Absinthe is a strong drink made of aniseed, absintalsem (Artemisia absinthium), fennel and some additional herbs. Absinthe usually has a green or yellowish green teint, but is sometimes bottled as a colourless distillate (white absinthe).

Sometimes Absinthe is being drunk purely, but usually water and sugar are add to the drink, following a fixed ritual The ritual goes as follows: an absinthe spoon with a sugar cube is put on the glass. In a modern variant of the absintherituall the sugar cube is being flambed with the absinthe. Cold water is then sprinkled over the sugar cube and finally the mixture is being stirred.

History 

Absinthe was for the first time produced commercially on a large-scale by Henri-Louis Pernod, who  founded the house Pernod Fils in 1805. Although Absinthe was originally a community drink,  in the nineteenth century it was especially popular among artists who nicknamed the drink 'The Green Fee'. The Fee would be an important source of artistic inspiration. This assumption has undoubtedly contributed to the myth concerning the psychoactive effects of absinthe. Vincent van Gogh would have his had yellow period due to this drink and it is said that Ernest Hemingway has written 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' under the influence of Spanish absinthe. Some other famous absinthe drinkers are: Charles Baudelaire, Guy de Maupassant, Edouard Manet, Oscar Wilde and Paul Verlaine.

Various European countries banned Absinthe at the beginning of the twentieth century, because of the alleged hallucinogenic effect and the neurotoxicity of the ingredient thujon. The cause of the ban was the tragic case of the Swiss alcoholic Jean Lanfray.  After excessive consumption of wines and spirits (including absinthe) his slaughtered his family. In the Netherlands the absinthelaw is in force since 1909.

The company Pernod developed as surrogate the famous anis. Anis is a product derived from absinthe, but without wormwood. Other manufacturers entered the market with their pastis, by which the herbal extracts were obtained not by distillation, but via maceration.

Recent research has proven the existence of psychoactive effects of thujon only at very high doses. This means: doses which are much higher than the dose of normal absinthe consumption.  It  has been proven to be plausible that the toxic effects could be ascribed to harmful substances such as copper sulphate to decorate the color. Grounded on these conclusions, countries like Germany and France allowed absinthe again and also restarted the production of the drink.  Other absinthe producing countries such as Spain and Portugal, have never known an absinthelaw. A licenced victualler started a trial, becaused he was fined for his absinthe sale. The court concluded that the Dutch absinthelaw doesn't aply to products that meet the European standard. On May 10th 2005 the law was withdrawn by Law Gazette 2005 228.

In the United States absinthe owes his popularity mainly to the movies Bram Stoker's Dracula (Coppola, 1992), From Hell (The Hughes Brothers, 2001) and Moulin Rouge (Luhrmann, 2001). It is howevern a surrogate absinthe, as thujonholding beverages are prohibited by law in the United States.

Botany 

Absinthe belongs to the Compositae family and within this group it belongs to the species  Artemisia, a group consisting of 180 kinds. In general, the Absinthe plant is a large shrub with a gray trunk, covered with fine hairs. The shrub may reach a height of a one meter and a half and has greylish green silken leaves. In the months July to September, small yellow flowers are hanging in  trailed clusters on the ends of the branches.

Virtually all plants of this family have an extreme bitter taste. This applies almost to all parts of the plant, which are also all suitable for medicinal use. Only the roots have a slightly warmer and aromatical taste.

Chemistry 

Wormwood owes its bitter taste to absintine and anabsinthine. An essential oil can be extracted from the plant, a process by which remains betweens half to one percent of the weight of the materials of the fresh plant. The exact weight left depends on the growing conditions. Some components of the oil are: thujon, fellandreen, thujyl alcohol, and cadineen azulenes. Thujone has a molecular structure which resembles the structure of THC.

Effects 

Absinthe is a mental stimulant. The effect is intoxicating, enlightens pain and it gives a peaceful and relaxed feeling. Hallucinations can occur when absinthe is used in combination with alcohol. Absinthe is also very suitable to be prepared as tea, what can effect the recovery from flu positively or can help curing infections. Besides, absinthe stimulates the appetite.

