Make your own Absinthe!

Stealing

Well-Known Member
Ok, I stumbled across a good absinthe recipe made by a veteran absinthe maker, and slightly tweaked it out to my own specifications.

Recipe is as follows:


2 Oz Wormwood
1/8 Oz Hyssop
1/8 Oz Acorus Calamus root
1 Tsp Coriander seeds
1 Tsp whole cloves
1/8 Oz Fennel seeds
Tsp Mint*
1/2 Tsp Nutmeg*
1/2 Tsp Caraway Seeds*
2 Star Anise fruit/seed*
Any alcohol 100 proof and up(rum 151, everclear is fine).


The Ingredients with the stars are optional and are only for taste effects. The main ingredients are the ones with the chemicals contributing to your psychoactive cocktail.

OK, so I got myself some Extreme prince Igor vodka 1.14L from my local liquor store(which is not recommended) 90 proof vodka, which cost me about 35$. It is said that rum 151, or everclear would be the best choice due to it's higher alcohol content and it's return of a more pure, and brighter green resulting absinthe. Any vodka above 40% can be used though, although you will sacrifice quality. Seeds were found at the local health food store, and grocery stores, very easily accessible. I had to substitute out the hyssop though, as I could not procure some for myself, I instead used a few leaves of white sage. Hyssop is know to flavor absinthe and give it that "green" color we more commonly see, such a sad tale I couldn't find any.

I ordered my wormwood from www.tranceplants.net, a very reputable buyer. I get all my herbs from them. I live in NB Canada and get my herbs delivered within 2-3 business days. I ordered about 227 grams for about 12 dollars plus shipping, not bad if you ask me. 114 grams for 8$ and 2 ounces for 4$ I think. It came in 2 days flat. I still have plenty left after this recipe for many more bottles.


Grind up all the seeds in a mortar and pestle, or maybe your grinder. You can also throw the herbs in a thin sheet and "bruise" them with a hammer, then add it to the bottle used to steep the herbs. Grinding/bruising the herbs releases the oils and tastes inside of the seeds. Add your mint (I used peppermint tea for the same taste) and your calamus root(also can be procured from TP.net). You can also use less acorus root for a lesser effect, because acorus is known to cause nausea/vomiting/hangover effect. 1-3 grams is good for a reduced amount(actually some recipes call for no calamus at all). Throw in your Hyssop(or sage/white sage if you cant find any). Add all the optional ingredients, nutmeg is also know to be psychoactive in higher doses, but we use a small amount here. Add 750-1000 ml of vodka, and stir/shake it.

Put into a dark place and let steep for 2-4 weeks; 1 week min, 8 weeks max. Then the herbs will be strained out and all that will be left is homemade, very bitter, but very potent Absinthe! This Recipe will make aprox 700-950 ml's.
Just a word that your brew may not be the "bright green" color you traditionally see, but trust me it is just as, or even more potent than regular recipes. I have just steeped my herbs myself and will be waiting a few weeks to try out the psychoactive brew. I cant wait :)

Absinthe can be drunk with added 1:1 ratio of water, or traditionally, water can be flowed over ice and into the absinthe to create the "cloudy" effect. You can also steep your absinthe spoon(if you have one) into your absinthe, put the spoon over your glass, add a sugar cube on top, light it on fire, and melt it into your absinthe. Then take your shot!

Your absinthe can also be mixed with ouzo to deter the extremely bitter taste, without sacrificing too much alcohol content. Remember that the more absinthe you drink, the better it gets to taste, but be wise, as absinthe is VERY high in alcohol content. A few good shots is all you need for the effect.

