I'm watching this travel show on TV where the travel expert stops at a hotel and has a drink of Absynth.

I've always had a curiosity about the drink -its mystique fascinated me even though I don't drink.  After all, it had been banned in many countries of the world.

So I looked it up and here's one of the things wiki has to say about it.

In 1905, it was reported that Jean Lanfray, a Swiss farmer, murdered his family and attempted to take his own life after drinking absinthe. The fact that Lanfray was an alcoholic who had consumed considerable quantities of wine and brandy prior to drinking two glasses of absinthe was conveniently overlooked or ignored, therefore placing the blame for the murders solely on absinthe.[23]

The Lanfray murders would prove to be the tipping point in this hotly debated topic, and a subsequent petition to ban absinthe in Switzerland collected more than 82,000 signatures. A referendum was subsequently held on banning the drink on 5 July 1908.[24] After it was approved by voters,[24] the prohibition of absinthe was then written into the Swiss constitution.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

Parallel Universe, anyone?

Terry, 230RN

You can get some @ Liquor Collection Ward Warehouse, I think it was banned because it's made with Wormwood but it's fine.  Try it, you might like it.

You can get some @ Liquor Collection Ward Warehouse, I think it was banned because it's made with Wormwood but it's fine.  Try it, you might like it.

I don't think that's the real deal.  Never tried either though so wouldn't really know.

Different brands of the stuff are sold at Tamura's fine liquors, and the Navy Exchange package stores - some have wormwood. It's pretty potent stuff with a stong anise/licorice flavor.

Different brands of the stuff are sold at Tamura's fine liquors, and the Navy Exchange package stores - some have wormwood. It's pretty potent stuff with a stong anise/licorice flavor.

Not all have that strong anise/licorice flavor. Some have a more minty flavor....I'm no expert but I did spend a little time at an absinthe bar in New Orleans sampling the various types. I kinda like the stuff....

Interesting...the politics of guns and absinthe.

Not we just need to inject a thread about cigars and we'll have the it all - Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms

The post was not about absinthe.  It was about how popular "thinking" is not necessarily "thinking" at all, and how people can jump on bandwagons (like "guns is bad" - "absinthe is bad") and actually rewrite constitutions after being led by the nostrils to destroy their own freedoms.

Mob mentality.  "Why wait for the law, let's string 'im up now and have the trial later."

"Right!  Who's got a rope?"

"The hell with the Constitution!  Let's ban assault weapons!"

"Right!  Who's got a pen?"

I guess I've got to quit being subtle.  Thanks for "getting" it, those of you who did.

The post was not about absinthe.  It was about how popular "thinking" is not necessarily "thinking" at all, and how people can jump on bandwagons (like "guns is bad" - "absinthe is bad") and actually rewrite constitutions after being led by the nostrils to destroy their own freedoms.

Mob mentality.  "Why wait for the law, let's string 'im up now and have the trial later."

"Right!  Who's got a rope?"

"The hell with the Constitution!  Let's ban assault weapons!"

"Right!  Who's got a pen?"

That's too bad, I kinda liked talking about something other than this topic.  Seems like every thread on this forum is a variant on this topic.

I actually wrote a paper on absinthe in college. Wormwood contains trace amounts of  thujone  this ingredient in absinthe is where all the trouble comes from. In United States you're allowed to have around 10 ppm of thujone which to put it in perspective the average full strength absinthe has around 45 ppm thujone. absinthe in its proper state does not give you any more hallucinations or ill effects when compared to any other alcohol it's usually assumed that because of the high alcohol content and the in same amount of absinthe that people consumed ..... people were just getting drunk.... Also another social problem connected with absinthe was the fact that bohemian like people often consumed absinthe... one could relate this to the hippie movement and marijuana... from a sociological perspective.... To get rid of the hippies ban the pot.... All in all absinthe is not really any more special than Everclear or any other high proof alcohol....