , it became a target for both the moderation effort and for producers of other spirits who feared for their sales . After decades of lobbying , absinthe was ban for its Modern status as the root of all societal problems .
3. Absinthe should be served with a flaming sugar cube.
As Breaux put it , “ You ’ll never find any description , image , or painting from the yesteryear showing a flaming sugar cube . ” This myth is a more recent mixture . In Eastern Europe , unnaturally green — or blue(ish)—colored vodkas were being market and sold as absinthe . Since these products do n’t louche , they “ had to create theatrics to hide it . ”
4. Absinthe originated in Eastern Europe.
Despite the identification number of tourists flocking to Eastern Europe to pledge whatever green liquid they could find , absinthe is primitively Swiss . The diachronic platter betoken that absinthe originated in this area around the turning of the 19th century . In fact , Switzerland and France compound to produce at least 95 percent of the world ’s absinthe by the sentence it reached its peak popularity .
5. Real absinthe isn’t available within the US.
Since 2007 , absinthe made withArtemisia absinthium , also known as grande wormwood , has been available de jure within the US . Though thujone horizontal surface are intimately baffle , the absinthe sold commercially is close to what you could get before the absinthe forbidding go into effect . After all , “ the United States banned absinthe as more of a preventative measure than anything else , ” says Breaux .
Hit the Lab
The Brain Duster has existed at different taproom under various name throughout cocktail history .
The Brain sirocco
1 sprint Angostura bitters1 oz sweet vermouth1 oz absinthe1 oz rye whisky
commingle all component in a blend glassful . Add ice and stir smartly for 20 - 25 seconds or until cool down through and load to taste . Strain into a chill cocktail glass .
