Absinthe
Absinthe Explained
Van Gogh's Drink In The Midst Of Comeback
NEW YORK --- The emerald-green liquid, linked to flights of artistic genius and madness, has been banned in most countries for decades.
Now researchers have pinpointed how the drink severs the mechanism that keeps imbibers' brains from speeding dangerously out of control, just as absinthe, which is 74 percent alcohol, may be making an underground comeback in the United States and Europe.
Absinthe seems like it's getting more popular, said Dr. Karin Hold of UC-Berkeley, who co-authored a recent study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
It seems to be kind of an 'in' thing. Absinthe was also fashionable at the end of the 19th century, when it was the beverage of choice for artists and poets like Oscar Wilde, Toulouse-Lautrec, Edgar Allen Poe and Pablo Picasso.
Some believe the drink boosts creativity, keeping the brain free of alcohol's mind-clouding effects despite its high alcohol content.
But absinthe also has a darker side of hallucinations, delirium, convulsions and psychosis.
Vincent Van Gogh, reportedly addicted to the drink, was rumored to have severed his ear in the depths of an absinthe binge.
That legacy has inspired a fresh generation of trend-setters to explore absinthe's allure. The drink was banned in many countries by the mid-1930s, but production of absinthe continued in places like the Czech Republic and Spain.
It is available today on the Internet from companies in England, where it is illegal to make but not sell.
Absinthe is also illegal in the United States, but that hasn't stopped some from importing it.
Hal, an art director for an ad agency in Los Angeles, has purchased several bottles of absinthe online at about $50 each.
It makes you drunk but still you have more control than regular booze, and also gives you clarity in some way, so your thoughts are not so blurry, he said.
Others have had bad experiences with absinthe from the beginning, and were turned off by its potency and potential for addiction.
I wouldn't use it again for a long time, I got really sick, said Maureen, a 25-year-old from Minnesota who drank absinthe once on a night out with friends. I didn't like the fact it was totally controlling me.
UC-Berkeley researchers have uncovered the reason why absinthe can simultaneously serve as creative muse and bringer of madness and hangovers:
The drink's active ingredient, thujone, causes an out-of-control firing on the brain's electrical signals, similar to epilepsy.
A chemical called GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is an inhibitory neurotransmitter, so it makes it harder for (electrical) signals to get through, said Hold.
Thujone blocks the GABA receptor, and makes it easier for signals to get through, in high enough doses, you get convulsions and death.
Her study was carried out on laboratory animals, so it wasn't possible to determine whether the drink produced either creativity or madness, they only tested mice, and it's hard to know if they're hallucinating or experiencing episodes of brilliance.
Absinthe in its modern-day incarnation may be hallucination-free because the levels of thujone, the active ingredient derived from dried wormwood, are far lower than they were a hundred years ago.
The absinthe consumed by Van Gogh and Co. had levels of thujone of about 260 parts per million; today's version is required by law to have no more than 10 ppm.
Hold and her colleagues gave concentrated thujone to mice that would be nearly impossible for a person to consume by drinking today's absinthe.
In those days the alpha-thujone amounts were a lot higher, she said. There aren't a lot of concerns for the absinthe that's on the market now.
But for some, the proven toxicity of the drink, no matter how diluted, serves as sufficient warning to steer clear.
I've never tried it myself, said Dr. Wilfred Arnold, recognized as a leading researcher on absinthe. I regard wormwood oil as a toxic substance, I would avoid it if possible.
From www.foxnews.com
By Adam Pasick.
2:00 a.m. ET (0600 GMT)
May 10, 2000
Books Absinthe:
History in a Bottle
In words and images, the book looks at the history, art, literature, and culture related to absinthe, as well as the people in the community that adopted absinthe as their drink (primarily artists).
The main history associated with the drink took place in France (and to a lesser extent Europe) at the end of the 1800's to the beginning of the 1900's. The people who play their part in this history include Manet, Degas, Gauguin, Toulouse-Lautrec, van Gogh, Picasso, and many others.
Nearly 200 illustrations, over 60 in color. Even the black and white pictures are good quality. The color images are for the most part good looking absinthe ads, and artwork by artists who used absinthe.
Absinthe: History in a Bottle Absinthe Sip of Seduction:
A Contemporary Guide
A rich journey into absinthe. Punctuated with color reproductions of classic and current lithographs, posters, postcards, cartoons, antiques, glassware, bottles, and other tools of the absinthe drinker, this thorough study explains and illustrates the history, culture, and mystique of the drink.
In addition to the customary glimpses of history, the authors provide insights into the controversy and effects of the Green Fairy. Explained are sipping instructions, variations including French, Czech, and German methods, cocktail and drink recipes, and even suggestions for culinary accompaniments.
Absinthe Sip of Seduction
Absinthe Related Absinthe Articles Absinthe Books Absinthe Links