Medical use 

It has been proven that wormwood stimulates the blood flow, strengthens the heart, softenes pain and can be used to fight tumors and cancerous cells. There are traditional remedies known that use wormwood for colds, rheumatism, fever, jaundice, diabetes and arthritis. Furthermore, wormwood is a  tonic which calms the nerves and works particularly effectively against altitude sickness and farting. Wormwood is also a good cure for a weak digestion and weakness in general.

Variations 

The three types of wormwood which are most widely used are ordinary wormwood, sea wormwood and Roman wormwood (see illustration). Each have different characteristics: the ordinary wormwood is the strongest, the sea-wormwood is the second in bitterness, while the Roman wormwood tastes only a little bit bitter. Both the ordinary wormwood and the sea wormwood grow in nature. On the contrary Roman wormwood, grows in Botanic Gardens.

Ordinary wormwood grows along the road and on waste disposal sites. It can be found in major parts of Europe and Siberia. Because of its special properties the plant has been cultivated a lot. In Wormwood is a  real indigenous plant of the coastal area of Great Britain and of many other places in England and Scotland.

Roman wormwood (Artemisa pontica) is the least powerful and most delicate type of Alsem and had been used for the liquor Vermouth.

The fresh peaks are used for medical purposes. The rest of herb in its drie form is also used  medically. Herbal specialist Culpepper Roman considered wormwood as an excellent means for strengthening the stomach. In addition, the juice from fresh peaks would account for a non-functioning liver and spleen. An infusion of blossomed tops strengthens the digestion. A tincture would help in the case of stony kidneys and would give enlightment.

Sea wormwood (Artemis maritima) has the same properties as the other wormwood, but is less powerful. This tonic is fragrant and has a bitter taste.

Wormwood is available as an herb, as a carrot and as oil. Oil is extracted from the herb and is used in perfumes and skin care products. Alcohol isolates the oil from the herb and in this way absinthe is made. The carrot can be used for medicinal purposes.  However, other parts of the plant are also suitable for this. Each part is responsible for the treatment of a certain disease.

Usage

The most common dosage forms are tincture and tea. The tea, however, has a very bitter taste, which makes it almost undrinkable. Wormwood can also be smoked pure.

The psychoactive substances can be extracted from the plant by using alcohol. Let forty grams of the herb soak for one week in half a litre of spirits. After filtering the mixture, this strong drink is ready for use.

First try a small glass to dose the effects properly. Be careful with this drink!

Wormwood also works in the form of a capsule. Take two or more 350 miligram capsules with a small glass of spirits.

Side effects 

Regular use of wormwood can be addictive. The plant contains glycoside: a substance known as being toxic. The oil suppresses the central nervous system. Using wormwood longer than four weeks, or taking a higher dose than the recommended quantity, can cause nausea, vomiting, insomnia, restlessness, dizziness, vibrations or a stroke. In case of excessive use tensions, convulsions and anaesthetic can occur. Some people are allergic to wormwood: contact with wormwood in the case of allergy can cause dermatitis. No significant side effects have been reported about short term (two to four weeks) use.

Warnings 

Wormwood is toxic and can be addictive when using it long and intensively. In addition, long and intensive use can cause physical and psychological harm as well as tensions, restlessness and cramps. A high dose works psychoactivating and paralysing and can also cause headaches and dizziness. An overdose of wormwood can lead to problems with bowel movements, unconsciousness and in the worst case to coma or even to death.  When you've made absinthe, try a small glass of the drink only. Then wait at least one hour to observe the effects. Don't retry the drink before the next occasion. It is better to take just a little than taking too much. The risk of poisoning or illness is high in the case of excessive use. 
Wormwood influences the skills: don't participate in the traffict when you're under the influence of wormwood.

Breeding 

Wormwood can be bred quite easly with its seed. Spread the seeds on a surface in an enclosed space, such as a living room. When the seeds have germinated and when it doen't freeze outside, the seeds can be moved outwards. Make sure that the cuttings are planted about half a meters apart from each other. Wormwood can grow on sober grounds and grows in the sun as well as in the shade. The soil should be dry and be well drained. Don't forget to cut the bush in the autumn. There are kinds of Alsem that sleep in the summer and have new growingboosts when temperature declines. This particularly applies to the silverback types. Caution: don't plant Artemisia near anise, beans, fennel, caraway or sage. The Wormwood bush grows to height of about two meters.

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