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Absinthe

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Drink

   A reservoir glass filled with a naturally colored verte next to an
   absinthe spoon.
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   A reservoir glass filled with a naturally colored verte next to an
   absinthe spoon.

   Absinthe (also absinth) ( IPA English: [ˈæbsɪnθ] IPA French: [ap.sɛ̃t])
   is a distilled, highly alcoholic, anise- flavored spirit derived from
   herbs including the flowers and leaves of the medicinal plant Artemisia
   absinthium, also called wormwood. Although it is sometimes incorrectly
   called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is
   therefore classified as a liquor or spirit.

   Absinthe is often referred to as la Fée Verte ('The Green Fairy')
   because of its coloring — typically pale or emerald green, but
   sometimes clear or in rare cases rose red. Due to its high proof and
   concentration of oils, absintheurs (absinthe drinkers) typically add
   three to five parts ice-cold water to a dose of absinthe, which causes
   the drink to turn cloudy (called 'louching'); often the water is used
   to dissolve added sugar to decrease bitterness. This preparation is
   considered an important part of the experience of drinking absinthe, so
   much so that it has become ritualized, complete with special slotted
   absinthe spoons and other accoutrements. Absinthe's flavor is similar
   to anise-flavored liqueurs, with a light bitterness and greater
   complexity imparted by multiple herbs.

   Modern absinthe originated in Switzerland as an elixir but is better
   known for its popularity in late 19th and early 20th century France,
   particularly among Parisian artists and writers whose romantic
   associations with the drink still linger in popular culture. In its
   heyday, the most popular brand of absinthe worldwide was Pernod Fils.
   At the height of this popularity, absinthe was portrayed as a
   dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug; the chemical thujone was
   blamed for most of its deleterious effects. By 1915, it was banned in a
   number of European countries and the United States. Even though it was
   vilified, no evidence shows it to be any more dangerous than ordinary
   alcohol. A modern absinthe revival began in the 1990s, as countries in
   the European Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale.

Etymology

   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.

Production

   anise, one of the three main herbs used in production of absinthe
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   anise, one of the three main herbs used in production of absinthe
   Grande Wormwood, one of the three main herbs used in production of
   absinthe
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   Grande Wormwood, one of the three main herbs used in production of
   absinthe

   The main herbs used are grande wormwood, florence fennel and green
   anise, often called the 'holy trinity'. Many other herbs may be used as
   well, such as hyssop, melissa, star anise and petite wormwood
   (Artemisia pontica or Roman wormwood). Various recipes also include
   angelica root, Sweet Flag, dittany leaves, coriander, veronica,
   juniper, nutmeg, and various mountain herbs.

   The simple maceration of wormwood in alcohol without distillation
   produces an extremely bitter drink, due to the presence of the
   water-soluble absinthine, one of the most bitter substances known.
   Authentic recipes call for distillation after a primary maceration and
   before the secondary or 'coloring' maceration. The distillation of
   wormwood, anise, and Florence fennel first produces a colorless
   distillate that leaves the alembic at around 82% alcohol. It can be
   left clear, called a Blanche or la Bleue (used for bootleg Swiss
   absinthe), or the well-known green colour of the beverage can be
   imparted either artificially or with chlorophyll by steeping petite
   wormwood, hyssop, and melissa in the liquid. After this process, the
   resulting product is reduced with water to the desired percentage of
   alcohol. Over time and exposure to light, the chlorophyll breaks down,
   changing the color from emerald green to yellow green to brown. Pre-ban
   and vintage absinthes are often of a distinct amber colour as a result
   of this process.

   Non-traditional varieties are made by cold-mixing herbs, essences or
   oils in alcohol, with the distillation process omitted. Often called
   'oil mixes', these types of absinthe are not necessarily bad, though
   they are generally considered to be of lower quality than properly
   distilled absinthe and often carry a distinct bitter aftertaste.

   Alcohol makes up the majority of the drink and its concentration is
   extremely high, between 45% and 89.9%, though there is no historical
   evidence that any commercial vintage absinthe was higher than 74%.
   Given the high strength and low alcohol solubility of many of the
   herbal components, absinthe is usually not imbibed 'straight' but
   consumed after a fairly elaborate preparation ritual.

