Necessary Quantity Of Alcohol In Absinthe
There has been much controversy regarding the thujone levels in Absinthe and whether Absinthe can really make you hallucinate but what about its alcohol content – How much alcohol is in Absinthe?
All commercial alcoholic drinks are labeled according to their alcohol content which makes people able to decide about the drink and also about the quantity of consuming them.
Alcohol content is measured by using a hydrometer. One can get a hydrometer with a thermometer attached to it. The hydrometer floats upright in the liquid. When it is put in water, the water line will be at the level marked 1.000, if it is put in sugared water the level will be higher because the water is denser. The float moves lower with the use of hydrometer in fermenting alcohol as the sugar is eaten by the yeast. Two measurements are taken when making alcohol – the first measurement (original gravity) is taken with the sugar but before the yeast is added and then the final reading is taken after the yeast has finished fermenting (final gravity.
Alcohol by volume can be checked by this formula
Original gravity – Final gravity x 131 = Alcohol by volume.
The EU and the United States use label for the alcohol by volume content of drinks while a few countries go on proof. Studies show that proof is approximately twice alcohol by volume.
Different brands of Absinthe have different alcohol contents. Look at the following statistics:-
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe contains 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Research shows that Pere Kermanns contains 60% abv
One can get 68% abv in Pernod Absinthe
One can get 70% abv alcohol content in Mari Mayans Collectors 70
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
The alcohol content in La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise is 68% abv (136 proof)
Knowledge of La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian contains 68% abv of alcohol
The alcohol content is found to be 53% abv in Carte D’Or Kubler 53
Research shows that Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or contains 65% abv alcohol
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
One can get 68% abv of alcohol volume in Jade PF 1901
The alcohol content is about 72% abv (144 proof) in Jade Edouard
What is Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)
As you can see Absinthe can range from 53% abv to 75% abv, quite a difference. Now, let’s compare those levels to other alcoholic drinks:-
Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila 38% abv (76 proof)
Beer can have 4 or 5% alcohol by volume.
One can get Table Wine with 9-12% alcohol by volume.
The availibility of alcohol is 40% in Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky.
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)
No other alcoholic drink seems to come close to Absinthe!
Homemade Absinthes cannot have the same alcohol content. One person might mix an Absinthe essence from AbsintheKit.There is a great difference in alcohol content between Absolut vodka and the Everclear (95% abv).
Absinthe was banned in the 1900s because of claims that thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was like THC in the drug cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects. We now know that claims that Absinthe is an hallucinogen are completely false but we do need to remember that any liquor can be harmful to our health if we consume too much. As people in Memphis have understood this so Memphis was the city that drank the least alcohol in the USA in the year 2006.
One should definitely know about the alcohol content in Absinthe and other alcohol that is consumed by the people.