Good luck with meeting "la fee verte" ;)
 

realcrackhead

Well-Known Member
one time not long ago, I sat in an absinthe bar and got fucked up. I always had wanted to try absinthe. I know the bs about it being hallucinatory, but stilll had wanted to try it. Since it has been legalized, I had thought of buying a bottle, but didnt want to pay that much to find out i didnt like it. All I really knew was I didnt want to have my experiment with the overly Americanized Lucid brand.So I went into this absinthe bar that had like 60 different types of absinthe. The lady that ran the bar was extremely helpful in explaining the different types to me without making me feel too much like an ignorant. I had 6 different glasses of absinthe from 14 dollars a glass to 58 dollars!!! I certainly wasnt heap to drink it in this bar, but hey its a fad right now... anyway at 140-160 proof and about 3 oz per glass (they drip about the same amount ice cold fresh water into it very slowly that does something special to it but also waters it down for you) I could barely walk when i left the bar lol. Oh and I chose not to do the sugar cube thing...

Anyway like i said, it is now common knowledge that this is not a hallucinatory substance, but everything sure was spinning.... lol
 

Spanishfly

Well-Known Member
I live in Spain, where absinthe has been made for over 150 years, and unlike the French it has never been banned here. A major brand is Mari Mayans, founded in 1858, and contains 70% alcohol. ( I think that is 140 proof in your funny American system)

I can buy a litre bottle of it for €14. But my wife doesn´t like me to drink it cos it makes me totally brainless.
 

420God

Well-Known Member
The stuff we get in the states is missing the good stuff that claims to have the hallucinogenic properties like you can get in Europe. You can add shrooms to any alcohol and make it trippy though.
 

Stealing

Well-Known Member
When I was living in a Big City in Canada, I came across a bottle of Absinthe Dabel, bright red liquid. I was always anxious to try it so I bought it, It was about 70% alcohol and only had a slight amount of wormwood in it, nothing like you can get over in Europe. No fennel seed, no coriander, no herbs. just alcohol, coloring, and wormwood. Might have been me, or placebo, but I noticed I was more clear and imaginative. It was hard to drink more than 4-5 shots though..
Where I live now, nobody has even heard of it, and I don't know if I can get any, thats why homemade is the way for me!
 

realcrackhead

Well-Known Member
The stuff we get in the states is missing the good stuff that claims to have the hallucinogenic properties like you can get in Europe. You can add shrooms to any alcohol and make it trippy though.
not really true. You can get any absinthe in America now as the ban has been lifted. The ban was based on fictional tales put out by the wine industry in france (tales of hallucinations etc...) to get people back into drinking wine after a bad grape blight. I dont recal all the details and dates, but am sure google will find it. im in no state to search right now though... anyway, absinthe is a very strong alcohol that uses wormwood anise and other herbs to give it its flavor. it is very good, and can help sooth an upset stomach, and very strong... but not a hallucenogen... The bar I drank at had absinthes from all over europe....
 

CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

Well-Known Member
Fantastic info, my man! Will be bookmarking this recipe for future use, for sure.

The only absinthe I've seen in our liquor store up here in Canada is Hill's Absinthe. Good stuff, but most of the magic has been omitted. Only a certain low percentage of thujone is permitted here, similar to the US. But now that realcrackhead has revealed this may no longer be true in the states, it may be the same up here. It's Google time.
 

realcrackhead

Well-Known Member
ok im not quite so fucked anyore (though i a having to retype my almost every word so i wont write much my self. heres some cut and past fun.
i google absinthe grape blight, and the first site i got was a vendor site for Amerique brand Absinthe. The had a FAQ on thier page and this is from that.

Is absinthe legal in the US?



Absinthe was banned from the United States in 1912. It was believed that absinthe, because of it's inclusion of grande wormwood was causing inappropriate and sometimes violent behavior in drinkers. It was believed this was caused by thujone, a compound found in grande wormwood. Thujone is not considered safe for consumption. Unfortunately it took until 2007 before testing determined that thujone does not carry over to the final spirit throught the distillation process. Federal regulators now allow the sale of alcoholic beverages made with Grande Wormwood provided the resulting spirit contains less than 10PPM of Thujone- essentially making absinthe -thujone free.


Who was behind this absinthe ban?

In the later half of the 19th century grape blight devestated the vineyards of Europe. The shortage of wine resulted in an increase of absinthe consumption. Once the vineyards were replanted and began producing grapes, the wine industry wanted to regain the business lost to absinthe and spread misinformation about the effects of absinthe which eventually led to its ban in Europe and eventually the United States in 1912 .





