![]() ![]() People liked it because it was a stronger alternative to wine. By the mid-1800s, the spirit had grown in popularity significantly. Absinthe’s Bumpy HistoryĪbsinthe was originally distilled in Switzerland in the late 1700s as a tonic. It is extremely ironic that the same spirit used as a health supplement for thousands of years would later be mislabeled as a drug that causes hallucinations. To this day, this is how absinthe is served. But it would really start to be appreciated for its recreational value when bartenders started serving it with a fountain of cool water dripped over a flaming sugar cube. Sometimes, absinthe would be mixed with wine and enjoyed as a cocktail. It was believed that the absinthe helped prevent malaria, as well as fever and the spread of water-dwelling bacteria. The drink was used medicinally all the way through 1844, when the bitter spirit was given to French soldiers fighting in Algeria. The earliest records of wormwood consumption date back to 3100 BC in ancient Egypt, when it was used to prevent malaria. Like a few other spirits, absinthe wasn’t traditionally drunk for pleasure. One reason that the negative stigma surrounding absinthe exists is that a lot of people have no clue how to drink it. With a little bit of background knowledge, you can make great use out of this classic drink. It just contains a lot of alcohol.Īll in all, absinthe is grossly underappreciated. After a sip, it begins to make a bit more sense why people would think this drink causes hallucinations.īut don’t be fooled! The effects of this spirit are essentially no different than any other bottle. When you taste absinthe, you’ll notice how potent this alcohol really is. Most of the time, it’s bottled between 110 and 144 proof. To further intensify the flavor and color, the absinthe is usually infused a second time before it’s bottled. Afterward, it’s diluted down until it reaches its desired strength. This mixture is drenched in a neutral spirit, then distilled. There are numerous recipes for the drink, most of which include additional botanicals for flavoring and coloring. Traditional absinthe is produced from a blend of anise, fennel, and wormwood. With all of these crazy, baseless claims behind us, we can begin to analyze absinthe for the spirit it really is. This infamous event actually occurred when van Gogh got into an argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin.Ī ton of rumors surround this spirit, though much of them have no evidence behind them. Van Gogh had a well-documented history of mental illness, and it was quite common for him to experience hallucinogenic episodes where he’d lose consciousness. This storied spirit has even been blamed for Vincent van Gogh cutting his ear off. This drink has a reputation for being banned in many countries and is rumored to be a hallucinogen. Europe reintroduced it around the 1950’s and the United States allowed the sale of absinthe in 2007 based on science that the spirit was no more dangerous than other spirits currently available at the time.Absinthe is probably the most misunderstood spirit in the entire industry. Absinthe was banned in most of Europe between 19, and the United States followed in 1912. Because of its popularity, the Temperance League lobbied against absinthe due to the high rate of alcohol related crime and false claims that it made you hallucinate or “go crazy” (which it did not). ![]() Largely, absinthe was the most popular drink from 1850 till the early 1900’s. However, the dominant flavor of absinthe is anise (black licorice). Other ingredients are used by various distillers to add additional flavor profiles that make their absinthe unique. Traditionally, absinthe is made of high proof distilled spirit with anise, fennel and grande wormwood (the holy trinity of absinthe). ![]() Q: What is absinthe? Why was it illegal? A: Absinthe was originally developed as a medicinal liquor that was given to soldiers in Europe to help prevent malaria as well as aid with digestive issues due to that fact that anise oil (the main component of absinthe) was generally accepted as a natural digestive aid at the time, and continues to be. ![]()
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