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I recently saw the movie From Hell and heard about this Absynthe stuff. Looked on the web for some info, interested. Has anyone ever had any of this.

 

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WHAT IS ABSINTHE?

Absinthe is strong alcoholic liqueur made with an herbal extract including wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is an emerald green drink (due to the presence of chlorophyll) which is very bitter (due to the presence of absinthin, which has a bitterness threshold of 1:70,000) and is therefore traditionally diluted with cold water which is poured over a perforated spoonful of sugar into a glass containing a shot of absinthe. The drink then turns into an opaque white as the essential oils precipitate out of the alcoholic solution, forming a colloidal suspension. Absinthe was once popular among artists and writers and was used by Van Gogh, Baudelaire, and Verlaine, to name a few. It appears to have been believed to stimulate creativity and to act as a curative and aphrodesiac.

 

The 1850's saw the beginnings of concern about the results of chronic absinthe use. Chronic use was believed to produce a syndrome, called absinthism, which was characterized by addiction, epileptic attacks, delerium, and hallucinations. Concern over the health effects of absinthe was amplified by the prevailing belief in Lamarckian theories of heredity. In other words, it was believed that any traits acquired by absinthists would be passed on to their children (Murphy and Schneider 1992).

 

In addition to its effects in heavy drinkers, there were several social reasons why absinthe was ultimately banned. Absinthe's popularity seems to have been part of a general increase in alcohol consumption, particularly in the form of distilled liqueurs. This was accompanied by the beginnings of the awareness of alcoholism as a problem in France. Since wine was considered a healthy drink and absinthe was the most popular liqueur of its time, absinthe was blamed for many alcohol-related problems and became the main target of early prohibition efforts in France. Absinthe's association with the bohemian lifestyle may have worked to compound fears about its effects, much as has happened with marijuana in the United States. In retrospect, absinthe seems to have become the focus of fears about the changes that came with industrialization. Absinthe was subsequently banned in many countries in the early 1900's.

 

In addition to the many social and political factors which contributed to anti-absinthe sentiment, extensive research documented absinthe's potential for toxicity. From a modern perspective, this research appears poorly designed and limited. Nonetheless, it is clear that absinthe had toxic effects when consumed with sufficient quantities and regularity. It is highly plausible that thujone and related terpenes played an important role in this toxicity, but there are also other possible sources of toxicity. When used in sufficient quantities, ethanol has profound toxic effects. If it is likely that absinthe was toxic to heavy users, it is less clear that the liqueur was uniquely psychoactive. Until more conclusive research is carried out, theories of absinthe's special psychoactivity remain interesting speculation and anecdotes.

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i think its still illegal in the us, but you can get it here in japan. theres an absinthe cafe in osaka. i had a drink there and it didnt really do much. tasted like black licorice. would like to try it again, but have a few more.

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In Nagoya, they serve it at a popular gaijin hangout called the Plastic Factory. The one they have is 55% by vol. The people there said they'd have a couple of bad nights when they'd hit it too hard. I tried some a few weeks back, but it just tasted like a rough version of an aniseed liquor like Pernod (which is sweeter and bright yellow) or Sambuca (which is clear). Most of the aniseed liquors go cloudy when diluted. I think the proper way to drink Greece's aniseed liquor, ouzo, is half and half with water.

 

If you like licorice, I would recommend the French liquor Ricard, which is brown.

 

In Britain, gin used to be a major cause of social problems.

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we (me and a few buddies) had a night `on` it in a bar in Urawa, Sitama. a cupple had 2, a cupple had 3. we all ended up in different places that night- somehow wakaranai.gif

it sure did nock us around,,, alot.

be like shirl, give it a whirl \:\)

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Had some in Brno in the czech republic, with the sugar cube method. Had about three or four, but any psycoactive effects were hard to differentiate from what was already in my system. Was right of my head though, good times!

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Dims, quick question....what is 'the sugar cube method' ?????

 

Now, I've had more then my share of sugar cubes in my time, but, NEVER have they had alcohol inside...(mind you, never were they just sugar cubes either....... ) \:D

 

I thik absynthe is french, is it ? (anyone...)

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We had it at our uni bar in UK. It was constantly the source of many a mumrarred night. One particular night some friends and I drank a copius amount plus variuos other alcholic beverages on a rugby pub crawl. The following morning five of us woke up in France, it happened that we decided at 4 am to get the ferry across and carry on our night of debauchery across the english channel, couldn`t quite work out just why we had a shop manequin with us though??!! clap.gif

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yeah, i did the sugar thing in Prague too. yummy!!!

 

and yeah, funny enough, ive had it in Urawa too. Most of the good, hidden away whisky bars have it. you just gotta ask!!! However, it isnt the real stuff over here is it? i mean, not the hallucinogenic

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Sugar cube method-like described in the original post, sugar cube on a perforated spoon, absinthe poured over the cube into a glass. Good times unsue.

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Had some here in Niigata - I didn't actually know what it was until after. Wasn't keen myself on the taste, but felt pretty good.

 

I'll stick to my beer.

 

Had a good jibiiru actually this last week. A friend brought me back some from Hakkaisan brewery in Muikamachi (Niigata). Very nice it was.

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  • 5 months later...

After my long days walking the heath with my dog I stop at my local classic old bar tucked that is tucked away in a quiet corner. They let the dog in and we sit by the coal fire. Yesterday it was cold and my friend and I could not get a good seat in the old bar so we decided to try out one of the local trendy designer bars. To our joy they were more than happy top have my dog inside (must be a trendy designer thing) and we were more than happy to find that they served absinthe. That was at 3pm Sunday afternoon. My god we were a mess by midnight and yet I feel ok at work today, although I think my mouth is still numb.

 

My local cocktail and absinthe drinking hole lets my dog in, how great is that??!!

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Folks, what we need are new drugs, not the old ones from 100+ years ago.

 

I'd settle for something as satisfying and addictive as Nacho Cheese Doritos or even White Castle Burgers.

 

Trapped in the world of the known...I want to remember how much there is that I don't know that I don't know...the beauty is in the becoming.

 

shifty.gif

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Nekobi, I went to that Absinthe cafe on Saturday for the first time. Nice place for a few drinks (closer to a dozen in my case). Quite a few punters were getting into the absinthe but I remained resolute in my determination to quaff gin tonic before switching to red wine.

 

Which heath are you living next to DB? My friends used to live next to Hampstead heath, great location.

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