Originating in Switzerland in the mid–late 18th century, supposedly as an all-purpose elixir, absinthe has had a colourful history ever since. It’s notoriety owes much to the short amount of time that it was actually legal, having been banned in the US and most of Europe for much of the 20th century.
First becoming popular among French troops, absinthe was made famous by bohemian writers and artists in Paris, who enjoyed the 'French preparation' of the green elixir – the flaming sugar cube melting into the drink through the holes of an absinthe spoon. Here we’ll show you how to enjoy absinthe as part of a cocktail instead.
Click here to learn more about the history of absinthe.
Sazerac
The Sazerac is absinthe served New Orleans style – that is, with mostly rye whiskey. Confusingly, however, this close cousin of the classic Old Fashioned gets its name from the brandy it was originally made with, Sazerac de Forge et Fils.
The original Sazerac is credited with being one of the first American cocktails, dating back to the early–mid 19th century. More recently, it was made the official drink of New Orleans in 2008. Here’s how to make it.
You will need:
- ¼ tsp absinthe
- 1 sugar cube
- 1 tsp water
- 2 dashes Peychaud bitters
- 2 large shots (approx. 70ml) rye whiskey
- Ice cubes
- 1 twist of lemon peel
- Swirl the absinthe in a frosted or chilled glass, making sure to coat the sides. Then dump (or drink) it.
- Muddle the sugar, water and bitters together in a mixing glass before adding the whiskey and ice cubes. Stir until chilled.
- Strain the liquid into your frosted glass.
- Twist the lemon peel over the cocktail and plop it on the rim to garnish.
Absinthe Suissesse
After waking up in New Orleans having had a few too many Sazeracs the night before, you might need a little hair of the dog. That’s right, the Absinthe Suissesse is considered by many Louisianians to be a breakfast drink.
Well, it does contain eggs, milk, and syrup, so why not? Although funnily enough, this one is a lot heavier on the absinthe than the Sazerac. It’s probably a breakfast best saved for the weekend.
- 1 ½ shots absinthe
- ½ shot orgeat (or orzata) syrup
- 1 egg white (or 2 tbsp pasteurised egg white)
- ½ shot milk
- ½ shot single cream
- Crushed ice
- Sprig of mint
- Fill a tumbler with crushed ice.
- Put all the other ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and shake vigorously for 20–30 seconds.
- Pour the contents of the shaker out over the crushed ice in your tumbler and garnish with a sprig of mint.
Death in the Afternoon
This one was invented by the writer Ernest Hemingway, named after his book of the same name. Like Hemingway’s writing style, its genius lies in its simplicity. It’s the epitome of boozy decadence captured in just three ingredients: absinthe, simple syrup, and – the clincher – Champagne.
In fact, you may find this in some bars called the Hemingway Champagne, but that doesn’t capture enough drama for us. And dramatic it is, as the iced champagne turns the absinthe to, in Hemingway’s own words, an “opalescent milkiness”.
- 1 shot absinthe
- 1 tsp simple syrup
- 4 shots (approx.) Champagne or Prosecco
- Pour the absinthe and simple syrup into a saucer glass.
- Top it off with the sparkling wine. It’s as easy as that.
Corpse Reviver No. 2
The Corpse Reviver refers to a family of cocktails supposedly strong enough to bring back the dead. And while we wouldn’t recommend trying that particular practice, we can definitely recommend serving up a round of these to start a big night with a bang. (Please though, no more than one.)
Of all the Corpse Revivers, it appears that No. 2 is the one to emerge as the most popular. This gin sour cocktail – something like a stronger margarita with absinthe, of course – has really stood the test of time since it first appeared in the iconic Savoy Cocktail recipe book of the 1930s.
- 1 shot gin
- 1 shot lemon juice
- 1 shot Cointreau or Grand Marnier
- 1 shot dry vermouth
- ½ teaspoon absinthe
- Ice cubes
- 1 twist of orange peel
- Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and then top it with ice. Shake the drink for a few seconds until cold.
- Strain into a saucer or cocktail glass and garnish with the twist of orange peel.
Necromancer
This skull-white spin on the Corpse Reviver above was created by Mayur Subbarao, bartender at Louro in New York’s West Village. Yes, it’s another gin sour with absinthe, but the Necromancer has a completely unique flavour profile, with more floral notes.
It also goes easy on the gin, giving the taste of the absinthe more room to shine. And the white colour? You’ll need to use a type of Swiss absinthe known as “la Bleue”, which is distilled clear – originally as a way of disguising it from the authorities when absinthe was outlawed in the early 19th century.
- 1 shot 'la Bleue' style absinthe (such as Tenneyson)
- 1 shot lemon juice
- 1 shot Lillet Blanc
- 1 shot elderflower liqueur
- Dash of gin
- Ice cubes
- 1 twist of lemon peel
- Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker and then top it with ice. Shake the drink for a few seconds until cold.
- Strain into a saucer or cocktail glass and garnish with the twist of lemon peel.
Learn more about making the perfect absinthe cocktail with this video from the Wall Street Journal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oIYDPgeIxg
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