QandAs: Food

What is Absinthe?

Answer:
Absinthe is a highly alcoholic beverage, typically

between 45 and 90 percent alcohol by volume, compared to 13-15% for wine or 40-50% for gin. Absinthe is made by fermenting the herb wormwood and distilling into a highly concentrated liquid. This distilling classifies it as a spirit, rather than beer and wine, which are not distilled. However, absinthe is typically diluted with water when served, making it unusual among alcoholic beverages. Absinthe typically has a green color to it, although it may be colorless as well.

In the early 1900’s, absinthe became known as a dangerous psychoactive drug, particularly because of the trace chemical thujone. By 1915, the beverage had been banned in the United States and most European countries. However, in the 1990’s, it was found that absinthe is no more dangerous than any other alcoholic beverage, and its production and sale began to be reauthorized in most countries. By 2008, nearly 200 different brands of absinthe were being manufactured in Europe, and it is now legal in every country in Europe and North America, and most other countries where alcohol is sold.