# " Absinthe" the most evil drink ever invented? **URL:** \ **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:** 2
**Author:** ![Janx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Janx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janx)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/21 "2003-03-11T04:58:53Z")
Sorry, I hate to be rude, but you guys are a bunch of light weights! Any god fearing drunk Just _knows_ that [CYNAR ARTICHOKE LIQUEUR](http://www.sendliquor.com/id104374list36product.html) Is the most evil drink ever know to man kind. What sicko would make a booz out of ARTICHOKES? It tastes like a combination of aspirin, and pine sap. I think I would rather drink bong water then ever assault my tong with this stuff again, this is what Satan’s vomit would taste like _after_ he drank Absinthe! ---
**Author:** ![Eggerhaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@Eggerhaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eggerhaus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/22 "2003-03-11T05:14:54Z")
I hear it’s an aphrodesiac… Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder. ba da boom:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/23 "2003-03-11T05:34:25Z")
\*\* Morkfromork\*\* wrote: > [@](#): > > Absinthe is again legal here in Canada. Wow, I wasn’t aware of that. Is it readily available? ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/24 "2003-03-11T05:37:43Z")
Pretty much any reasonably well stocked liquor store here in Calgary has a couple brands. ---
**Author:** ![PlasmaWhore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@PlasmaWhore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlasmaWhore)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/25 "2003-03-11T05:48:46Z")
Absinthe is really easy to get in the US. Just ask your local drug dealer. A friend of mine got a free bottle awhile back and gave it to me. It was gross at first, but I acquired a taste for it. Kinda like Nyquil. ---
**Author:** ![3trew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/13edae/32.png) [@3trew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3trew)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/26 "2003-03-11T06:18:24Z")
Hey, Morkfromork, Calgary’s in Alberta, not Canada. Friggin Albertans… ---
**Author:** ![Rockford](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ac8455/32.png) [@Rockford](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rockford)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/27 "2003-03-11T07:17:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*\*PlasmaWhore– > Absinthe is really easy to get in the US. Just ask your local drug dealer. A friend of mine got a free bottle awhile back and gave it to me. It was gross at first, but I acquired a taste for it. Kinda like Nyquil. \*\* And thread lockdown in 5…4…3… ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/28 "2003-03-11T11:13:38Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Dogface \* > **There are brands of vermouth available in the USA that have more thujone (wormwood’s “active ingredient”) than did most absinthes.** Hmmm. Yes, sort of. One of the most popular brands sold today (including in Canada) is Hills. And it sucks. It has far less alcohol and very little Thujone. When compared to Hills one may as well drink vermouth. (I hate vermouth!:mad: Whenever I order a bourbon on the rocks and they bring me a Manhatten I bitch until I get what I wanted…free!) But if you’re talking about absinthe from the days of old, then vermouth is a light weight. Prior to being banned (about 1912)the thujone level of most absinthe was around 260 ppm (parts per million, or mg/kg). Today, the most popular brand, Hill’s Absinthe, has 1.5 PPM of thujone. I doubt any vermouth has anywhere near 260ppm. [Cite](http://www.gardenofbadthings.com/absinthe.html) ---
**Author:** ![Davebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Davebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Davebear)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/29 "2003-03-11T12:05:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoe \* > \*\*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. \*\* Bravo! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Flying\_Monk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/48db29/32.png) [@Flying\_Monk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flying_Monk)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/30 "2003-03-11T15:05:06Z")
I’m with Gulo gulo…Zima takes the evil drink prize, although I think Budweiser deserves some credit in the “underrated evil” category. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/31 "2003-03-11T16:48:05Z")
So – is there anyplace you still CAN acquire absinthe with the original thujone level of 260 ppm? And, if you did, and drank it, would it make you hallucinate, or have any other non-alcohol-related effects? And, if not, would it be possible to make your own original-strength absinthe at home with some pure grain alcohol and wormwood extract, or whatever you call it? And is “wormwood extract” something you can get? ---
**Author:** ![Tomcat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Tomcat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tomcat)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/32 "2003-03-11T16:50:09Z")
I was just going to say what **pkbites** said about the strength of modern Absinthe. It’s weak. Absinthe in Prague is everywhere…but it is nasty stuff. My friend owns a bar here and he grudgingly stocks it cuz all of the tourists ask for it…but then they end up puking all over the place. Yeah, lets drink cheap beer all day, then go to a club and have Absinthe shots! :rolleyes: :smack: -Tcat ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Friendly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Mr\_Friendly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Friendly)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/33 "2003-03-11T17:09:37Z")
yeah tried absinthe on a school trip to Prague. It came in massive shotglasses and we downed them with our teachers, instantly my mouth got that watery “uh-oh, I’m gonna puke” feel to it but I didnt until later in the night. Also have tried it from supermarkets a few times here in the UK, not up to much and certainly not hallucenogenic. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/34 "2003-03-11T17:20:40Z")
The honor of most brutal drink in the world is Cisco, which back in the day was known as “liquid crack”. I’ve never had a drink that kept me hungover for 2 days. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/35 "2003-03-11T17:22:23Z")
_goes to_ Cisco. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/36 "2003-03-11T17:27:13Z")
The most evil drink in the world is buttermilk. Or perhaps not. I’ve always tended to regard buttermilk in the same class of liquids as poster paint. ---
**Author:** ![caveman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/caveman/32/7242_2.png) [@caveman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caveman)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/37 "2003-03-11T17:29:12Z")
The most evil beverage known to man is spruce beer. It won’t get you drunk, but you’ll wish you were, if only to drown the memory of its pine-sol flavor. ---
**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/38 "2003-03-11T17:44:00Z")
Ok so what would happen if i were to roll some wormwood leaves? twigs? and light up. Is wormwood legal? ---
**Author:** ![Standup\_Karmic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac91a4/32.png) [@Standup\_Karmic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Standup_Karmic)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/39 "2003-03-11T17:59:17Z")
_Artemisia Absinthium_, or wormwood as it is sometimes known, is readily available at garden centers and is not controlled in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Gulo\_gulo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bcef8e/32.png) [@Gulo\_gulo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gulo_gulo)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422/40 "2003-03-11T19:43:55Z")
The absinthe I tried was ‘home-made’ and they said they got the wormword from a health food store or organic store in Victoria. I doubt I’d recommend trying this unless you know for sure what you are doing. And apologies if I wasn’t supposed to say this on this list. And I need to add: Mike’s Hard Lemonade being made with malt liquor is wrong. WRONG! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/absinthe-the-most-evil-drink-ever-invented/160422.md?page=3)