Absinthe message boards and forums are packed with threads of individuals asking if Absinthe makes you hallucinate or trip and how many shots to hallucinate Absinthe. Children at college that are out of the home are desperate to try this liquor which makes you hallucinate exactly like smoking pot. However, those people will probably be disappointed. Absinthe doesn’t allow you to hallucinate. It’s a mythical, mysterious drink however the drink of the Green Fairy is not going to allow you to see any fairies but it can get you intoxicated very easily.
It was thought within the late 19th century and very early 20th century that thujone, the substance in wormwood, was similar to THC in the drug cannabis. The medical profession professed that Absinthe comprised absinthethujone.com massive amounts of thujone and that thujone was psychoactive and triggered psychedelic effects such as hallucinations, convulsions, delirium and insanity. It was claimed that Absinthe induced Van Gogh to cut off his ear and drove him to suicide, that it was leading to addiction and alcoholism in France and that it had been accountable for murder. What is the truth?
We now know that Absinthe isn’t hallucinogenic at all. Thujone can act within the GABA receptors within the brain and trigger convulsions and spasms when it’s ingested in huge amounts but Absinthe only consists of really small quantities of thujone following the distillation process. As Ted Breaux, Absinthe distiller and tester of vintage Absinthe, said to Rita Cosby in an interview in 2006:-
“I would have to consume about three liters of Absinthe at the European limit to have any clinically discernible effects from thujone, and I’d be long dead from the alcohol by that point.”
Van Gogh had been experiencing mental illness from childhood and he mixed his Absinthe with turpentine – not really a great blend!
How Many Shots to Hallucinate Absinthe?
A shot implies different amounts in several countries. A US shot is 1.5 fluid ounces or 45ml, a UK shot is 25ml, in Australia it’s 30ml plus in Germany and Finland a shot is 20ml. So,let’s see the amount of US shots of Absinthe we will have to consume to drink 3 liters, like Breaux says.
US shot = 45ml so 1000ml divided by 45ml = 22.22 so 22 shots! There’s no way in which we’re able to consume so much Absinthe yet still be standing or perhaps still be alive.
What you have to remember is the alcohol content of Absinthe. Let’s look at the alcohol content of some drinks and compare them to Absinthe:-
Absinthe can be approximately 75% alcohol by volume (150 proof).
Beer is commonly 4 or 5% alcohol by volume (8-10 proof).
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof).
Whisky – Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch 40% alcohol by quantity (80 proof).
Now, the alcohol-information.com website has worked out that in case you’ve got one shot of 190 proof Everclear is equivalent to drinking 2.85 bottles of beer and approximately 3 brandies. Using this type of information we can establish that one shot of Absinthe comes to 2.25 bottles of beer. So, the 22 shots Absinthe comes to 49.5 bottles of beer!
Absinthe is a superb drink, an excellent anise flavored liquor however it is not going to make you hallucinate, however much you drink. Surely it is advisable to drink it in moderation and not place yourself vulnerable to alcohol poisoning. College kids think it’s amusing and crazy to test out liquor and pot as part of their social interaction but Absinthe is way stronger than other liquors and care has to be taken with it. It can enable you to get intoxicated quickly.
Always buy quality Absinthe from reliable distilleries. Don’t attempt making your own personal thujone loaded Absinthe from home. If you actually want to create your very own Absinthe then use quality essences such as those from AbsintheKit.com that have been made through proper distillation and that have the thujone level measured.
How many shots to hallucinate Absinthe? Over 22 shots so please do not try it. Instead, enjoy Absinthe as the lovely drink it is.