Absinthe is a liqueur containing the psychoactive substance thujone, in addition to alcohol. The source of thujone is wormwood, from whose scientific name (Artemisia absinthium) absinthe derives its name. Absinthe has a pale-green color and tastes much like an anise-flavored liqueur, but with strongly bitter undertones. It was originally distilled, since a maceration of wormwood produces an extremely bitter drink. Additionally, it contains anise (often partially substituted with star anise), fennel, hyssop, melissa, and Roman wormwood (Artemisia pontica). Various recipes also include angelica root, sweet flag, dittany leaves, coriander, and other mountain herbs.

The distillation of wormwood first produces a colorless "alcoholate", and to this the well-known green colour of the beverage is imparted by steeping with the leaves of roman wormwood, hyssop, and melissa. Inferior varieties are made by means of essences or oils cold-mixed in alcohol, the distillation process being omitted.

Historically, there were four varieties of absinthe: ordinaire, demi-fine, fine, and supérieures or Swiss, the latter of which was of a higher alcoholic strength than the former. It can be colored green (which is done to add flavors) or left clear. The best absinthes contain 65 to 75% alcohol. It is said to improve very materially by storage. It is known that in the 19th century absinthe, like much food and drink of the time, absinthe was occationally adulterated by profiteers with copper, zinc, indigo, or other dye-stuffs to impart the green colour, but this was never done by the best distilleries.

It was thought that excessive absinthe-drinking led to effects which were specifically worse than those associated with over-indulgence in other forms of alcohol, creating the condition absinthisme. The wormwood extract is responsible for the drink containing a compound called thujone, which is an epileptic in extremely high doses, but far more than could be consumed by normal drinking. Most of the thujone is removed during the distillation process, but can remain in higher amounts in oils or when macerated, especially the plant stems, where thujone content is the highest. No modern scientific studies have been carried out to back the validity of 19th century medical claims to absinthe's supposed dangers as a drink, apart from its high alcohol content.

Legal status

After publicity about several violent crimes supposedly committed under the direct influence of the drink, along with a general tendency toward hard liquor consumption due to the wine shortage in France during the 1880s and 1890s, the temperance leagues and winemaker's associations effectively targeted absinthe's popularity as social menace. Edgar Degas' 1876 painting, The Absinthe Drinkers, (now Musée d'Orsay) epitomized the popular view of absinthe 'addicts' as sodden and benumbed. Absinthe was banned from sale and production in most countries by 1915.

In the 1990s an importer realised that there was no UK law about its sale (it was never banned there) - other than the standard regulations governing alcoholic beverages - and it became available again in the UK for the first time in nearly a century (though with a prohibitively high tax reflecting the high ethanol content). It had also never been banned in Spain or Portugal, where it continues to be made. Recent European Union laws have allowed absinthe and absinthe-like liquors to once again be made commercially, however regulations place strict controls on the thujone level.

United States: According to the United States Customs office, "The importation of Absinthe and any other liquors or liqueurs that contain an excess of Artemisia absinthium is prohibited.".

The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law among American absinthe connoisseurs is that:

  • It is probably illegal to sell items meant for human consumption which contain thujone.
  • It is probably illegal for someone outside the country to sell such a product to a citizen living in the US.
  • It is probably not illegal to purchase such a product for personal use in the US.
  • Absinthe containing thujone can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs, if it appears to be for human consumption.

Despite a call to the press officer for the local US Customs office, it has not been possible to define what amount of artemisia absinthium is considered "excess".

Since absinthe production has moved from France to Central Europe, the non-French spelling of "Absinth" has also been adopted.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica.

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