Received for review December 10, 2007. Revised manuscript received February 25, 2008. Accepted February 25, 2008. D.W.L., E.-M.S., K.S., and T.K. declare no conflicts of interest. The CVUA Karlsruhe received no external funding. D.N.-M. and T.A.B. own companies dealing with absinthe; however, no competing financial or other interest that might be affected by publication of the results contained in this study is declared. All mentioned 19th and early 20th century references are available free of charge via the Internet at http://www.oxygenee.com/absinthe.html.

Abstract:

Thirteen samples of authentic absinthe dating from the preban era (i.e., prior to 1915) were analyzed for parameters that were hypothesized as contributing to the toxicity of the spirit, including naturally occurring herbal essences (thujone, pinocamphone, fenchone), methanol, higher alcohols, copper, and antimony. The total thujone content of preban absinthe was found to range between 0.5 and 48.3 mg/L, with an average concentration of 25.4 20.3 mg/L and a median concentration of 33.3 mg/L. The authors conclude that the thujone concentration of preban absinthe was generally overestimated in the past. The analysis of postban (1915–1988) and modern commercial absinthes (2003–2006) showed that the encompassed thujone ranges of all absinthes are quite similar, disproving the supposition that a fundamental difference exists between preban and modern absinthes manufactured according to historical recipes. Analyses of pinocamphone, fenchone, base spirits, copper, and antimony were inconspicuous. All things considered, nothing besides ethanol was found in the absinthes that was able to explain the syndrome “absinthism”.

Keywords: Absinthe; thujone; fenchone; pinocamphone; Artemisia absinthium L.; wormwood; copper; antimony; higher alcohols.

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