# Absinthe and wormwood **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 15, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446 "2001-10-15T04:35:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Niobium\_Knight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc8723/32.png) [@Niobium\_Knight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Niobium_Knight)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/1 "2001-10-15T04:35:33Z")
i have a bottle of Absinthe i got in Spain. it is a green 70% vol spirit. i have looked up info on it’s history and apparantly it contains (or used to anyway) wormwood, which is poisonous. what is wormwood? how poisonous is it and were does it come from? ---
**Author:** ![Myrr21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Myrr21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrr21)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/2 "2001-10-15T05:31:06Z")
To the best of my knowlege: Wormwood is a mild hallucinogen (at least at the dosage contained in absinthe). Habitual use, however, makes you crazy. I don’t remember exactly how, just “crazy”. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/3 "2001-10-15T05:35:46Z")
Here’s an interesting place to start. [http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/absinthe.html](http://www.gumbopages.com/food/beverages/absinthe.html) ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2001, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/4 "2001-10-15T05:39:24Z")
A straight tincture of wormwood is an effective laxative. Absinthe is made using calcinated wormwood, so it (fortunately) doesn’t make you poop. It’s neurotoxic qualities are grossly exaggerated. Here’s a good [link](http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/mom/absinthe/absinthe.html) for ya. ---
**Author:** ![Kaje](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f04885/32.png) [@Kaje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaje)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/5 "2001-10-16T00:57:19Z")
Erowid is the place to go for all your psychoactive needs: [http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml](http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe.shtml) Wormwood is no doubt listed as poisonous, but when you get right down to it, all intoxication is just minor (usually), temporary poisoning. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/6 "2001-10-16T01:47:24Z")
Having personally drank two seperate person’s home-brewed Absynthe I can assure you wormwood, if it is that poisonous, isn’t poisonous enough to kill you in one draught of the bottle. I drank a whole bottle of it over the course of a year (strong stuff, is how I make it ;)) and I have not noticed, nor have friends, family members, or my employer noticed, any particulr sign of the onset of death. The oil fo wormwood is probably poisonous, but in the same way that nicotene is poisonous. You just won’t be consuming that much in absynthe. They let you bring that back to the states??? It is, after all, illegal, AFAIK, in all fifty states. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/7 "2001-10-16T02:13:53Z")
You can get absinthe legally in Canada. I have tried commercial preparations, though, and found them to be an unremarkable (& somewhat vile) liqeuer. Had a homebrew around xmas 1994 that brought out some subtle colours-- Most notably a halo effect around candles & lights that made everything look “christmas-cardy”. If I died or anything it hasn’t altered my lifestyle. **erislover** – love the kallisti sig… While we’re on the topic, 😉 do think the A&W fast-food chain is named in honour of Adam Weishaupt, or d’ya think it’s a romanization of the Greek [sym]a[/sym]&[sym]w[/sym]? _“Take, eat, this is my body…”_ Is the A&W Root Bear the “Root and Branch, Alpha and Omega?” (Temperance leaders can blame the Green Fairy for the blasphemy…) _ **We now return you to the previously scheduled non-discordian dialogue.** _ ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/8 "2001-10-16T03:29:58Z")
Seeing at least one other discordian has convinced me to sign up and stick my two cents in. Apart from insanity, Excessive consumption of Absinthe can cause a fern to grow out of your chest. No, really. My old auntie used to tell me Absinthe makes the heart grow fronds, dear. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/9 "2001-10-16T07:42:20Z")
There are [rumours](http://food4.epicurious.com/HyperNews/get/archive_swap3801-3900/3849/3.html) of gastro-intestinal abnormalities, too. ---
**Author:** ![TPWombat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@TPWombat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TPWombat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/10 "2001-10-16T11:44:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by The Sonoran Lizard King \* > \*\*Absinthe makes the heart grow fronds, dear. \*\* Mods!!! **Ban him!!** For the love of Baby Jesus, **Ban him** _right now!!!_ ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/11 "2001-10-16T13:11:55Z")
Having had my share of, not absinthe but, vodka spiced with wormwood (a Swedish specialty, unfortunately I couldn’t find any information in English) through the years I can assure you that wormwood does **not** cause hallucinations, it is **not** a laxative, it is **not** poisonous. What it does do is give a nice, bitter taste to the liquor. ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/12 "2001-10-16T14:56:53Z")
Most of the Absinthe sold around the globe is just high-potency liquor. The amount of wormwood or thujone in it is pretty minimal in most cases, if its there at all. Plus, theres skepticism over whether the wormwood is hallucinogenic to begin with. Never having tried it, I can’t say. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/13 "2001-10-16T15:16:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > If I died or anything it hasn’t altered my lifestyle. Classic! 😃 By the way, have you noticed that the french fries at the A&W taste a little strange? [sub][dead kennedys offshoot]I drive down to the disco, pompadour and pink lamé… etc[/dead kennedys offshoot][/sub] But a&w as [sym]a[/sym]&[sym]w[/sym] being A.W… Hmm. Notice, of course, that such a stylistic interpretation of Adam W. would bring Adam [sym]W[/sym]., the first man of the end! The eschaton becomes closer to complete immanentization… :eek: DO NOT EAT THERE! ---
