Buzz
Absinthe has always been the drink of choice for writers, poets, artists, and the mentally unstable... all of whom, arguably, are just different shades of the same thing. Few beverages carry such an air of mystery, intrigue, and controversy. Once celebrated as a symbol of high society and blamed for its downfall, absinthe’s reputation is unparalleled—though we now know it’s not quite as dangerous as once believed.
10. Jean Lanfray and the Infamous Absinthe Murders
When it comes to absinthe, its rumored hallucinogenic effects, the attraction it holds for a bohemian crowd, and its alleged potential to lead to addiction and ruin often dominate the narrative. This dark story has been part of its legacy for years, reaching its peak thanks to a series of tragic events in an unexpected place.
Commugny is a quaint village in Switzerland with a history that stretches back to the days of Julius Caesar and the Roman occupation. This charming town is home to historic residences and villas, but it is also infamous for being the site of a gruesome murder that solidified the public's distrust and fear of absinthe.
By 1905, absinthe had gained widespread popularity despite the growing concerns and negative press surrounding it. This continued success was partly due to its unique properties and partly due to its affordability. However, everything changed when a farmer named Jean Lanfray overindulged—not just in absinthe, but in his usual daily servings of wine and several other alcoholic beverages. After his binge, he returned home, had a heated argument with his pregnant wife, and tragically killed her along with their two children.
Lanfray then attempted to end his life by shooting himself in the head. When authorities arrived, they found that he had survived the self-inflicted gunshot and was still conscious.
The events of that fateful day, August 28, marked a turning point in how the world viewed alcohol in general, and absinthe specifically. The suspicion surrounding the dangers of the green drink had long been simmering, but with the media referring to the crime as the 'Absinthe Murders,' the public's perception was forever changed. By 1910, Switzerland banned absinthe, and both the United States and France soon followed suit.
In the end, Lanfray's suicide attempt succeeded. He hanged himself in his jail cell three days after his trial concluded.
9. Manet and Degas Spark Outrage
Long before the Lanfray murders, absinthe had already earned its reputation as the drink of bohemian rebels. When artists like Manet and Degas included absinthe in their artwork, the public's reaction was nothing short of scandalous.
L’Absinthe is one of Degas's most famous paintings. Even if you don’t have a background in art history, you're likely familiar with it. The piece portrays a woman staring blankly into her glass of absinthe, a visible expression of deep melancholy etched across her face. Upon its release, the painting was deemed revolting, a depiction of the degraded and vice-ridden. The Westminster Gazette even went so far as to claim, 'It may be a fine painting, but ‘fine art’ is a completely different matter.'
Manet experienced a similar reaction to his painting The Absinthe Drinker. This work, his first significant piece, depicted an alcoholic rag-picker as the model, though it failed to generate the societal uproar he had anticipated. When the piece was submitted to the French Salon, it was completely rejected, receiving the same criticisms that had been directed at him by his friends and mentor. The choice of subject matter was mocked, and even Manet's mentor, Thomas Couture, commented not on the technical skill or artistic quality but on his astonishment, stating that Manet had seemingly "lost [his] moral faculty" for choosing such a subject as a Parisian absinthe drinker.
Absinthe themes—whether showcasing bottles or portraying actual drinkers—had a curious cumulative effect, prompting people to reconsider what was acceptable in fine art and what was not, regardless of the painting's execution.
8. A Pirate, A President And An Absinthe Bar
If any place in America were to be considered the rightful home of absinthe, it would surely be New Orleans. In the 1800s, the Old Absinthe House stood as the prime destination for this iconic drink, offering its famed absinthe frappe (also known as the green monster) – a blend of absinthe and sugar water. This is also the reason the British were defeated in the Battle of New Orleans.
On January 8, 1815, British forces advanced towards New Orleans but were unexpectedly outmatched by two unlikely allies—future president Andrew Jackson and privateer Jean Lafitte. According to legend, their fateful collaboration began in a secret meeting room at the Old Absinthe House. Lafitte, a pirate with ships but few men, teamed up with Jackson, who had soldiers but lacked ships. In exchange for a pardon, Lafitte agreed to let Jackson's soldiers man his ships, leading to a crushing defeat for the British.
Absinthe has always been linked with controversy. In 1951, the nearby Maspero’s Exchange filed a lawsuit against the Old Absinthe House, claiming they were the real site of the historical meeting. If anyone deserved to display a plaque, they argued, it should be them.
The district judge dismissed the lawsuit in a memorable ruling, stating, 'Legend means nothing more than hearsay or a story passed down through time.'
