How to drink absinthe: useful tips

Absinthe is a tincture of wormwood and other odorous plants (lemon balm, peppermint, chamomile, anise, angelica, hyssop, coriander). Although it is not really a tincture, but a distillate, because the drink is obtained by distillation. Absinthe has a substantial proportion of alcohol (70-86%). Wormwood, the main component of absinthe, has a bitter taste and rich aroma. The composition of the leaves of wormwood has neurotoxic monoterpin thujon, similar in structure to marijuana. In tandem with alcohol, it has similar drug-like properties. That is why the use of absinthe leads to undesirable consequences: hallucinations, a depressive state, unmotivated aggression. And at the same time, tincture of wormwood is healing.

What is absinthe

Most often, absinthe has a bright green tint.This is due to the fact that the liquid contains a large amount of chlorophyll. But under the influence of light, the shade may dim, become more yellow and faded. Because of this, the drink is poured into bottles of dark or green glass. There is also absinthe red, black and white.

"Right" absinthe should contain at least 70% alcohol, because it is the alcohol content is an excellent preservative component, allowing you to save the healing effect of essential oils. Depending on the brand of absinthe and from the country of origin, thujone may be contained in the drink in the amount of 30-45 mg per kilogram of drink (German brands Tabu Absinth, Versinthe Absinthe, Spanish brand XENTA, Deva absenta). Czech Dreams brand absinthe contains 10 mg of thujone with 70% alcohol, and the King of Spirits brand, which is considered the best in the world, produces two types of absinthe: King of Spirit Original contains 10 mg of psychotropic substance, and King of Spirits Gold, in which 100 mg per liter of drink. Naturally, such a "powerful" drink is dangerous to drink in a concentrated form, so it is diluted with ice water, lowering the strength from 80% to 20%. A piece of refined sugar, thrown into a glass, will remove excess bitterness and emphasize the exquisite herbal taste.

The French brand Domaines de Provence is characterized by an average psychotropic substance content of 35 mg with 55% alcohol, and the Czech brand Rudolf Jelinek with 35 mg of thujone has an alcohol content of 70%. Swiss absinthe Hypno La Fee has 15 mg of thujone with 70% alcohol, exactly like the Czech wormwood drink from the brand Tunel (which produces absinthe in red, black and green colors), and also the brand Metelka De Moravie.

What are the positive and negative effects of absinthe

I would like to recall the saying of Paracelsus: “Everything is poison and everything is medicine. Only the dose makes the medicine poison and poison medicine. ” Ethyl alcohol itself is poison. Under the influence of tranquilizers and neuroleptics (and thujone is just a neuroleptic), the feeling of intoxication is enhanced. In the process of oxidation of ethyl alcohol in the body, acetaldehyde is produced, which causes unsteady gait and a decrease in the ability to coordinate movements. Accumulating in the liver, acetaldehyde provokes the replacement of liver cells with connective tissue. So is cirrhosis of the liver, one of the most common diseases of alcoholics.

Tincture of wormwood stimulates the production of gastric juice, speeds up the metabolism.Galenic substances contribute to the pancreas and the removal of bile from the body. However, absinthe should not be used by people with a stomach ulcer or with increased secretion of the stomach, pregnant women, people suffering from hypertension. Also, tincture of wormwood is not recommended for people with pancreatic stones and suffering from bile problems.

What are the healing and negative properties of absinthe?

The manifestation of the healing or toxic properties of absinthe depends on the concentration of thujones in the drink. Alcohol is crucial for keeping such a large amount of essential substances in a bound form. Experts in the field of medicine are skeptical that the essential oils of plants, in particular, wormwood, calamus, fennel, hyssop, which have psychotropic effects, have a negative effect on the psyche. However, it was experimentally proved that the concentration of thujone is negligible, but the high content of alcohol in the drink can really influence the receptors of the brain. Thuyon is not harmless, but only with the help of alcohol, he begins to “fuss”, cause hallucinations and euphoria, make him cry and laugh, show aggression and perform actions uncharacteristic for a person.The world famous artist Vincent Van Gogh was a big fan of absinthe, which is noticeable in his brilliant works.

Doctors at drug treatment clinics noticed that people who consumed pure absinthe were suffering from epileptic seizures. They had hallucinations, failed kidneys, urine came out with blood. Thus, it was the abuse of absinthe that caused the death of French writer Guy de Maupassant, post-impressionist painter Toulouse-Lautrec and symbolist poet Paul Verlaine. Moreover, young ladies, drinking periodically pure absinthe in small doses, died in blooming age from liver cirrhosis.

Seeing the destructive effect of the drink based on wormwood, many European countries banned its release in 1909. For many years, absinthe was not sold, although it was not possible to completely stop its release. So there were "non-classical" variations, containing a low content of thujone and alcohol. In 2004, the law of 1909 was abolished, but it was decided not to exceed thujone more than 10 mg per liter of drink. The maximum rate is 45 mg / kg.

What are the ways to competent drinking absinthe

If absinthe is not consumed in pure form, but “according to science”, it is possible to stimulate the removal of bile from the body, speed up the metabolism, kill infections and pathogenic bacteria, and also get esthetic pleasure. There are many ways to eat wormwood. Among them are the following:

1. Classic way or effect louche. It will require a special paddle for absinthe. It is similar to a regular spoon, only has patterned holes. They are needed so that sweet water flows through them. The essence of the Louche method is as follows: a piece of sugar is put on the spatula. This is necessary in order to extinguish the bitter taste of wormwood distillate. Sweet cold water is also a catalyst for thujone, the main neuroleptic that caused so many fans to drink. Chilled water is poured on a piece of sugar. The amount of water and pure absinthe should be 5: 1. If desired, you can throw a slice of lemon in a glass.
2. French way. It will also require a spatula, a lump of sugar, and a serving of cold water. It is advisable to purchase a special glass for absinthe.A spatula is placed on it, on which a piece of sugar is placed. Absinthe is poured on top, well soaking the sugar cube. After soaking with alcohol, the sugar is set on fire. In the process of burning caramel is formed, which drips into the glass. At the end of the process cold water is added to the glass in a ratio of 1: 3.
3. Russian way. Sugar syrup is prepared separately without the use of spatulas. A piece of sugar is stirred in cold water, and then poured into a glass with absinthe. The resulting mixture is placed in a refrigerator for cooling.
4. Extreme way. It is dangerous because in the process of preparing a drink, you can get burns. You will need a glass for absinthe, a spoon and a practically ice-cold drink made from wormwood. Conditionally divide the glass into five parts, four of which we fill with chilled absinthe. Put a scoop with a piece of sugar on the glass. We set fire to absinthe in the glass (we do it very carefully). The sugar will turn into caramel and start to drip into the glass. As soon as the glass is filled for one more part, the flame is extinguished. The resulting drink is consumed through a straw.
5. The way "tarragon". In a glass with 50 ml of absinthe a piece of sugar is dropped, the contents are set on fire and stirred.At some point, the burning process will stop. The resulting mixture is poured into another glass. The drink gets the taste of tarhuna.

Absinthe is the original alcoholic drink, which has to some extent healing properties. But to get the benefit, you need to take absinthe correctly. No matter how exciting the process, do not forget that an overdose of absinthe leads to heart attack, pancreatitis, exacerbation of gastric ulcers, hallucinations and other negative consequences.

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