Im going to do a little more reseach because some of this disagrees with some i said, and some i thought i had been tought. anyway... I may have been partially wrng lol
 

Stealing

Well-Known Member
Fantastic info, my man! Will be bookmarking this recipe for future use, for sure.

The only absinthe I've seen in our liquor store up here in Canada is Hill's Absinthe. Good stuff, but most of the magic has been omitted. Only a certain low percentage of thujone is permitted here, similar to the US. But now that realcrackhead has revealed this may no longer be true in the states, it may be the same up here. It's Google time.
Your welcome, and thank you sir :). I think most of the stuff in canada is lowest grade absinthe. I havnt seen or heard anyone selling or having anything remotely good. even most websites ship from europe and european countries which costs almost 100-200$ a bottle, which is crazy. Wish I could try some real, distilled, pure, original absinthe. homemade is all I can get.

This was quoted from http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/absinthe/absinthe_law.shtml about the legality of Thujone(main chemical in absinthe):

"Traditional absinthe has been illegal to sell in the U.S. since 1912, because it contains the chemical thujone. However, in 2007 some products labelled as "absinthe" were approved for sale in the United Stated. The situation is somewhat complex, but the short version is that the agency that now regulates alcohol in the U.S. (the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau) defines "thujone free" (an FDA requirement for any food made with Absinthe's defining herb wormwood) as meaning less than 10 parts-per-million (10mg/L) thujone. It is an ongoing debate whether "thujone free" absinthe should be considered authentic, with the common understanding being that traditional absinthe contained higher levels of thujone but current manufacturers arguing that vintage absinthe had similarly low levels of thujone. Whatever the truth of their arguments, the modern low-thujone absinthes are being widely publicized as the first legal absinthes in the U.S. since the 1912 ban."

"In December 2007, St. George Absinthe Verte, produced by St. George Spirits of Alameda, California, became the first brand of American-made absinthe produced in the United States since the ban.[41][42] Since that time, other micro-distilleries have started making small batches of high-quality absinthe in the U.S."
United States
The prevailing consensus of interpretation of United States law and regulations among American absinthe connoisseurs is that, with the revision of thujone levels by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), it is now legal to purchase such a product for personal use in the United States. According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) food and beverages that contain Artemisia species must be thujone free.[90] Thujone free is defined as containing less than 10ppm thujone.[91] There is no corresponding U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) regulation. Regarding importation of absinthe, U.S. Customs and Border Protection allows importation of absinthe products subject to the following restrictions:
The product must be thujone-free as described above,
The name "absinthe" can neither be the brand name nor stand alone on the label, and
The packaging cannot "project images of hallucinogenic, psychotropic or mind-altering effects."
Absinthe imported in violation of these regulations can be seized.[92][93] Absinthe can be and occasionally is seized by United States Customs and Border Protection if it appears to be for human consumption.[94][95] -taken from wikipedia.

Good webstie about Thujone if your interested: http://www.thujone.info/

I know I have posted alot of random links, but that is the info I was looking to project in quotes. So basically it is legal to posess, and brew your own absinthe in forms or steeping, or boiling/ect.. but if there is any distillation involved whatsoever, it then becomes illegal. USA can only have absinthe which can't be sold under the name absinthe and can only have very minute quantities of thujone in the brews. Nothing worth really buying lol. I would say brew your own by steeping, which is completely legal, or save up money to order a good bottle from europe.
It's the only way to mee the green fairy ;)
 

CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

Well-Known Member
Thank you again for all this info, stealing :D

Every once in a while I scan those czech sites that supposedly sell the most 'potent' absinthe and dream of purchasing one of those over priced bottles. Now, thanks to you, for a meer fraction of the cost I can produce my own without any anxiety as to whether or not the vendor is legit or customs will confiscate my purchase. Thanks for spreading the knowledge, friend!

EDIT: Oh, and please give us a report on how this brew turns out! Very excited to see if it lives up to your expectations!
 