   Historically, there were five grades of absinthe: ordinaire, demi-fine,
   fine, supérieure and Suisse (which does not denote origin), in order of
   increasing alcoholic strength and production quality. While a
   supérieure and Suisse would always be naturally colored and distilled;
   ordinaire and demi-fine could be artificially colored and made from oil
   extracts. These were only naming guidelines and not an industry
   standard. Most absinthes contain between 60% and 75% alcohol. It is
   said to improve materially with storage. In the late 19th century,
   cheap brands of absinthe were occasionally adulterated by profiteers
   with copper, zinc, indigo plant, or other dyes to impart the green
   colour, and with antimony trichloride to produce or enhance the louche
   effect (see below). It is also thought that the use of cheaper
   industrial alcohol and poor distillation technique by the manufacturers
   of cheaper brands resulted in contamination with methanol, fusel
   alcohol, and similar unwanted distillates. This addition of toxic
   chemicals is quite likely to have contributed to absinthe's reputation
   as a hallucination-inducing or otherwise harmful beverage.

Hausgemacht absinthe

   German for homemade (often abbreviated HG), also called clandestine,
   hausgemacht absinthe is home distilled by hobbyists and thus illegal in
   most countries. Mainly for personal use and not for sale, clandestine
   absinthe is produced in small quantities allowing experienced
   distillers to select the best herbs and fine tune each batch.
   Clandestine production got a major boost after the ban of absinthe when
   small producers went underground, especially in Switzerland. Although
   the Swiss produced both vertes and blanches before the ban, clear
   absinthe (known as La Bleue) became popular as it was easier to hide.
   Though the Swiss ban was recently lifted, many clandestine distillers
   have yet to become legal; the authorities believe high taxes on alcohol
   and the mystique of being underground has kept many from seeking a
   license. Those that have become legal often still use the 'clandestine'
   moniker on their products. HG absinthe should not be confused with
   absinthe kits.

Absinthe kits

   There are numerous recipes for homemade absinthe floating around on the
   Internet, many of which revolve around soaking or mixing a kit or
   store-bought herbs and wormwood extract with high-proof liquor such as
   vodka or Everclear. Even though these do-it-yourself kits have gained
   in popularity, it is simply not possible to produce absinthe without
   distillation. Absinthe distillation, like the production of any fine
   liquor, is a science and an art in itself and requires expertise and
   care to properly manage.

   Besides being unpleasant to drink and a pale impression of authentic
   distilled absinthe, these homemade concoctions can sometimes be
   poisonous. Many of these recipes call for the usage of liberal amounts
   of wormwood extract or essence of wormwood in the hopes of increasing
   the believed psychoactive effects. Consuming essential oils will not
   only fail to produce a high, but can be very dangerous. Wormwood
   extract can cause renal failure and death due to excessive amounts of
   thujone, which in large quantities acts as a convulsive neurotoxin.
   Essential oil of wormwood should never be consumed straight.

Preparation

   Preparing absinthe the traditional way.
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   Preparing absinthe the traditional way.

   Traditionally, absinthe is poured into a glass over which a specially
   designed slotted spoon is placed. A sugar cube is then deposited in the
   bowl of the spoon. Ice-cold water is poured or dripped over the sugar
   until the drink is diluted 3:1 to 5:1. During this process, the
   components that are not soluble in water, mainly those from anise,
   fennel and star anise, come out of solution and cloud the drink; the
   resulting milky opalescence is called the louche (Fr. 'opaque' or
   'shady', IPA [luʃ]). The addition of water is important, causing the
   herbs to 'blossom' and bringing out many of the flavours originally
   overpowered by the anise. For most people, a good quality absinthe
   should not require sugar, but it is added according to taste and will
   also thicken the mouth-feel of the drink.

   With increased popularity, the absinthe fountain, a large jar of ice
   water on a base with spigots, came into use. It allowed a number of
   drinks to be prepared at once, and with a hands-free drip patrons were
   able to socialize while louching a glass.

