Absinthe was invented as an elixir in 1792 from Pierre Ordinaire, a french medic. A long way round the recipe came straight into the hands of Henri Louis Pernod , who as many others recognized, that Absinthe increased sexual performance and also somehow beguiling effect. The popularity of absinthe grew in 1840 when the French army prescribed Absinthe for their soldiers  during the North Africa campaigns. They continued to enjoy their favoured drink at home. Thus Absinth evolved into a society drink. Especially artists and writers like Maupassant, Toulouse-Lautrec, Degas, Gaugin, van Gogh, Manet, Baudelaire, were inspired by absinthe. Oscar Wilde wrote,that after the first glass you see things as you wish it, after the second glass you see things as they are. finally, you see them as they really are and that is the most dreadful, what is there on earth.
Paintings from this period show Absinthe drinkers, usually shown with a glassy expression. It was alleged that in small quantities it would suggest the spirit and the sexual appetite, but in excessive quantities it would cause terrifying hallucinations, and possibly would cause a said state as „Absinthismus". Inveterate absinthe drinkers were pale exhausted creatures - mostly with signs and symptoms of mental decay and many people of cultural life died young, or committed suicide as van Gogh. Despite the warning voices, the appetite for absinthe raised dramatically. In 1912, in France, 220 million liters of absinthe were consumed. Ultimately a prohibitions campaigne against absinthe won through, and in 1914 absinthe was banned in France. The Law of absinthe from 27th of april in 1923 also forbade the manufacture and sale in Germany, even the creation of a recipe was prohibited.
The name for absinthe is Artemisia absinthium, Latin for wormwood as one of the main ingredients of this beverage. Wormwood contains Thujone, the psychoactive properties.
Since the repeal of prohibition against the use of Thujone containing plants on 29th of january in 1998, it is allowed again to create absinthe in most European countrys.
Ulex
Absinthe will be offered in many variations with 70vol.%, 55 Vol.% and 50Vol%
alcohol. More information under products.
Make sure that it is alowed to consume, buy and retail absinthe in your country. Costs for packaging and transport outside of Germany may differ from declared prices on this website! For more information try to contact us. |
