Absinthe - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

emphant · 12-23-2003, 12:23 AM

Search is broken, sorry if this is a repost.

To keep it short, what is the scoop with this stuff? I gather it's a mild hallucinogenic, and it was in Maxim, but I never read the issue. Basically, does it work, and is it worth it?

emphant · 12-23-2003, 12:35 AM

I just reazlied this may be the wrong forum, if so my apoligies, feel free to move.

Journeyman · 12-23-2003, 02:03 AM

http://www.tuckermax.com/Stories/absinthe.htm

Quote:

That devil juice is brewed from the urine of Lucifer. Now I know why Van Gogh cut off his ear and why Toulouse-Lautrec painted funny looking midgets; it wasn’t mental illness, it was that goddamn absinthe.

lordjeebus · 12-23-2003, 03:55 AM

Absinthe is an old kind of herbal liquor that was banned worldwide about a century ago in a sort of irrational panic.

The primary effect of absinthe is due to its high alcohol content.

The secondary effects (ie. hallucinations) are due to wormwood and are attributed to the chemical thujone.

How much secondary effect you get depends a lot on the brand. I had some the other day (in Japan, it's legal here) and didn't get any. I understand brands like La Fee have strong secondaries.

Considering the cost to get it shipped to the US (although customs seldom if ever will seize it), it may not be worth your money unless you get a friend traveling Spain or elsewhere to bring you some home.

It also tastes strongly of anise (black liquorice) so if you don't like that flavor don't bother.

Tophat665 · 12-23-2003, 04:42 AM

Had some about a year ago that a friend (sort of) brought back from France. Definitely a different buzz than any of the other anise liquors. (Huh uh huh. He said anise liquors.) I had two on the rocks with sugar, (probably a total of 4 shots) and was staggering. I'm a big guy and I generally hold my liquor pretty well, but this stuff is something else.

Now, as to why it was banned for so long, on of the primary flavoring agents (aside from aniseseed) is extract of wormwood for bitterness. Until recently, the process by which wormwood extract was made left a significant amount of arsenic in the extract - not enought to kill you outright (usually), but plenty to cause brain damage over time.

That's why it was illegal in most of the world. Of course, it's illegal in this country because the bluenoses get their support hose in a bunch when they think someone might be having fun, but the hangover from our Puritan heritage doesn't really belong here.

Fibrosa · 12-24-2003, 11:40 AM

I've heard it has hallucinogenic properties, but I doubt it. You'd have to drink a ton of it (IIRC) in order to feel it's effects, so I think the people who proclaim it's virtues are just feeling the alcohol.

From what I understand, it's also nasty tasting.

sadatx · 12-26-2003, 11:49 PM

I did some hocus pocus and was able to find this old post on Absinthe even without the search engine.

Everything You Wanted To Know About Absinthe But Were Afraid To Ask:

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=19806

12-23-2003, 12:23 AM	#1 (permalink)
emphant Crazy Location: Meeshagain	Absinthe Search is broken, sorry if this is a repost. To keep it short, what is the scoop with this stuff? I gather it's a mild hallucinogenic, and it was in Maxim, but I never read the issue. Basically, does it work, and is it worth it?

12-23-2003, 04:42 AM	#5 (permalink)
Tophat665 Minion of the scaléd ones Location: Northeast Jesusland	Had some about a year ago that a friend (sort of) brought back from France. Definitely a different buzz than any of the other anise liquors. (Huh uh huh. He said anise liquors.) I had two on the rocks with sugar, (probably a total of 4 shots) and was staggering. I'm a big guy and I generally hold my liquor pretty well, but this stuff is something else. Now, as to why it was banned for so long, on of the primary flavoring agents (aside from aniseseed) is extract of wormwood for bitterness. Until recently, the process by which wormwood extract was made left a significant amount of arsenic in the extract - not enought to kill you outright (usually), but plenty to cause brain damage over time. That's why it was illegal in most of the world. Of course, it's illegal in this country because the bluenoses get their support hose in a bunch when they think someone might be having fun, but the hangover from our Puritan heritage doesn't really belong here. __________________ Light a man a fire, and he will be warm while it burns. Set a man on fire, and he will be warm for the rest of his life.

12-24-2003, 11:40 AM	#6 (permalink)
Fibrosa Insane	I've heard it has hallucinogenic properties, but I doubt it. You'd have to drink a ton of it (IIRC) in order to feel it's effects, so I think the people who proclaim it's virtues are just feeling the alcohol. From what I understand, it's also nasty tasting. __________________ D'oh!

12-23-2003, 12:35 AM	#2 (permalink)
emphant Crazy Location: Meeshagain	I just reazlied this may be the wrong forum, if so my apoligies, feel free to move.

12-23-2003, 03:55 AM	#4 (permalink)
lordjeebus ‚±‚Ìˆó˜U‚ª–Ú‚É“ü‚ç‚Ê‚© Location: College	Absinthe is an old kind of herbal liquor that was banned worldwide about a century ago in a sort of irrational panic. The primary effect of absinthe is due to its high alcohol content. The secondary effects (ie. hallucinations) are due to wormwood and are attributed to the chemical thujone. How much secondary effect you get depends a lot on the brand. I had some the other day (in Japan, it's legal here) and didn't get any. I understand brands like La Fee have strong secondaries. Considering the cost to get it shipped to the US (although customs seldom if ever will seize it), it may not be worth your money unless you get a friend traveling Spain or elsewhere to bring you some home. It also tastes strongly of anise (black liquorice) so if you don't like that flavor don't bother.

12-26-2003, 11:49 PM	#7 (permalink)
sadatx Psycho	I did some hocus pocus and was able to find this old post on Absinthe even without the search engine. Everything You Wanted To Know About Absinthe But Were Afraid To Ask: http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=19806