   Although many bars served absinthe in standard glasses, a number of
   glasses were specifically made for absinthe, having a dose line, bulge
   or bubble in its lower portion to mark how much absinthe should be
   poured into it (often around 1 oz (30 ml)).

Czech, or Bohemian, absinth

   'Absinthe Drinker' by Viktor Oliva
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   'Absinthe Drinker' by Viktor Oliva

   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
   (e.g. 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 set on fire. The cube is then dropped into the absinth
   setting it on fire, and water is added until 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 used 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 that 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.

History

   A vintage Pernod Fils absinthe advertisement.
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   A vintage Pernod Fils absinthe advertisement.

   The precise origin of absinthe is unclear, although there is evidence
   of absinthe in several ancient cultures. According to popular legend,
   however, modern 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 5 p.m. signalled 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.

Ban

   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 labelled 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' 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.

Modern revival

   An assortment of modern absinthe.
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   An assortment of modern absinthe.

   In the 1990s an importer, BBH Spirits, realized that there was no UK
   law prohibiting the sale of absinthe (as it was never banned there)
   other than the standard regulations governing alcoholic beverages.
   Hill's Liquere, a Czech Republic distillery founded in 1920, began
   manufacturing Hill's Absinth, a Bohemian-style absinth, which sparked a
   modern resurgence in absinthe's popularity.

   It had also never been banned in Spain or Portugal, where it continues
   to be made. Likewise, the former Spanish and Portuguese New World
   colonies, especially Mexico, allow the sale of absinthe and it has
   retained popularity through the years.

   France never repealed its 1915 law, but in 1988 a law was passed to
   clarify that only beverages that do not comply with European Union
   regulations with respect to thujone content, or beverages that call
   themselves 'absinthe' explicitly, fall under that law. This has
   resulted in the re-emergence of French absinthes, now labelled
   spiritueux à base de plantes d'absinthe ('wormwood-based spirits').
   Interestingly, as the 1915 law regulates only the sale of absinthe in
   France but not its production, many manufacturers also produce variants
   destined for export which are plainly labelled 'absinthe'. La Fée
   Absinthe, launched in 2000, was the first brand of absinthe distilled
   and bottled in France since the 1915 ban, initially mainly for export
   from France, but now one of over twenty French 'spiritueux ...
   d'absinthe' available in Paris and other French cities.

   In December 2000, Australia reclassified it from a prohibited product
   to a restricted product, requiring a special permit to import or sell
   absinthe, though it is still available in most bottle shops.
   Collection of absinthe spoons. These specialized spoons were used to
   hold the sugar cube over which ice-cold water was poured to dilute the
   absinthe. Note the slot on the handle that allows the spoon to rest on
   the brim of the glass.
   Enlarge
   Collection of absinthe spoons. These specialized spoons were used to
   hold the sugar cube over which ice-cold water was poured to dilute the
   absinthe. Note the slot on the handle that allows the spoon to rest on
   the brim of the glass.

   In the Netherlands, this law was successfully challenged by the
   Amsterdam wine seller Menno Boorsma in July 2004, making absinthe once
   more legal. Belgium, as part of an effort to simplify its laws, removed
   its absinthe law on the first of January 2005, citing (as did the Dutch
   judge) European food regulations as sufficient to render the law
   unnecessary (and indeed, in conflict with the spirit of the Single
   European Market).

   In Switzerland, the constitutional ban on absinthe was repealed in 2000
   during a general overhaul of the national constitution, but the
   prohibition was written into ordinary law instead. Later that law was
   also repealed, so from March 2, 2005, absinthe is again legal in its
   country of origin, after nearly a century of prohibition. Absinthe is
   now not only sold in Switzerland, but is once again distilled in its
   Val-de-Travers birthplace, with Kubler and La Clandestine Absinthe
   among the first new brands to emerge, albeit with an underground
   heritage.

   It is once again legal to produce and sell absinthe in practically
   every country where alcohol is legal, the major exception being the
   United States. It is not, however, illegal to possess or consume
   absinthe in the United States. Despite the legal status of absinthe
   containing thujone, it can, however, be obtained in a small number of
   establishments around the United States, notably one in New Orleans,
   but typically locating those establishments is only achieved via word
   of mouth.

