What is absinthe proof certainly
Absinthe is now once again a well known alcoholic drink, due to its legalization in the USA as well as other countries after many decades of being illegal. Many younger people are trying it for the first time and knocking it back without any contemplation on its alcohol content. So, what is Absinthe proof?
Absinthe is usually an anise flavored liquor which is produced from distilling alcohol using a mixture of herbs including wormwood (artemisia absinthium), aniseed and fennel. It is popularly known as the Green Fairy, La Fee Verte, due to the typical emerald green coloring of classic verte types of Absinthe.
Absinthe is normally consumed diluted with iced water according to the Ritual. You need to drip the water on the sugar lump on a slotted spoon and to the Absinthe which then causes the Absinthe to louche – a pleasant effect.
Absinthe was prohibited during the early 1900s not because of its high alcohol content but because of the wormwood within it. Dr Valentin Magnan examined worwmood on guinea pigs in 1845 and discovered that a guinea pig given wormwood oil had convulsions, whilst, a guinea pig given alcohol just got drunk. By 1872 Magnan had isolated the compound thujone from wormwood and, right after tests on dogs, established that thujone was a lot more dangerous than ethanol (alcohol) and so Absinthe was far more harmful than other types of spirits. He as well as others in the medical profession were persuaded that thujone was psychoactive and brought on psychedelic effects. Absinthe was therefore prohibited.
Even in 1975, a nature magazine stated that a thujone particle was similar in composition to THC from the drug cannabis and they therefore acted in a similar way.
We now know that all these claims are erroneous and untrue. Thujone isn’t like THC, even though it does act on the GABA receptors of the brain, when consumed in considerable amounts. We also learn from testing Absinthes, which includes vintage Absinthe, that Absinthe only is made up of very tiny quantities of thujone, nowhere near adequate to be harmful. You would have to drink quantities of Absinthe and die of alcohol poisoning before suffering any results from thujone!
Even though Absinthe is not going to cause us to hallucinate or convulse, it is a tremendously alcoholic drink which has to be consumed with care as it will get you intoxicated quite rapidly.
What is Absinthe proof?
Let’s see what the proof of well-known brand names of Absinthe is:-
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof0
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian 68% abv (136 proof)
Kubler 53 53% abv (106 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% abv (130 proof)
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
Jade PF 1901 68% abv (136 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)
If we compare that to other alcoholic drinks we can see that Absinthe is very strong:-
Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer is typically 4 or 5% alcohol by volume (8-10 proof).
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof).
Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)
If one makes homemade Absinthe using essences from AbsintheKit.com in that case your homemade Absinthe’s proof is determined by what neutral alcohol you use.
What is Absinthe proof? Quite high is the answer!