Absinthe
By Lany Huynh, Alexandra Inslee, Kathleen Sered, and Scout Wilkinson
History
Precise origins are unclear
Medical use of wormwood:
Ancient Egypt (1550 BC)
- Expelling intestinal worms
- Childbirth pains
Ancient Greece (Hippocrates)
- Jaundice, anemia, PMS
- Also had absinthites oinos
Roman Empire
- Soldiers' sandals
- Abortion
First “Modern” Absinthe
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Distilled spirit with green anise, fennel,
and other herbs
Dr. Pierre Ordinaire's all-purpose
remedy (1792)
o Which he actually got from the
Henriod sisters
136 proof
"La Fèe Verte"
First Distilleries:
1. Dubied Père et Fils, in Couvet,
Neuchatel, Switzerland (1797)
2. Maison Pernod Fils in Pontalier, France
(1805)
Absinthe in France
Popularity in 1840s:
French troops in Algeria
Treatment of malaria
Fever preventative
1860s:
5pm = "l'heure verte"
All social classes
-1870s vineyard blight
By 1910:
French 36million litres/yr
Europe-wide industry
In America
1878: 7million litres imported
from Europe
New Orleans as "absinthe capital
of America"
- Green Opal
- Milky Way
- Legendre
1907:
“The Green Curse of France"
Regulation In The United States
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2007- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and
Trade Bureau lifted the longstanding
ban on absinthe.
Any product containing Artemisia
(Absinthe Wormwood) product must
be thujone-free.
The word "absinthe" can neither be
the brand name nor stand alone on
the label.
The packaging cannot "project
images of hallucinogenic,
psychotropic or mind-altering
effects."
Absinthe imported in violation of
these regulations is subject to seizure
at the discretion of U.S. Customs.
Ingredients & Distillation
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Preparation is similar to gin
Herbs steeped in distilled alcohol, and then
redistilled
The essential oil of Artemisia Absinthium (Grande
wormwood) contains thujone
Gas chromatography study suggested that vintage
absinthe contained 260 mg/L thujone
Later recreation of this study found no concentration
above 4.3 mg/L
Preparation
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Five parts water to one part spirit, sugar to taste
Water-insoluble oils create the clouding effect
(Ouzo effect)
Spirit is further diluted (1.8L of pure spirit is
required for effective dose)
Chemical Composition
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High alcohol concentration
(40-70%; 80-140 proof)
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Phellandrene
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Pinene (pine trees)
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Thujyl alcohol
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Bisaboline (lemon, oregano)
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Camphene
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Used in fragrances & as food
additive. Too explosive to use for
lamp fuel.
Nerol (used in fragrances)
Thujone (responsible for
hallucinogenic effects)
Thujone
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Metabolized by the
liver and excreted in
urine
Half-life ~ 25hrs
Blocks GABA-A receptors
(brain fires faster and
more freely, causes
muscle spasms and
convulsions)
Also a 5-HT3 antagonist
Ethanol & Thujone
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Ethanol
Indirect GABA agonist
Ethanol does not alter
inhibitory action of athujone
Like diazepam or
phenobarbital, ethanol
may alleviate toxicity
of thujone
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Thujone
Inverse GABA agonist
Poisoning signs similar
to picrotoxin in rats
Ethanol & Thujone, cont’d
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“Thujone is a GABA-a receptor
antagonist, which means it inhibits
GABA receptor activation…Many
drugs such as ethanol are GABA
agonists and produce relaxation
partly by increasing GABA
neurotransmitter release… Thujone
is the opposite of these drugs, by
inhibiting GABA receptors thujone
decreases GABA’s slow down
effect and allows neurons to fire
more easily.”
Explanation of ‘clearheaded’ (nondrowsy) drunk
Styles
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Blanche (la Bleue): Absinthe is
bottled directly following
distillation and reduction. It is
a clear form of absinthe.
Verte (or green): The absinthe
begins as a clear distillate. It
becomes green after adding
a new mixture of herbs,
called the “colouring step.”
Absenta: Means absinthe in
Spanish. It is a sweeter version
of Absinthe by using Alicante
Anise (type of flower), and
also contains a characteristic
citrus flavor.
Styles Continued
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Hausgemacht (German for
home-made): A type of
absinthe that is home- distilled
by hobbyists. They are
normally produced in smaller
quantities for personal use.
Enables the distiller to
personally select the herbs
and fine- tune each batch.
Bohemian- Style Absinth: Not
your traditional absinthe.
Produced mainly in the Czech
Republic. It contains little or no
anise, fennel, and other herbs.
Contains wormwood and a
high alcohol content.
Storage
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Clear absinthe can be bottled
in a clear container.
Chlorophyll in naturally green
absinthe must be bottled in a
dark UV resistant bottle to
prevent its breakdown,
turning it into an amber color.
Pre-ban and vintage
absinthes are often an amber
color due to this process.
It should be stored in a cool,
dark, and dry place.
Who here has taken absinthe?
These guys have:
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Vincent Van Gogh
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Oscar Wilde
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Pablo Picasso
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Earnest Hemmingway
Vincent Van Gogh
Oscar Wilde
Experiences of absinthe
creates clearness of thought,
creativity of speech and minor
hallucinogenic effects
Pablo Picasso
Earnest Hemingway
Cultural Influences
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Arts: Vincent Van Gogh
drank large amounts of
absinthe, which lead to his
liberal use of yellow.
Pablo Picasso also
depicted absinthe in
different media, including
paintings and sculptures.
Literature: Oscar Wilde
asked, “What difference
is there between a glass
of absinthe and a sunset”?
Still interested?
P

The Tower Bar (4757 University Avenue San Diego, CA 92105)

Anthology (1337 India Street San Diego, CA 92101)
L
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References
"About absinthe kits". wormwoodsociety. <http://wormwoodsociety.org
/ABSfaq.html#swill>. Retrieved 2008-09-17.
"Absinthe." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 14 Feb. 2011.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe>.
Patocka, Jiri, and Bohumil Plucar. "Pharmacology and Toxicology of
Absinthe." Journal of Applied Biomedicine (2003): 199- 205. 02 Oct.
2003. Web. 07 Feb. 2011.
Ratra G.S., S.G. Kamita, J.E. Casida: Role of human GABA(A)
receptor beta3
subunit in insecticide toxicity. Toxicol. Appl.
Pharmacol. 172: 233
–240, 2001.
Wells, Pete. "A Liquor Legend Makes a Comeback." The New York Times 07 Dec.
2007. Print.
Höld, Karin. “α-Thujone (the active component of absinthe): γ-Aminobutyric acid
type A receptor modulation and metabolic detoxification” April 11,
2000 vol. 97 no. 8 3826-3831. 21 March 2001
THANK YOU!