Absinthe thujone is the chemical found in Absinthe’s important ingredient, the plant called Common Wormwood, or Artemisia Absinthium to give it its organic name. The chemical thujone was to some extent liable for Absinthe being banned during the early 1900s in many countries around the world and thujone is still tightly regulated today, specifically in the United States (or states united).
Thujone was thought to be similar to THC present in cannabis and Absinthe has been speculated to be psychoactive and have psychedelic results causing hallucinations and insanity. Absinthe was popular with the Bohemian set in Montmartre within Paris and many artists and also writers claimed that Absinthe, the Green absinthe thujone Fairy, gave them inspiration and their genius. Famous Absinthe drinkers consist of Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Degas, Baudelaire and Verlaine. Some say that Van Gogh’s madness was due to Absinthe and that he cut off his ear under its influence. Absinthe was even blamed for a man murdering his family, even though he had ingested a number of other strong alcoholic refreshments following the Absinthe.
Prohibition campaigners utilised news of the murder to campaign for the banning of Absinthe and blamed France’s growing problems of alcohol addiction on the emerald liquor.
Is Absinthe thujone Hazardous?
Today’s studies suggest that it was actually the alcohol (ethanol) content of Absinthe that was dangerous as opposed to the thujone. Absinthe is twice as strong as spirits like whisky and vodka and can be 75% alcohol. Care should therefore be taken any time consuming Absinthe. Thujone is only contained in minute quantities and must therefore result in no major unwanted effects or health problems. The EU stipulates that alcoholic beverages with an ABV {alcohol by volume) level above 25% may only have a maximum of 10mg/kg of thujone, beverages classed as “bitters” can contain around 35mg/kg, it is not totally clear which class Absinthe matches but most brands of Absinthe have much lower than 35mg with many being under 10mg/kg. In the US it is just legal to purchase or sell Absinthes with trace amounts of thujone.
High doses of thujone may be harmful causing convulsions but you would have to drink a lot of Absinthe to consume that volume of thujone plus it would be impossible to drink that amount, you would be comatose from alcohol until then!
Absinthe Components
It is known that Henri-Louis Pernod, who owned the very first Absinthe distillery, employed the herbs wormwood, aniseed, fennel, lemon balm, hyssop, angelica root, dittany, star anise, nutmeg, juniper and veronica to produce his famous Pernod Absinthe. The fundamental oil from these herbs is responsible for La Louche, the clouding which comes about when water is added to Absinthe. These herbs specially the aniseed and anise are responsible for the distinctive aniseed or licorice style of Absinthe and wormwood is liable for the bitter flavor. Absinthe is sometimes used as bitters in cocktails.
There are lots of brands of Absinthe or Absinthe substitutes which were developed in the bar and therefore contain no Absinthe thujone or even wormwood, but some would say that Absinthe isn’t Absinthe without Absinthe thujone and the bitter style of wormwood. If you would like real Absinthe try to find brands made up of wormwood or Absinthe thujone.