**Author:** ![joemama24\_98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ce7236/32.png) [@joemama24\_98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joemama24_98)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/14 "2001-10-16T16:31:30Z")
…when he cut his ear off?.. ---
**Author:** ![erislover](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/71e660/32.png) [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/15 "2001-10-16T16:43:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by occ \* > Plus, theres skepticism over whether the wormwood is hallucinogenic to begin with. Never having tried it, I can’t say. Having tried it, I can say: a firm _maybe_. My experience to hallucinations are, shall we say, somewhat complete and absynthe with wormwood oils certainly didn’t make everything shimmer, or colors to change; however, I _have_ drank just plain high-proof alcohol and can say that the oil of wormwood certainly does something that alcohol itself doesn’t. How’s that for science?! “Yes, we have just discovered something.” ~“Care to elaborate, Mr. Someone?” “Well, it did something that other things don’t do.” {reporters scribble madly} > [@](#): > > _TSLK sez_ > Seeing at least one other discordian has convinced me to sign up and stick my two cents in. Welcome, one and all. It takes all kinds, they say. 😃 Tell me, though… is it just a _coincidence_ that, including the spaces, there are 23 characters in your name??? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/16 "2001-10-16T20:59:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Floater \* > Having had my share of, not absinthe but, vodka spiced with wormwood (a Swedish specialty, unfortunately I couldn’t find any information in English) through the years I can assure you that wormwood does **not** cause hallucinations, it is **not** a laxative, it is **not** poisonous. What it does do is give a nice, bitter taste to the liquor. Hoo boy, is it bitter! Floater, (:eek: ) a tincture of wormwood certainly _is_ laxative. Explosively. That’s why they call it wormwood. (I’m sure that the flavoured vodka has a _very_ small amount.) My girlfriend makes a wormwood tincture (by steeping a few hundred grams of wormwood in a bottle of vodka, oddly enough,) which she takes every day. When I first met her, and we had been talking about the wonderful properties of various herbs, she gave me four “eye-droppers” of wormwood tincture in a glass of water, and then we went out to a restaurant. What a nightmare. Reminded me of the poor bloke in _Lamentations_: > [@](#): > > He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. Well, not really, but it’s a neat quote.;)I would agree, the effect of absinthe is not _hallucinatory_– More of a colour-enhancer. (To be honest, psilocybe mushrooms & LSD aren’t really hallucinogens either – because generally you know what you are seeing isn’t real.) Belladonna & Datura are the only substances that have ever caused _true_ hallucinations for me. [sub]Don’t mind Larry over there in the corner, talking to some girl who isn’t there.[/sub] **erislover** , all the buzz about bio-warfare recently has got me itching to screen [The [sym]O[/sym]mega Man](http://search.excaliburfilms.com/dvd/reviews/images123/largemoviepic/OmegaMan.jpg) again. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/17 "2001-10-16T22:17:08Z")
Cecil has just finished writing a column about Absinthe, so watch for it in the coming weeks. - Jill ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/18 "2001-10-17T01:51:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by erislover \* > Welcome, one and all. It takes all kinds, they say. 😃 > > Tell me, though… is it just a _coincidence_ that, including the spaces, there are 23 characters in your name??? \*\* Coincidence? As much as anything is, I suppose. It was not intentional, and I hadn’t noticed until you mentioned it. Hail Eris. Being a Douglas Adams fan, I used the screen name Zaphod23 in a few places. My Sig tag didn’t activate, which I put down, synergistically or not, to my newbie status. Meet the Episkopos of the Heart of Gold Cabal. Oh, that’s what that little check box is for. Kewl. ---
**Author:** ![Khampelf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Khampelf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khampelf)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/19 "2001-10-17T01:57:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TPWombat \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by The Sonoran Lizard King \* > > \*\*Absinthe makes the heart grow fronds, dear. \*\* > > Mods!!! **Ban him!!** For the love of Baby Jesus, **Ban him** _right now!!!_ \*\* Banned for Punning? I had hoped to indulge in such behavior with ImPunIty. REminds me of the first manufacturing enterprise, here in Arizona, the Tates watch company. They made combination Pocket watch/compasses. But being next door to an absinthe factory, quality control suffered, and the product was notoriously unreliable. The entire episode became a famous proverb. Everyone knows, . . . . He who has a Tates is lost. ---
**Author:** ![blackjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@blackjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackjack)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2002, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446/20 "2002-04-08T02:14:15Z")
See my post in this other thread. Wormwood is not even remotely an hallucinogen, and the quantites in absinthe are too minute to have much of any effect at all. [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=95379](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=95379) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-and-wormwood/87446.md?page=2)