Thujone – How Much Does Absinthe Have?

Let us answer those questions.

Thujone – How Much Does Absinthe Have?

Absinthe seems to be taking the world by storm. Its heyday was in La Belle Epoqoue period of French history until it was banned in the early 1900s, but we are now seeing an Absinthe revival. Many people are wanting information about Absinthe, now that it is legal in most countries, and they are asking lots of questions and searching for articles online. Thujone – how much does absinthe have? Alcohol – how much does Absinthe have?

Thujones are monoterpenes and ketones found in wormwood. Thujone is known to act on the GABA receptors of the brain and, when consumed in large amounts, is claimed to have a psycho active response causing convulsions and muscle spasms. Thujone is also toxic and is thought to damage the cells of both the liver and brain.

In the past it was claimed that thujone was similar to THC in cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects, this claim has now been found to be false.

It was thought, in the late 19th century and early 20th century, that Absinthe contained large amounts of thujone, up to 350mg per liter. Tests and studies on vintage bottles of Absinthe have dispelled this myth. Pre ban Absinthe only contained a maximum of 6mg.

Today, there are laws in most countries that regulate thujone content in alcohol.

EU law is:-
– up to 5mg/kg is allowed in alcoholic beverages with an ABV, alcohol by volume, of 25% or less.
– up to 10mg/kg of thujone is allowed in alcoholic beverages with an ABV over 25%.
– up to 25mg/kg is allowed in food containing sage.
– up to 35mg/kg is allowed in alcoholic beverages if they carry the label “bitters”.

US law states that alcoholic beverages must be “thujone free” but this actually means that they must contain 10mg/kg or less of thujone.

If we buy commercial Absinthe that complies with these laws, we know that the Absinthe contains 10mg/kg or less of thujone.

Alcohol – How Much Does Absinthe Have?

Alcohol content depends on the brand of Absinthe. Here are the alcohol contents of some well-known brands:-

Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof0
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian 68% abv (136 proof)
Kubler 53 53% abv (106 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% abv (130 proof)
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
Jade PF 1901 68% abv (136 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)

As you can see, Absinthe is a very strong liquor, especially when we compare it to fermented beverages like beer which has an abv of 4 or 5% or table wine which is 9-12%.

What about homemade Absinthe?

Some Absinthe kits promise to make an Absinthe with a thujone content of 80-90mg. This would have a high wormwood content and therefore a rather bitter flavor. The essences from AbsintheKit.com make an Absinthe with a thujone content of 35mg per 750ml bottle made or, if you use their strong essence, 55mg per bottle.

As far as homemade kits and alcohol content are concerned, it all depends on what neutral alcohol base you use. Everclear has a typical abv of 95% whereas Absolut Vodka has an abv of 40%, quite a difference.

I hope that this information has answered the question “How much does Absinthe have?”.