First, let’s rewind to the 19th century. Absinthe was the darling of Parisian cafés, sipped by Van Gogh, Picasso, and a bunch of mopey poets. It was a high-proof, anise-flavored spirit, and people loved it.
Then came the panic. The "Absinthe Madness" was born. Newspapers screamed that it caused hallucinations, madness, and violent crime. I mean, yikes—sounds like a bad Sunday brunch, right?
But here’s the kicker: they blamed it all on a chemical called thujone. Thujone comes from wormwood, a key ingredient. People thought it was a hallucinogen, like magical poison ivy for your brain.
