ABSINTHE

Absinthe is a strong alcoholic beverage that belongs to the group of herbal liqueurs, with an exceptionally high alcohol content-ranging from 55% to 75%. It is made from various plants used for medicinal and culinary purposes, and is produced from sugar, green anise, and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium), from which it takes its name.

Wormwood contains a high percentage of the active plant compound thujone, which can be addictive and cause hallucinations. For this reason, absinthe was banned for a long time but has been legalized again within the EU, under strict production control and with a significantly reduced amount of thujone allowed.

The writer Oscar Wilde was one of the many absinthe enthusiasts, describing its consumption as nothing special at the first stage of intoxication, but at the second stage “you begin to see monstrous and cruel things, yet if you endure, you eventually reach the final stage, and then you will see what you desire, beautiful and indescribable things.”