Stealing

Well-Known Member
Thanks Canuck, I will definately be drinking a few shots next week probably, see what kind of surprise i'm in for. I will let you guys know the taste, color, consistency, effect, ect..
 

Crypnotic

Active Member
When gathering supplies, be sure to get "large Wormwood" and not "little wormwood". Big difference. Most of the bottles sold here in the states have been made with the little wormwood, gives a similar taste, but not the good feelings. Nice pots + rep.
 

Stealing

Well-Known Member
I never had absinthe, what is it like, similar to? Main side effects?
I have only tried low quality absinthe on one occasion. It really gets your thoughts clear and gets you creative. One could write poems or paint a lovely picture on absinthe. Some say that it produces hallucinations, but I don't believe so. Maybe just tricks of the mind?

Alot of painters used to drink Absinthe, and made paintings depicting Absinthe. Some famous painters that drank absinthe were: Van gogh, picasso, and Edgar Degas. Some say that drinking too much absinthe is what made Van gogh crazy, and to cut off his left ear. Although he did suffer from mental illness also. " It is hypothesized that chronic absinthe drinking did indeed cause "absinthism" - a syndrome of epileptic attacks, delirium, hallucinations, and addiction. It is known that thurjone fed to mice does accumulate in the body and cause these very same symptoms. This is one of the hypothesized causes of Van Gogh (and others) strange mental and physical ailments and artistic creations." -taken from wikepedia.

Binge drinking absinthe over a long period of time may be harmful, but a few drinks here and there never hurt anyone. Binge drinking plain alcohol is also harmful, as a few drinks never hurt anyone either..
 

ANC

Well-Known Member
Lol yeah, I never drink anymore, had like a glass of beer on saturday to be sociable, and I was pretty much off my tits.
 

ndangerspecimen101

Well-Known Member
Do a little back research on Ernest Hemmingway and you'll find a nook or two about absinthe. A possible exilir to higher thoughts considered by some.

My good bud, bought some absinthe locally from Beverages & More... not sure if anyone of you have heard... but it did provide some intoxication... but I heard it's more watered down and not fully concocted with the full ingredients. A private brew of this stuff would be interesting... anyone willing to perform it ;)
 

Crypnotic

Active Member
I never had absinthe, what is it like, similar to? Main side effects?
Absinthe taste like other "Anise" flavored drinks like Ouzo (greek spirit) and to some extend Samboca. They taste kinda like liqourice flavore, get cloudy if mixed in ice. Very thick syrupy kinda drink. Absinthe is more bitter with the wormwood in it. I wont go putting sugar in the glasss, as many do, that stuff already sweet and it doesnt cut the bitter taste that well. Mixing with water is better, but it not that great tasting no matter what. Just pour shot and slam it down. Best to just get it over with lol.

Anything you buy in the US will taste like Absinthe, but will only have a trace amount of wormwood in it. So no cool effects from it. If you want the real deal, make it, or buy some from overseas.
 

Stealing

Well-Known Member
Well I strained my brew/mixture through a cheesecloth, it came out VERY dark brown; As expected from making a homemade brew without any hyssop(which gives it it's green coloring). I mixed about 1 or 2 ounces of the drink with a little bit of sugar and about 3 parts water, and is it ever bitter.. Not bad or horrible, just very bitter herb-like taste, and strong. IF you have ever drank Calea Zacatachichi tea(dream herb) then this is a walk in the park for you, but similarily has that "bitter" kick. Just way easier to drink. I'm not sure if I taste the alcohol or just the herbs in it.. I just finished my first glass, and already feeling like I had 3 beers. feeling intoxicated but slightly different from regular alcohol.
 

CaNNaBiZ CaNucK

Well-Known Member
Stealing, Have you had the chance to sample your brew in larger quantities yet? Myself and a few other curious fellows would like to know how 'magic' it really is ;)
 

phenix white

Active Member
this is awsome1 yea let me knw how it turns out! i was going to get one thes chez bottles the kings gold seems to be the best one
 
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