Why Does Absinthe Make You See a Fairy?
We’ve all heard of Absinthe, known as the drink of the Green Fairy, and those who have watched Moulin Rouge see Ewan McGregor and his Bohemian friends tripping out and seeing the Green Fairy and other strange things. Artists and writers, such as Van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Oscar Wilde, Toulouse Lautrec and Ernest Hemingway, have all called the Green Fairy their muse and claimed that Absinthe gave them ideas, inspiration and even their genius. How and why?
Why does Absinthe make you see a fairy?
Well, actually it doesn’t. Absinthe is a very strong liquor, typically about 140 proof or 70% alcohol by volume, and twice as strong as many other types of spirits. If you are used to drinking fermented beverages like beer, cider and wine, swapping to drinking a high proof drink like Absinthe and knocking it back like beer is going to have some effect on you but you won’t hallucinate unless that’s what you do when you get drunk normally.
It was thought, in the 19th century and early 20th century, that Absinthe was an hallucinogen and that it drove people insane and even to their death. Absinthe was a popular drink in the time known as “The Great Binge” in France. This was a time when cannabis, cocaine and heroin were used in beverages and children’s medicines before their dangers were known. When these drugs were found to be harmful, Absinthe was assumed to be harmful too.
It was claimed that Absinthe contained large amounts of wormwood and therefore the chemical thujone. Thujone was thought to be similar to THC in cannabis and to be psychoactive and to cause psychedelic effects. The French medical profession and the prohibition movement pushed the French government to ban Absinthe stating that it was addictive and was causing widespread alcohol abuse, violence and insanity. It was even claimed that Absinthe caused a Swiss man to murder his whole family. Absinthe was banned in 1912 in the United States and in 1915 in France.
Does Absinthe really make you hallucinate?
Absinthe was legalized in the EU in 1988 and in the US in 2007 but the thujone levels of Absinthe are regulated. There are now many discussion boards and forums online with articles and threads that talk about Absinthe and whether it makes you trip. Teens and youth are wondering if they can get the same effects from Absinthe that they can from a smoke of pot and should they import stronger Absinthe from abroad or make their own Absinthe from a high thujone Absinthe making kit.
The answers to these questions are that Absinthe does not contain enough thujone to make anyone trip or hallucinate. Tests have been carried out on vintage pre ban Absinthe and even original Absinthe only contained minute amounts of thujone. It would be impossible to ingest enough thujone from Absinthe to cause any effects, you would die of alcohol poisoning first. Absinthe is obviously a very strong drink with an incredibly high amount of ethanol which will, of course, make anyone drunk very quickly. General advice is that Absinthe should be consumed in moderation. It is a drink to be enjoyed not to be consumed in the hope that it will give you a high or a buzz.
Why does Absinthe make you see a fairy? It doesn’t. It can make you drunk and emotional but you will not hallucinate. Buy a quality Absinthe or make one from top-quality Absinthe essences like those from AbsintheKit.com and savor this wonderful anise flavored drink.
