Due to inaccurate representations in works of art, literature, music, and movies as well as rigged, pseudo-scientific studies, the idea that absinthe has the ability to summon fairies and drive drinkers insane persists. In actuality, portraying the so-called "Green Fairy" as some sort of elixir for expanding consciousness is pure fabrication, the repercussions of which have been felt for more than a century. Although the facts can occasionally seem as hazy as the alcohol itself (when produced correctly), there is no cause for concern with absinthe. Here are five of the biggest absinthe myths debunked to clear the air.
Absinthe makes you hallucinate
Anise, fennel, and a particular kind of wormwood called Artemisia absinthium are all components of the botanical distillate known as absinthe. Thujone, a hallucinogenic substance, is infused into the spirit by this wormwood. But there is so little thujone in contemporary absinthe (a maximum of 10 parts per million in the U.S.) that you will need to drink a gallon to hallucinate.
Absinthe makes you go crazy
In addition to the misconception that drinking absinthe causes individuals to see things, it is also rumoured to cause insanity. Once more, the "absinthism" explanation is based on science that is at best dubious and does not hold up to modern scrutiny. The trials of Dr Valentin Magnan, a French psychiatrist who was vehemently opposed to absinthe and what he perceived as its negative consequences on society, provide the foundation for the linkages between absinthe and mental health difficulties.
Absinthe must be served with a flaming sugar cube
The traditional way to serve absinthe is to drip water into a stemmed glass of the liquor gently, frequently over a sugar cube that is resting on a special perforated spoon. The technique causes the spirit to "louche," which is a foggy, opaque state. But according to Breaux, "another ritual that mysteriously developed in the 1990s" involves soaking the sugar in alcohol before lighting it with a match. The "fire ceremony," albeit stunning, is intended to draw attention away from the reality that a cheap and artificial product will not louche.