# " Absinthe" the most evil drink ever invented?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 10, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422 "2003-03-10T22:28:13Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@mozart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mozart)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/1 "2003-03-10T22:28:13Z")
Absinthe has a singular position in the history of alcohol. The famed drink of people like Toulouse-Lautrec, Oscar Wilde, Verlaine and others. It is banned in many countries of the world because of the crimes committed by people who drink it.{or so I am told} Can it be bought legally anywhere? Is it manufactured legally any where in the world? Has anyone here ever tasted it? If so I would love to hear what you think of it?
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/2 "2003-03-10T22:36:56Z")
OK Absinthe is Illegal in uSA, so don’t try getting it there. The drink Absente is very similar in taste, but without the wormwood.
Absinthe is legal in UK, and Eastern Europe. Though Illegal to buy in France, there are French manufacturers who produce it for export (mostly to UK).
Cecil has written about the hype surrounding Absinthe, all I can add is that I have tried several Absinthe makes in UK and non have much effect (certainly no more effect than mixing smoking Marujana and drinking spirits).
Now the most evil drink ever is probablt Laudanum, very popular in Victorian times.
Cheers, Bippy
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### Author:  [@Lagged2Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lagged2Death)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/3 "2003-03-10T22:40:30Z")
[Cecil says](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/011026.html) it’s still made in Spain and the Czech Republic.
There is [An Absinthe FAQ](http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe_faq.shtml) which may address some of your other questions. I’ve had Pernod, which is supposed to be exactly like Absinthe, except that it lacks the toxic hallucinagens. It’s very sweet, and it tastes like licorice.
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### Author:  [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/4 "2003-03-10T23:12:51Z")
oh no.
the most evil drink is very definitely home made potcheen.
more methanol than ethanol.
i’ve had absinthe in prague, the genuine 80% alcohol, nasty geen stuff, and it was GOOD.
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### Author:  [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/5 "2003-03-10T23:32:31Z")
First taste of absinthe:
“Hey, it kinda tastes like Sambuka…”
[5 seconds later]
“Can’t…breathe…sinuses…burning…”
Like Cecil says, it’s not the wormwood doing the funny things to you, it’s the 85% alcohol.
WAG, I’ve heard you can buy wormwood from Chineses herbal shops. Anyone tried eating this?
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### Author:  [@blue\_poop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blue_poop)
#### Post date: [March 10, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/6 "2003-03-10T23:39:17Z")
I bought it in a pub when we were having a party. I guess it was legal:confused: I was fine but the girl that was fifteen took it and she wasn’t. She passed out and had to be carried home:rolleyes: 😃 I wouldn’t take it again - its satans drink!😛
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### Author:  [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/7 "2003-03-11T00:02:38Z")
Is it true that absinthe is, or the original 19th-century was, hallucinogenic? Was it banned for that reason? Or was it simply because repeated use tended to make the drinker absinthe-minded?
I couldn’t resist.
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### Author:  [@bunyip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bunyip)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/8 "2003-03-11T00:06:00Z")
Don’t know about the most evil, but certainly the most disgusting.
Foul, foul taste, even watered down and with a bit of sugar.
Americans really are not missing much, no effects noticed, other than those to be expected of 90 percent proof spirits ( though I belive the modern Wormwood content is lower than in times past).
Disgusting drink!
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### Author:  [@Pantone\_Swatchbook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantone_Swatchbook)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/9 "2003-03-11T00:43:06Z")
Absinthe is the most overrated drink ever. Ounce for ounce, I’d say tequila has far more non-alcohol related side effects.
Absinthe IS strong, but thats because of the alcohol; whatever mild effects that you may get from wormwood is drowned out by the ethanol.
The most evil drink ever? I’d say Kentucky moonshine. As for laudanum, well, opiates are not capable of the pure mind-fuckery that alcohol can induce, even though it feels nicer.
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### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/10 "2003-03-11T00:46:53Z")
**bunyip** one man’s poison… and all that.
I wouldn’t rate it as the greatest flavoured drink, but IMHO it tastes far better than Creme-d’Menthe or any of a dozen other sweet liquors.
Cheers, Bippy
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### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/11 "2003-03-11T01:17:50Z")
I’ve had it before, and it tastes basically a very strong Pernot or other aniseseed-based alcoholic drink. The one I had was I believe 130 proof (65 percent alcohol.) The thing with absinthe is that these days the wormwood content is much MUCH lower than in the Hemingway, 1920s-30s Paris, drunk artist days…
Oh, here’s a bottle of Absinthe…this one is 70%…I’m a little off. It doesn’t really have the hallucinogenic properties due to the lack of wormwood… at any rate, it’s pretty damn alcoholic and it’ll get you blitzed pretty quickly.
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### Author:  [@drewbert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewbert)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/12 "2003-03-11T01:34:19Z")
I don’t know anything about absinthe, **Mozart** , but my advice to you is don’t go drinking with Mr. Salieri.
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### Author:  [@Dogface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogface)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/13 "2003-03-11T02:03:16Z")
There are brands of vermouth available in the USA that have more thujone (wormwood’s “active ingredient”) than did most absinthes. If one looks at the symptoms imputed upon absinthe in the past, one sees that they are actually symptoms of long-term heavy alcohol abuse, with or without wormwood. It’s just that the green serpent was favored by a particular subculture that was easy to take social potshots at (poets, artists, and other social reprobates).
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### Author:  [@Bjork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bjork)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/14 "2003-03-11T03:21:37Z")
All I know is it’s legal in New Zealand and very good at getting you drunk!
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### Author:  [@Bjork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bjork)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/15 "2003-03-11T03:23:00Z")
And besides, could something from Moulin Rouge really be evil?
Yay Moulin Rouge
Its the green fairy
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### Author:  [@mcbiggins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcbiggins)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/16 "2003-03-11T03:40:31Z")
Well, my one experience with Czech absinthe left me much more than just drunk. I’d never had another alcoholic drink that made the floor undulate within seconds of going down my throat. My only advice: do not drink it on a roof!
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### Author:  [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/17 "2003-03-11T04:24:56Z")
I’d only been fortunate to try absinthe once, and quite enjoyed the effects.
Nothing can beat out Zima as the world’s most evil drink.
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### Author:  [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/18 "2003-03-11T04:32:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> I don’t know anything about absinthe, Mozart, but my advice to you is don’t go drinking with Mr. Salieri.
Actually, maybe Salieri would have been an excellent choice as a drinking companion. Maybe Salieri would not have been so jealous of Mozart! After all, absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.
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### Author:  [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/19 "2003-03-11T04:38:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by mozart \*
> **"Absinthe" the most evil drink ever invented?**
No. Rum is, I have this on high authority.
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### Author:  [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)
#### Post date: [March 11, 2003, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/20 "2003-03-11T04:41:57Z")
Absinthe is again legal here in Canada. Unfortunately, it’s the crap that they make nowadays in the EU, with less than 10 mg/L of thujone (as compared to the 50 mg/L plus in the days of yore). It’s certainly a nasty drink (though not nearly as bad as some things I’ve had), and as far as I’m concerned, without the thujone, not worth the effort.
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