There has been much controversy regarding the thujone levels in Absinthe and whether Absinthe can really make you hallucinate but what about its alcohol content – How much alcohol is in Absinthe?
All commercial alcoholic drinks are labeled to show their alcohol content which makes easy for people to decide about the drink and also the quantity of intaking them.
To measure the alcohol content one will require a hydrometer. One can get a hydrometer with a thermometer attached to it. The hydrometer floats upright in the liquid. The water line will reach at level marked 1when it is put in water.One can see increase in the level of water when it is put in sugared water. When the hydrometer is used in fermenting alcohol the float moves lower. There is done two measurements of alcohol, one is taken with the sugar but before the yeast is added and then the final reading is taken after the fermentation of yeast.
One can detect the volume of alcohol by the following formula
Alcohol content can be calculated by the formula Original gravity – Final gravity x 131 = Alcohol by volume.
The EU and the United States label the alcohol by volume content of drinks on the other hand some other countries believe on proof. One can find proof to be approximately two times more alcohol by volume.
Different brands of Absinthe have different alcohol contents. Look at the following statistics:-
Lucid Absinthe 62% abv (124 proof)
One can get 53% abv (106 proof) in La Clandestine Absinthe
According to the studies Sebor contains 55% abv
The alcohol content is 60% in Pere Kermanns
Pernod Absinthe contains 68% abv of alcohol
One can get 70% abv alcohol content in Mari Mayans Collectors 70
Tips about La Fee XS Absinthe Suisse 53% abv (106 proof)
La Fee XS Absinthe Francaise 68% abv (136 proof)
Knowledge of La Fee Bohemian 70% abv (140 proof)
The alcohol content is 68% abv in La Fee Parisian
The alcohol content is found to be 53% abv in Carte D’Or Kubler 53
The alcohol content in Doubs Mystique Carte D’Or is 65% abv
Roquette 1797 contains 75% abv of alcohol
The alcohol volume in Jade PF 1901 is 68% abv
The alcohol content in Jade Edouard is 72% abv (144 proof)
Jade Verte Suisse 65% abv (130 proof)
Jade Nouvelle Orleans 68% abv (136 proof)
As you can see Absinthe can range from 53% abv to 75% abv, quite a difference. Now, let’s compare those levels to other alcoholic drinks:-
Absolut Blue Vodka 40% abv (80 proof)
Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila contains 38% abv
The alcohol content in beer can be 4 to 5%.
Table Wine contains 9-12% alcohol by volume (18-24 proof).
Johnnie Walker Black Label Scotch Whisky is available with 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof).
Everclear 95% abv (190 proof)
No other alcoholic drink seems to come close to Absinthe!
Absinthe was banned in the 1900s because of claims that thujone, the chemical in wormwood, was like THC in the drug cannabis and that it was psychoactive and caused psychedelic effects. We now know that claims that Absinthe is an hallucinogen are completely false but we do need to remember that any liquor can be harmful to our health if we consume too much. People in Memphis have realized this and during the poll in 2006 more than 6/10 Memphis citizens had not even drunk a sip of alcohol in at least a month.
One should definitely know about the alcohol content in Absinthe and other alcohol that is consumed by the people.