7. Valentin Magnan’s Experiments
The criticisms of absinthe form a lengthy list, many of which are rooted in the work of French psychiatrist Valentin Magnan. He was the one who provided scientific backing for these claims, turning absinthe's dangers into a reality that could no longer be ignored. By the 1860s, Magnan had already achieved a high level of respect in his field, serving as the physician-in-chief at Saint-Anne, one of France’s most renowned asylums for the mentally ill.
Magnan became one of the trailblazers in mental pathology. At just 32 years old, he had already made his mark at Saint-Anne, where he spearheaded experimental studies not only on absinthe but also on other addictive substances like cocaine. He often used animals to investigate how different substances and drugs impacted the body. However, his primary interest lay in epilepsy, where he made significant contributions to understanding the degeneration of nerves and nervous tissues, along with theories about how genetics and environmental factors influence individuals. He also opposed some of Cesare Lombroso’s criminological theories.
Magnan, however, wasn't as forgiving when it came to alcoholism and absinthe. His research was grounded in the increasing number of alcoholics admitted to Saint-Anne, showing a noticeable rise in cases. He also noted a higher probability of alcoholism being present in the families of alcoholics. On top of all this, he put forth a more unsettling diagnosis: the gradual erosion of French culture.
He largely attributed this problem to the increasing presence of alcoholics and the rising popularity of absinthe. With more alcoholics, a higher number of mental illness diagnoses, and more pressure on the population as a whole, Magnan insisted that absinthe was a significant factor. He made it his mission to prove this theory. In 1869, he published the alarming results of an experiment where he exposed various animals to either alcohol or wormwood oil (a key ingredient in absinthe). The animals that ingested alcohol became intoxicated, while those given only wormwood oil suffered seizures. The conclusion was clear: absinthe was to blame.
6. The Rise of Absinthism
Despite the obvious issues with his research, Magnan’s findings led to the classification of 'absinthism' as a distinct mental disorder, separate from alcoholism.
Magnan defined absinthism as a condition marked by agitation, confusion, seizures, delirium, and both auditory and visual hallucinations. This indicated that the person had consumed such an excessive amount of absinthe that it altered their mental state entirely. He further claimed that individuals suffering from absinthism were more likely to experience irrational, uncontrollable violence, bouts of anger, and terrifying episodes of delirium—symptoms that would later seem to be confirmed by Lanfray’s case.
He wasn’t the only one to criticize absinthe. The diagnosis of the supposed illness also made its way into the Boston Medical and Surgical Journal, which eventually became the New England Journal of Medicine. There, a student of Magnan’s added a troubling symptom to the mix—reddish urine—suggesting that this could be a sign of toxins accumulating in the body as a result of chronic absinthe consumption, in addition to the seizures.
Between 1867 and 1912, Saint-Anne asylum admitted 16,532 patients, with approximately 1 percent of them being diagnosed with absinthism.
5. The Ancient Prophecies and Properties of Wormwood
As if absinthe didn’t already have enough negative associations, it was also weighed down by the ancient and ominous history of wormwood, which cast a dark shadow over the drink's reputation.
Wormwood has been used for medicinal purposes dating all the way back to ancient Egypt, with mentions found in ancient papyrus scrolls. A 1552 BC copy of a document, believed to be a copy of one from around 3500 BC, mentions wormwood as a treatment for intestinal worms. In ancient Greece, it was used to relieve labor pains, though the relationship between wormwood and absinthe remains curious.
The name 'absinthe' is thought to come from the Greek word apsinthion, which translates to 'undrinkable.' This, in turn, has biblical roots.
'Wormwood' also appears in Revelation 8:10–11. During the apocalypse, seven trumpets will sound, bringing seven calamities to the world. The third trumpet will announce the fall of Wormwood, a star that crashes to Earth, turning a third of the planet's water sources bitter, toxic, and undrinkable, causing widespread death. This vivid image of doom was also tied to medicinal uses of wormwood in the Middle Ages, where it was used to purge the body and even to wean infants off breastfeeding.
4. The Myth of the Mickey Slim
Though the myths and fears surrounding absinthe have their origins centuries ago, they’ve proven remarkably persistent. In the 1940s and 1950s, rumors surfaced that, deprived of absinthe, people were attempting to recreate its hallucinatory effects. Addicts will always find a way, and absinthe addicts were among the most notorious. The solution? A concoction of gin mixed with something 'extra.'
That 'extra'? Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, commonly known as DDT.
The Mickey Slim—this gin-and-pesticide mixture—was thought to deliver the same effects as absinthe. Given what we now know about the impact of DDT—confusion, tremors, nausea, and vomiting—it’s easy to see how it might be mistaken for an absinthe-like experience.
The challenge arises when attempting to find genuine sources from the mid-20th century. This was the period when DDT was believed to be completely safe, to the point that it was used for killing lice. It wasn't until the 1970s that pest control companies started taking capsules of DDT with their morning coffee to prove its safety, a stunt that continued into the 1980s.
