absinthe completely legal in Canada?

[gavinonymous]

I clicked the absinthe banner ad link on this site, and was really surprised to see that it said "In Canada, absinthe is completely legal, and on sale in some liquor stores." While the last part is true, the first part certainly isn't (sadly)

I'd really love to order a bottle of the real stuff, I'm afraid they'll just take my money and customs will take the absinthe.

"Can absinthe be shipped (mailed) into the United States?

Absinthe is a "prohibited" item and is subject to being seized by the United States Customs"

It is possibly legal in other areas of Canada, but in Ontario (where a good chunk of the population is) there is a regulated limit on thujone concentration (IIRC 50micograms/L) All alcohol brands sold in Ontario must be periodically tested by the government before allowed to be delivered to the customer.

Pernod was advertising their 'Absinthe' at the Wine expo - they're pulling a fast one in my opinion by using that name with such a low (next to none) thujone.. I mean who's going to notice if it's not there, it's just a marketing ploy for them to sell more Pernod.

At one time Pernod was a big player in the real absinthe world. It amazes me that it is illegal, or even regulated so low. I'm not even sure that thujone is the active ingredient - seems the research is split on this.

 

[Oskaar]

Absinthe

Hey Gavin,

I moved this post from the Hive to the Likker si Quicker forums because this is a question dealing with a specific acoholic beverage rather than a general non-mead themed question (e.g. Ginger or Mary Ann?)

Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

 

[fatbloke]

Well I sure as hell, aren't the person to answer most of your questions........

but I make my own!

How ? pure alcohol and commercial absinthe flavouring.

I get the flavouring with 55 mg's of thujone. I have no idea how authentic it might be.....

To my taste, it's like drinking pernod, but instead of the lingering sweet flavour, it's got a slight background bitter flavour.

Oh and of course, it's green, not yellow in colour.

regards

fatbloke

 

[gavinonymous]

Hey Gavin,

I moved this post from the Hive to the Likker si Quicker forums because this is a question dealing with a specific acoholic beverage rather than a general non-mead themed question (e.g. Ginger or Mary Ann?)

Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Thanks, yes no problem at all. I saw another thread soon after on the Banner ad. I also used to make absinthe - by infusing wormwood and anise to vodka. Not sure how much thujone was there, but it really was noticable.

Here's the recipe I mentioned if anyone is interested:

"An 1855 recipe from Pontarlier, France, gives the following instructions for making absinthe: Macerate 2.5 kilograms of dried wormwood, 5 kilograms of anise and 5 kilograms of fennel in 95 liters of 85 percent ethanol by volume. Let the mixture steep for at least 12 hours in the pot of a double boiler. Add 45 liters of water and apply heat; collect 95 liters of distillate. To 40 liters of the distillate, add 1 kilogram of Roman wormwood, 1 kilogram of hyssop and 500 grams of lemon balm, all of which have been dried and finely divided. Extract at a moderate temperature, then siphon off the liquor, filter, and reunite it with the remaining 55 liters of distillate. Dilute with water to produce approximately 100 liters of absinthe with a final alcohol concentration of 74 percent by volume"

 

[Vino]

It is now legal again to produce Absinthe in the US...however the new law states that it must be thujone free, which means it must have a concentration of less than 10ppm of thujone.

Thujone-Free.
​

We approve the use of the term “absinthe” on the label of a distilled spirits product and in related advertisements only if the product is “thujone-free” pursuant to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) regulation at 21 CFR 172.510. Based upon the level of detection of FDA’s prescribed method for testing for the presence of thujone, TTB considers a product to be “thujone-free” if it contains less than 10 parts per million of thujone. However, should the FDA set a new standard for “thujone-free,” in accordance with 27 CFR 13.51, COLAs that are not in compliance with that revised standard will be revoked by operation of regulation.

Source: Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau
​

So I guess it's ok to call it something it's not...

If you are interested in making it yourself, Midwest Supplies carries the wormwood in 1 oz packages...so according to the 1855 recipe you would need between 3 1/2 - 4 oz per gallon of 85% ethanol...I would think everclear might be a start.

 

[Angus]

Is it really effective?

I will throw this one out to the international community to see what the answer is.

Is there a real effect from the Thujone in Absinthe? I have read that the amount of thujone needed to create the kind of hallucinogenic effects the drink is infamous for is just not possible unless extra is added. I have also read that the majority of the effects attributed to Thujone were really caused by some of the other little additives used in Paris during the height of Absinthe's popularity. To me, Absinthe tastes almost the same as regular Pernod, and exactly like Absente.

Angus

 

[BBBF]

I brought a couple bottles home from Prague. One of them advertised as having "the most thujone," but I've never gotten anything but drunk off the stuff.

 

[Oskaar]

I've used it fairly frequently while in Europe. I like the Emile 66. It gives me a bit of a buzz, and some "hyper-clarity" is the best way to describe it. Not really an halucinogen if you ask me, more like bringing things into really really sharp focus. That's really about all I get from it...other than a hangover.

 

[cam07ds]

As a seasoned Absinthe customer my first recommendation is dont buy any thing from Prague or any where near. These absinthe's are not of high quality and I have actually dumped out some purchased via that country. If you want real Absinthe go to www.absintheonline.com they have many quality products including Emil, Jade (all of which i have sampled and they are great), Kulber, and Clandestine (A personnel favorite from one of the only women Absinthe brewers in the workd) are great and worth the cost of shipping. I have been having Absinthe shipped to my US address for more than 5 years and I have never had any issues.

As far as the effects I think this statement is what I have felt and when taken in moderation with friends.

Quote: It gives me a bit of a buzz, and some "hyper-clarity" is the best way to describe it. Not really an hallucinogen if you ask me, more like bringing things into really really sharp focus.

