What Percentage is Absinthe?
Absinthe is a strong anise flavor liquor which is made by distilling alcohol with herbs such as wormwood, aniseed and fennel. We know it is strong and can get you drunk easily, but what percentage is Absinthe and what is its proof?
Let’s look at the alcohol by volume levels of popular brands of Absinthe:-
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or 65% abv (130 proof)
La Clandestine Absinthe 53% abv (106 proof)
Jade Edouard 72% abv (144 proof)
Sebor 55% abv (110 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)
Mari Mayans Collectors 70 70% abv (140 proof)
La Fee Parisian 68% abv (136 proof)
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Pernod Absinthe 68% abv (136 proof)
Kubler 53 53% abv (106 proof)
Pere Kermanns 60% abv (120 proof)
Jade PF 1901 68% abv (136 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
Roquette 1797 75% abv (150 proof)
La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
Let’s now compare Absinthe to other beverages:-
Whisky – Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof)
Absinthe can be up to 75% alcohol by volume (150 proof)
Table Wine 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof)
Beer tends to be 4 or 5% alcohol by volume (8-10 proof)
Now, the alcohol-information.com website has worked out that if you have one shot of 190 proof Everclear is equivalent to drinking 2.85 bottles of beer and about 3 brandies. With this information we can establish that one shot of Absinthe is equivalent to 2.25 bottles of beer. So, the 22 shots Absinthe is equivalent to 49.5 bottles of beer!
As you can see, Absinthe is much stronger than types of fermented drinks such as wine and beer and even stronger than whisky. We therefore need to be careful when consuming Absinthe, not because it will make us have hallucinations, or any other psychedelic effects, but because it is so strong and will intoxicate quickly. We need to take particular care when mixing Absinthe with other alcoholic drinks in cocktails.
Care should also be taken when making your own homemade Absinthe drink. If you buy an Absinthe kit from someone like Green Devil then you are simply steeping herbs in a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. Now, Everclear has an abv of 95% and a proof of 190 so it is much stronger than commercial Absinthe. Absinthe essences from AbsintheKit.com also have to be mixed with a neutral alcohol such as Everclear or vodka. Your finished Absinthe will be whatever the proof or abv of the neutral alcohol you have used.
What percentage is in Absinthe? For commercial Absinthe just look on the bottle label or, if you are ordering online, look at the product details for abv or proof. If you are making your own Absinthe from a kit, you need to look at the bottle of Everclear or vodka that you are using.