Jane Payton
Appearances
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
That's erroneous, that is. It's to do with a compound in wormwood, which is one of the ingredients in absinthe. And that was believed to cause hallucinations. However, the amounts that would have been in absinthe wouldn't have given hallucinations. What would have given hallucinations was chronic alcohol abuse. And in those days, the absinthe would have been around 60%.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
between 60 and 90% alcohol, whereas now it would be around 40%. So it was probably due to alcohol abuse rather than anything in the absinthe.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
Yes, anise and fennel and then herbs as well. If anybody's ever drunk something called perna, which is a spirit, then they've drunk absinthe because it is an absinthe. In fact, it was the first commercially made absinthe perna was in the early 19th century. So ouzo is another drink from Greece, which is similar in flavour. It's slightly different to absinthe, but a similar flavour.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
There really is. And it's a few things. It's to do with the fact that drinking absinthe is an experience and people are looking for experiences nowadays. The fact that it does la louche, which the person in the clip mentioned, the spirit goes milky coloured with the addition of water.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
Add water to it. And if anybody's been on holiday in France and had pastis, for instance, that's what it is. They've added water to it. And then the sugar, that takes away some of the bitterness from the wormwood. But also this accoutrement to go with the drinking of the absinthe, particularly in cocktail bars. There's the beautiful fountain, which is a water fountain with spigots.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
And it's quite often Art Nouveau. And then there's a spoon that you put on top of the glass, which you put the sugar cube on and you drip the water through it. So it's a whole ritual as well as looking good for Instagram and for your videos, for your reels. But also it's got this naughty reputation. And I think people are interested in that because of this reputation from the Belle Epoque.
Global News Podcast
Canada's PM Justin Trudeau resigns
No, not at all. But it was the fact that the people who were drinking it, they were the sort of people who would be the bohemians and going out and being naughty and high profile people. So it was associated with artists who lived this rather louche lifestyle.