   The only other countries where it is believed that absinthe may not be
   sold are Denmark, Singapore and Norway. The Norway prohibition is due
   to the fact that the law forbids the sale of alcohol stronger than 60
   percent by volume, which is applicable to most kinds of absinthe.

Cruise ship mystery

   In January 2006, a widely published Associated Press wire service
   article echoed the press' sensationalistic absinthe scare of a century
   earlier. It was reported that on the night he disappeared, George Allen
   Smith IV (a Greenwich, Connecticut, man who in July 2005 vanished from
   aboard the Royal Caribbean's Brilliance of the Seas while on his
   honeymoon cruise) and other passengers drank a bottle of absinthe. The
   story noted the modern revival and included quotes from various sources
   suggesting that absinthe remains a serious and dangerous hallucinogenic
   drug:

     "In large amounts, it would certainly make people see strange things
     and behave in a strange manner," said Jad Adams, author of the book
     'Hideous Absinthe: A History of the Devil in a Bottle'. "It gives
     people different, unusual ideas that they wouldn't have had of their
     own accord because of its stimulative effect on the mind."

     Absinthe is banned in the United States because of harmful
     neurological effects caused by a toxic chemical called thujone, said
     Michael Herndon, spokesman for the U.S. Food and Drug
     Administration.

   The story also noted: "Defenders of the drink say it is safe and its
   harmful effects a myth." Jad Adams and Ted Breaux were interviewed on
   MSNBC about this issue. Ted Breaux had this to say:

     One thing we know is that absinthe, old and new, does not contain a
     lot of thujone. And what we know, from certain scientific studies,
     which have been published in the past year or so, is that, first of
     all, thujone is not present in any absinthe in sufficient
     concentration to cause any type of deleterious effects in humans.

Controversy

   Edouard Manet, The Absinthe Drinker
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   Edouard Manet, The Absinthe Drinker

   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 hallucinogenic properties are a persistent myth
   often repeated in modern books and scientific journals with no evidence
   for either.

Cultural impact

   L’Absinthe, by Edgar Degas.
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   L’Absinthe, by Edgar Degas.

   The legacy of absinthe as a mysterious, addictive, and mind-altering
   drink continues to this day. Absinthe has been seen or featured in fine
   art, movies, video, music and literature. The modern absinthe revival
   has had an effect on its portrayal. It is often shown as an unnaturally
   glowing green liquid which is set on fire before drinking, even though
   traditionally neither is true.

Historical

   Numerous artists and writers living in France during the late 19th and
   early 20th centuries were noted absinthe drinkers and featured absinthe
   in their works. These include Vincent van Gogh, Édouard Manet, Guy de
   Maupassant, Arthur Rimbaud and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Later authors
   and artists would draw from this cultural well including Pablo Picasso,
   Oscar Wilde and Ernest Hemingway.

Modern

   The mystery and illicit quality surrounding the popular view of
   absinthe has played into modern music, movies and television shows.
   These depictions vary in their authenticity, often applying dramatic
   license to depict the drink as everything from aphrodisiac to poison.

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 require 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 and
   Nova Scotia allow 10 mg/kg thujone, Québec allows 3 mg per kg
   (according to the SAQ) 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
   labelled as bitters. Member countries regulate absinthe production
   within this framework. Sale of absinthe is permitted in all EU
   countries unless they further regulate it.
   The end of the Green Fairy (1910): Critical poster by Albert Gantner
   illustrating the absinthe ban in Switzerland.
   Enlarge
   The end of the Green Fairy (1910): Critical poster by Albert Gantner
   illustrating the absinthe ban in Switzerland.

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 labelled 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 uncolored or
   naturally colored. 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
   prohibited to sell items meant for human consumption which contain
   thujone derived from Artemisia species. (This derives from a 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.

Vanuatu

   The Absinthe (Prohibition) Act 1915, passed in the New Hebrides, has
   never been repealed, and is included in the 1988 Vanuatu consolidated
   legislation, and contains the following all-encompassing restriction:
   The manufacture, importation, circulation and sale wholesale or by
   retail of absinthe or similar liquors in Vanuatu shall be prohibited.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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