![]() Many of the "side affects" of absinthe (hallucination, mania, etc) were in fact real, but were caused by "knockoff" or fake absinthe, often made with damn near poisonous chemicals and sold to the poor classes, who were otherwise unable to drink absinthe due to it's exorbitant price. Additionally, one cannot make absinthe by simply adding wormwood or wormwood extract to these products. Pastis will generally work in cocktails calling for absinthe, but as drinks on their own they're not very similar to it. Although some lower-quality absinthes also use star anise, most use aniseed and fennel, providing a more balanced and complex flavor. The major differences are that pastis contains sugar, is bottled at a much lower proof, and uses primarily star anise in the flavor, which gives it a pronounced "black jelly bean" flavor. Pernod, Ricard, Henri Bardouin, Herbsaint and other pastis are substantially different from absinthe. Pastis is not “absinthe without the wormwood.” Pastis was invented as an absinthe substitute after absinthe was banned in 1915.The primary flavor of absinthe is anise-similar to licorice-but well-made absinthes have an herbal complexity that makes them taste like more than just licorice candy. Authentic absinthe isn't horribly bitter.Aside from entertainment value, burnt "caramelized" sugar does no more than introduce a charred marshmallow taste, obscuring the delicate balance of botanicals. There are a number of time-honored classic drinks which are flamed, but absinthe was never one of them. Not in France, the Czech Republic, or anywhere else prior to the late 1990's. Flaming absinthe has never been an authentic absinthe tradition. ![]() Soaking wormwood and other herbs in vodka or grain neutral spirits will not make absinthe or anything like it. Absinthe must be distilled, just as whisky, gin, etc., and in most countries, including the US, home-distilling is illegal. No more than you can make real whisky or gin at home. You can't make real absinthe at home legally.Thujone is a dangerous neurotoxin at large concentrations and is NOT a hallucinogen or a psychedelic and has no reasonable recreational potential. The similarity in effect to THC was an untested conjecture in the mid-1970s and is unsupported by later studies. If you're here to read about thujone, read through the articles in our Absinthe Science section. The role of thujone in the so-called “secondary effect” is greatly exaggerated, as is the effect itself. The current “100mg thujone” and “ extra strong” hype on many absinthe retail sites is a "legal high" marketing gimmick aimed at the gullible and uninformed. Thujone, the primary volatile oil in wormwood, is present in only in trace amounts in absinthe due to its resistance to distillation, and is safe at these levels. Thujone is not a hallucinogen, and it's not related or similar to THC.While some of the botanicals used have a mild stimulant effect (aniseed and fennel), there are no psychedelic or hallucinogenic ingredients in authentic absinthe, now or in the past. The terrifying hallucinations reported in early, hospitalized absinthe abusers were most likely due to the withdrawal symptoms of acute alcoholism: alcoholic hallucinosis, or, the DTs. Like any form of alcohol, it should be indulged in responsibly, but its only toxic properties are due to its high alcohol content. It won't make you “trip”, hallucinate, cut your ear off, or do anything else you wouldn't ordinarily do when intoxicated with liquor. Absinthe is not a drug or poison and it never was.There are faux absinthe brands being sold as genuine, so buyer discretion is advised be well-informed! Still, at present, there are no legal guidelines in the US as to what may be labeled "absinthe". Modern absinthe made strictly according to pre-ban recipes has been analyzed and found to be more or less identical to actual pre-ban absinthe. This is possible in part because scientific analysis has demonstrated that the compounds blamed for absinthe's alleged harmful effects were not present in the large amounts previously assumed. That is, they contain the same ingredients-including absinthium wormwood-and are similar to pre-ban absinthe in composition, style, and flavor. Yes, most of the absinthes now available in the US are authentic.
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