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 Have
you ever read Poe's work, examined
Van Gogh's paintings, or even
studied Baudelair's work? Chances
are you have, which means that you
have also tasted the effects of
Absinthe. Absinthe is mystical in
nearly every aspect. Everything
from its bright green color to
it's mysterious physiology marks
this drink with a label of
exoticness. For this reason, it is
no wonder the drink went from
being one of the most popular to
somewhat illegal substances across
many continents. Illegalized
because it "drove people
crazy", absinthe was very
quickly suppressed. Being legal in
very few countries such as Spain
or Czechoslovakia, Absinthe has
become increasingly harder to
obtain. "Why would one want
to obtain Absinthe?" one may
ask. For starters, if you were an
alcoholic or just looking to get
drunk absinthe normally carries a
70-80% alcohol label, but that
isn't where the true magic lies.
Absinthe is known for producing
extreme creativity and
hallucinations, the reason why
many artists were quite fond of
the beverage. The one ingredient
that makes absinthe illegal and
contributes to its psychoactive
properties is the alkaloid
thujone. Thujone is actually
listed as a toxic substance, and
prolonged exposure to the
substance is known to cause
physical problems. While no
physiological relationship has
never been established, Thujone's
structure is very similar to that
of THC's. Thujone is a natural
substance most commonly found in
Wormwood. However, small traces
can also be detected in sage and
cedar leaf. Wormwood is the plant
used in the process of creating
absinthe due to its high thujone
content. While wormwood is a
bitter and very unpleasant plant,
the mixture of sweet anise makes
for absinthe's legendary bitter
sweet taste. The unique mixture of
herbs in the beverage also spawns
a vivid green color. This green
coined the beverage as "Le
Fee Verte", or the green
fairy. Since Absinthe is so widely
Illegalized, is there any way to
obtain this beverage still? But of
course there is! Original
Absinthe, sells
bottles of absinthe that include
the active ingredient thujone, and
will ship to the US. All products
are shipped directly from their
brewery in the Czech Republic. In
the US, thujone is still banned,
but as a food rather than a drug.
You aren't allowed to distill or
commercially make absinthe, but
you can own a bottle and even make
your own as long as it isn't
distilled. The other option for
obtaining absinthe is your own
brewing of the product. We have
included the process for you.
Ingredients: 1. 1 tsp Wormwood
(Wormwood
can be bought from shamanshop for
about $15/lb by clicking
here. This is a great deal as
you will be able to make gallons
of absinthe from this amount). 2.
1 cup vodka (The higher the proof
the better. Everclear would be
ideal for the creation of
absinthe). 3. 2 tbsp peppermint
leaves. 4. 1/2 cup sugar. 5.
lemon. Find a bottle of some sort
with a tight fitting cap. Put a
good amount of the wormwood into
your bottle. There is no set
wormwood/alcohol ratio.
Traditional recipes call for about
1tsp wormwood/1 cup vodka, but I
normally fill the entire bottle
with wormwood since we're going
for potency, not taste. Saturate
the wormwood with your alcoholic
beverage (fill the bottle to the
brim). Add a good amount of lemon
to the mixture. Lemon is acidic so
it may help break down the
wormwood. It will also help mask
the repulsive taste of the
beverage. At this stage you may
also want to add other flavorings
such as peppermint, anise, even
sugar is acceptable. Across the
internet I have read hundreds of
different recipes for absinthe
with about 100 different duration
for steeping the wormwood. While
some recipes call for several
months of steeping, most
traditional recipes suggest
several days. Due to the desire
for higher potency, 2-4 weeks
should be sufficient. If you would
like to attempt a 3 month steeping
duration, let us know how it goes.
At the end of the steeping period
you should be left with a dark,
almost opaque, brownish green
drink that smells worst than
vomit. Appreciate it, this
substance will soon be flowing
down your throat. I know some of
you may be disappointed to see a
beverage that looks like sludge
instead of the bright green that
is typically associated with
absinthe. This is due partially to
the lack of any other ingredients
in the mixture, and the lack of
additives used in the past such as
copper. If you are very careful
and follow a good absinthe recipe
you may end up with the creation
of "Le Fee Verte". For
consumption I would suggest taking
down as much absinthe as you
possibly can in the shortest
possible amount of time. Adding
lemon and copious amounts of sugar
will cover the taste slightly, but
hardly enough to make a
difference. The dosage all depends
on how much wormwood to vodka you
used, how long it was steeped, as
well as the % thujone in the
wormwood. Basically this means
that you are on your own for
dosage. Start with one small
glass/shot and work up. Be careful
when consuming absinthe as many
forget that it is made from high
proof alcoholic beverages. Keep in
mind that consuming two large
glasses of 80 proof vodka alone is
enough to kill someone. |
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