This is just my opinion but I have about 75 bottles of Absinthe tasting and I feel I have a good handle on it. Also Absinthe does not have to be green! The green color is put there to sell it to people that are unaware of the coloring or the need or lack of need for the color. What you want is the Green Fairy to visit, not coloring.

Done steps off his soap box. Buyer beware check where you buy Absinthe its expensive and you cant really return it once you have it here.
Have a good one.
Steve

 

[Vino]

It gives me a bit of a buzz, and some "hyper-clarity" is the best way to describe it.

Buzz...I get anytime I consume 130+proof ethanol...Hyper clarity I get from drinking Yerba Mate...Maybe I can macerate the Mate in Everclear...I'll call it Mateclear (pronounce mah-tay-clear) ;D

Mateclear...has a nice redneck sound to it!

 

[wayneb]

Check out my Christmas Spice Meth recipe. You'll note that it is made with some Celestial Seasonings Morning Thunder tea. The principal ingredient in Morning Thunder is Yerba Mate, along with some black tea.

I don't know about others, but I always feel like I'm thinking more clearly after I've had a couple of glasses of the stuff -- and it's a heckova lot cheaper than any absinthe!

 

[Vino]

wayne,

I drink mate a couple times a day...love the stuff!

 

[fatbloke]

I will throw this one out to the international community to see what the answer is.

Is there a real effect from the Thujone in Absinthe? I have read that the amount of thujone needed to create the kind of hallucinogenic effects the drink is infamous for is just not possible unless extra is added. I have also read that the majority of the effects attributed to Thujone were really caused by some of the other little additives used in Paris during the height of Absinthe's popularity. To me, Absinthe tastes almost the same as regular Pernod, and exactly like Absente.

Angus

Well having spent some time reading "around the bazaars", I'm inclined to suspect that all the rubbish written about it is just that.

Things like Van Gogh being "high" on it when he cut off his ear and when he died etc are more likely just to do with being "off his head" on a high strength ABV spirit than being "stoned" on the thujone. I suspect that you'd have to have used a hell of a lot more wormwood in the making than to give any hallucinogenic effects.

You only need to have eaten "space cake" in Amsterdam (accidently or deliberately) to appreciate just how much "active ingredient" are needed to have any effect!

I've used it fairly frequently while in Europe. I like the Emile 66. It gives me a bit of a buzz, and some "hyper-clarity" is the best way to describe it. Not really an halucinogen if you ask me, more like bringing things into really really sharp focus. That's really about all I get from it...other than a hangover.

Concur there Pete. With me, it's more about the early effects of drunkeness, before the stupidity and eventual hangover kick in

As a seasoned Absinthe customer my first recommendation is dont buy any thing from Prague or any where near. These absinthe's are not of high quality and I have actually dumped out some purchased via that country. If you want real Absinthe go to www.absintheonline.com they have many quality products including Emil, Jade (all of which i have sampled and they are great), Kulber, and Clandestine (A personnel favorite from one of the only women Absinthe brewers in the workd) are great and worth the cost of shipping. I have been having Absinthe shipped to my US address for more than 5 years and I have never had any issues.

As far as the effects I think this statement is what I have felt and when taken in moderation with friends.

Quote: It gives me a bit of a buzz, and some "hyper-clarity" is the best way to describe it. Not really an hallucinogen if you ask me, more like bringing things into really really sharp focus.

This is just my opinion but I have about 75 bottles of Absinthe tasting and I feel I have a good handle on it. Also Absinthe does not have to be green! The green color is put there to sell it to people that are unaware of the coloring or the need or lack of need for the color. What you want is the Green Fairy to visit, not coloring.

Done steps off his soap box. Buyer beware check where you buy Absinthe its expensive and you cant really return it once you have it here.
Have a good one.
Steve

Cheers for that link Steve. Though with prices like the ones shown, it'll be some time before I get a bottle of "commercial" absinthe like the ones advertised on the website.

My own is made from homebrew spirit and flavouring (though I get it in the 280ml bottle as it works out a little cheaper). I make it at 60% + ABV.

I would like to compare it to a commercially made one though, because to my taste it is just like pernod except where pernod has a slight underlying sweetness, my absinthe has an underlying bitterness - which I put down to the use/presence of wormwood extract/thujone.

But damn! some of those ones on the website! Wow! they're like bloody rocket fuel.

regards

fatbloke

p.s. Ha! perhaps I wouldn't detect any underlying bitterness if I got an "absinthe spoon" and did the "sugar lump" thing ???

 

[pugsquasher]

...
Is there a real effect from the Thujone in Absinthe? I have read that the amount of thujone needed to create the kind of hallucinogenic effects the drink is infamous for is just not possible unless extra is added. I have also read that the majority of the effects attributed to Thujone were really caused by some of the other little additives used in Paris during the height of Absinthe's popularity.
...

I suppose you've already read the experience reports and data on Erowid? I read enough to believe it was not worth the money paid for the mixed-bag combination of thujone/alcohol.

Cheers,

The Hamster

 

[fatbloke]

I suppose you've already read the experience reports and data on Erowid? I read enough to believe it was not worth the money paid for the mixed-bag combination of thujone/alcohol.

Cheers,

The Hamster

Isn't that the case really for any "premium" booze ?

Lets face it, what it actually costs to make to provide for a decent "mark up" is one thing, but with all the snobbery that surrounds various names or labels (including the snobbery of the various revenue departments round the world and how they work out how much "duty" they're gonna apply), plus the extra "squeeze" applied by all the various middle men involved in the alcohol sales business/world, I'd say that there are very few alcoholic drinks that could be described as "value for money"......

regards

fatbloke