Absinthe Effects

Absinthe is a kind of beverage or distilled highly alcoholic spirit which is anise-flavored and extracted from the flowers and leaves of the herb called “Artemisia Absinthium” or “grande wormwood”. Due to its traditional green color, it is referred as the green fairy in the history of literature. Often mistaken as liquor, it should be remembered that since absinthe is not bottled with added sugar, it is classified as spirit. However, unlike other spirits, absinthe is diluted with water while consumption. The effects of absinthe are often associated with mystery and mysticism as well as the Bohemian culture. Due to this, it has always been opposed by the social conservationists and prohibitionists. Experiments conducted on laboratory animals show that excessive consumption of absinthe can lead to convulsions resembling epilepsy. It can also result in renal failure. This article gives you a glimpse of the various effects caused by the consumption of absinthe.

 

 

Absinthe contains a high level of alcohol in comparison to the other spirits. So, it is very strong. The feeling of “buzz” created inside the brain is different as compared to any other alcoholic beverages. It is slightly clear and less impaired. Absinthe contains a substance called thujone, which excites the brain cells and when consumed in small quantities has anti-depressant effects. The effects do not last long and you will only feel plain drunk at the end. You will, however, have a sleepless night with vivid dreams.

 

Mostly artists consider absinthe to be their stimulant of creativity and consumption of this beverage is believed to let the creative juices flow. Artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Verlaine, Charles Baudelaire, De Moset, Arthur Rimbaud, Degas, Zola, Oscar Wilde, Gaugin and Victor Hebert were famous and frequent absinthe drinkers. In today’s world, artists like Johnny Depp, Trent Reznor, Eminem and Marilyn Manson are said to enjoy its taste. Besides a mind altering effect, absinthe is also consumed as an aphrodisiac to increase sexual desire by few. 

 

Legendary figures like Henri de, Amedeo Modigliani, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, Aleister Crowley, and Alfred Jarry were known as "bad men" because of their strong affinity towards absinthe or green fairy. Oscar Wilde famously wrote about his experience of drinking absinthe, "After the first glass, you see things as you wish they were. After the second, you see them as they are not. Finally, you see things as they are, which is the most horrible thing in the world.” Ernest Hemingway, who was another ardent devotee of the green fairy wrote, “Got tight last night on absinth and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it."

 

It is often said that consumption of absinthe can make you hallucinate and assassinate your family. The myth is associated with a man who in 1905 drank an alcohol beverage and killed his family. Thereafter, absinthe was prohibited as a drink. Another myth associated with absinthe is that it came from Czechoslovakia, but traditionally, original absinthe comes from Switzerland, France and Spain. Also, it is advised never to compare the price of absinthe with quality. Often, the more expensive absinthe is of the poorest quality.