How widespread were Mickey Slims, really? Upon investigation, there's little substantial evidence to support its fame beyond being an urban myth. Although the story claims it was widely popular, only a handful of books mention it—most notably, The Dedalus Book of Absinthe. The trail of credible sources seems to end there. Another theory suggests that the Mickey Slim was made with absinthe instead of DDT, but once again, it's likely just another urban myth tied to the fear surrounding absinthe and its effects.
3. The Perception of Legality
Absinthe became officially legal in the United States in 2007, with France following suit in 2011. It's an ironic twist, though, considering that technically, absinthe had been legal in the U.S. for decades before that.
The exact date of absinthe's legalization remains unclear, though it's possible it occurred as early as the 1930s. The law that governed its status primarily focused on the presence of thujone, the harmful chemical often linked to absinthe's purported dangers. However, the law itself specifies that products derived from the Artemisia plant must be free of thujone.
Nevertheless, a certain amount of thujone is tolerated within legal limits. The maximum allowable level is 10 parts per million. As long as the content stays beneath that threshold, it's legally acceptable. Most legal disputes have centered around helping manufacturers and distillers understand these regulations, rather than altering the laws themselves. This raises the question of how much thujone is necessary for absinthe to be considered 'authentic,' and whether the absinthe available for sale even meets that standard.
Absinthe expert and amateur microbiologist Ted Breaux was the one to finally unravel the mystery surrounding thujone levels in pre-ban absinthe. His research debunked much of the false information circulating, including the claims made by Wilfred Arnold. Arnold had estimated that the thujone content in absinthe could be as high as 250 parts per million, a level dangerous enough to raise concerns. However, this was before the distillation process was factored in.
Armed with the right equipment, Breaux tested several pre-ban absinthe samples and found that not only did these early absinthes contain much less thujone than Arnold had suggested, but they were also well below the legal limit—just around 5 parts per million.
This discovery not only refutes the dangerous reputation of absinthe but also highlights a surprising truth: if you scrutinize the fine print, you might be amazed by what's actually considered legal.
2. The Role of Absinthe in France's Decline
Absinthe was outlawed in France in 1915, and by then, it had already been blamed for much of the country's problems—including the perceived decline of the nation's quality and well-being. By the start of the 20th century, absinthism was seen not just as a mental disorder but as a widespread epidemic, one that seemed to threaten the very fabric of French society and was believed to lead to the country's eventual collapse.
By 1910, France's annual absinthe consumption had reached a staggering 36,000,000 liters (9.5 million gallons), a dramatic increase from the mere 700,000 liters (185,000 gallons) consumed 35 years earlier.
Advocates of the temperance movement and supporters of the absinthe ban claimed that the drink was single-handedly tearing apart French culture and society. Birthrates were declining, and diseases like tuberculosis were on the rise. Mental institutions and insane asylums were seeing higher admissions, while extreme violence and suicides also surged. Although these issues might seem typical for any nation undergoing rapid industrialization, in France, all of it was blamed on the absinthe.
The outbreak of World War I provided the final push that the French temperance movement needed. As men began enlisting in the French army, an alarming number of them failed physical exams at an extraordinary rate. With up to 20 percent being rejected, it became clear that absinthe wasn’t just a threat to French society—it was jeopardizing their ability to win the war. If France had any hope of succeeding, absinthe had to be banned. By this point, absinthe had already been prohibited in many other countries, including the United States and Italy.
1. Wilfred Arnold and Van Gogh
Vincent van Gogh was quite an eccentric figure. The cause of his strange behavior has been a topic of debate for years, with as many as 101 theories about the possible illnesses he could have been suffering from.
In a 2004 paper, Wilfred Niels Arnold, a researcher at the University of Kansas Medical Center, offered his take on van Gogh’s condition, suggesting that absinthe played a significant role. Arnold argued that the widespread popularity of absinthe pointed to something noteworthy about its effects, and that van Gogh’s heavy consumption of the drink was a key factor in the worsening of his illness. Drawing from a 1948 study on thujone, a chemical compound found in absinthe, Arnold speculated that van Gogh’s addiction to absinthe and thujone—classified as a terpene—could explain why he eventually resorted to drinking kerosene and turpentine, even consuming his paints.
Arnold also references some intriguing theories put forward by Jan Hulsker, a Dutch art historian and van Gogh biographer, who argued that van Gogh never actually drank absinthe. Although absinthe appeared in several of his paintings, Hulsker firmly believed that the artist was not consuming it, but rather using it as a decorative prop in his surroundings.
Ultimately, Arnold concluded that while absinthe may not have been the sole cause of van Gogh’s erratic behavior, it likely contributed to his struggles due to an unusual sensitivity to its effects.
