Absinthe makes the mind grow founder

There has a renewed interest in drinking Absinthe the notorious French drink from the 18 th century. Absinthe was venerated by many artists like Toulouse Lautrec, Van Gogh, and others as the “Green Fairy” or muse of inspiration (actually personified by Kylie Minogue in Baz Luhrmann's Moulin Rouge).

Detractors blamed Absinthe as a source of corruption inciting vice, murders and insanity. Both points of view were presented through vivid art nouveaux advertising campaigns both attacking and defending absinthism.

Absinthe is derived from wormwood and besides ethanol also contains thujone, a reported pro epileptic drug.

It was often drunk straight or traditionally, using the French method prepared by slowly pouring cold water over a cube of sugar resting on a slotted absinthe spoon placed over a glass containing a small portion of absinthe. The cold water dissolves the sugar, this solution trickles into the glass causing the absinthe to louche.

This ”louche effect” occurred when the green absinthe turns to a cloudy, opalescent white when the water is added.

The Louche effect was perfected even further with several recipes such as the following Swiss recipe for the proper consumption of Absinthe:

1. Put a sugar cube on a special absinthe spoon and lay it on the rim of the glass.
2. Pour absinthe over the sugar cube and into the glass.
3. Enlighten the sugar and let it burn until it shows bubbles or starts to caramelize.
4. Then stir the sugar in the glass.
5. At once add ice water so the alcohol inside the glass doesn't ignite. Then add water to taste.

It is believed that the thujone either by itself or in synergy with ethanol caused the reported effects (either good or bad depending on who you believe) unique to absinthe.

Modern chemists believe that the amount of thurjone in absinthe was insignificant. A person would have to drink enough absinthes to kill themselves several times from the alcohol content alone before being affected by thujone!

Why was there a controversy? It is believed that French winemakers lobbied and attacked absinthe as a scapegoat to propel the consumption of wine instead.

Today Absinthe may be found in Manitoba liquor commission outlets as well as abroad although some countries such as the United States still prohibit it.

Travellers may encounter variations in the spelling (Absinth, Absinthe, Absenta) although Czech Absinth although similar is considered a different product.

The forbidden fruit allure of absinthe led to a mythology creating rituals in its consumption as well as a great desire to try it yet modern absinthe is no less dangerous than other liquors or spirits.

Occasionally vintage absinthe bottles are “discovered” on eBay but these bottles' purity or authenticity cannot be guaranteed. Toxic adulterants like cupric acetate (for green tint), antimony chloride (to enhance louching) and methanol are sometimes present.

Special thanks to Jacinda Wagner of Shoppers Drug Mart in helping research this article originally presented at the Manitoba Food Poisoning Meeting last year.

L'absinthe , by Edgar Degas