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Absinthe is now perfectly legal in many countries around the world but why were Absinthe and Absithe kits banned at all?
What Made French Government ban Absinthe?
Absinthe was actually created by Dr Pierre Ordinaire in Switzerland at the end of the 18th century. It became popular in both France and Switzerland in 19th and 20th century, a time known as La Belle Epoque a golden age before the start of the First World War. It is a herbal alcoholic beverage flavored with wormwood, aniseed, fennel and sometimes other herbs such as lemon balm, hyssop and mint.
Many great writers and artists claimed that Absinthe gave them inspiration. Personalities those who appreciated Absinthe included bigwigs like Oscar Wilde and Van Gogh.
Absinthe or the Green Fairy (La fee verte) became even more popular than fermented types of beverages such as beer and cider and upset wine producers by replacing wine as the most popular alcoholic drink . Absinthe’s popularity lead to blamed for France’s growing alcoholism problem and Doctors and prohibitionists claimed that Absinthe was as bad as cannabis, that it was psychoactive and caused convulsions, hallucinations, insanity, brain damage and death. It was also held accountable for deteriorating morals and for damaging French society.
After the heinous murder of a whole family by a known Absinthe drinker, prohibitionists convinced the government that Absinthe was a danger. Absinthe was banned in France in 1915 and in many other countries in the early 1900s.
Absinthe substitutes and Absinthe styles of alcoholic drinks such as Pernod Pastis and Ricards were developed to market to those missing the taste of Absinthe.
Thujone
Thujone is a monoterpene found in wormwood, a key ingredient in Absinthe, and it was this chemical that was blamed for the dangerous effects of Absinthe. It was commonly Considered to produce similar effect to that of THC of cannabis.
Thujone is toxic and does affect the GABA receptors of the brain but only when consumed in LARGE quantities. It was thought that pre ban Absinthe did contain large quantities, up to 350mg of thujone per liter, but this has now been proved false. Tests on vintage bottles of Absinthe have shown that it actually only contained up to 6mg – a very small amount and harmless.
Such tests and other research, articles and studies have shown that absinthe is just as safe as any other drink with a high alcohol content.
In the EU and in the United States Thujone content is well regulated. EU law will only allow alcoholic beverages with an ABV (alcohol by volume) over 25% to contain up to 10mg per kg of thujone and for beverages labeled “bitters” to contain up to 35mg per kg.
US law will allow up to 10 parts per million of thujone in beverages, these beverages are considered to be “thujone free” as thujone content under this limit does not show on US testing equipment.
After all, if Absinthe is safe it was labelled as dangerous and why was Absinthe banned? True Reasons :-
- Mass hysteria – Absinthe was linked to drugs that were developed at the time – cocaine and heroin.
- Wine producers apprehensive about the the fall in popularity of wine.
- Inaccurate testing and medical research.
Courtesans and Bohemian culture of Montmartre links to the Absinthe.
- Prohibitionists advocating ban alcoholic beverages taking help of excuses.
Why Many Countries Banned Absinthe? Due to a combination of vested interests, myths, lies, and misunderstandings.
Related articles
- Why Is Absinthe Called The Green Fairy (bearathome.com)
- France’s Green Fairy Flies Again (history.com)
- France gives green light for absinthe revival (cnn.com)
- Absinthe: An Update (esquire.com)
Related posts:
- Why Is Absinthe Called The Green Fairy Absinthe or the Green Fairy The Green Fairy Absinthe is...
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