Earthquake

The Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain, 1869

1 oz. cognac

1 oz. absinthe

Place the ingredients in a mixing glass, fill it two-thirds of the way with ice, and stir until chilled.

Strain over 3 large ice cubes into a rocks glass and enjoy.

Having spent time in San Francisco a few years prior to his grand European adventure, you might imagine that earthquakes were something Twain would have wanted to avoid. But this Earthquake, or Tremblement de terre, appears to be a product of France, all the more reason the bartender should have had an acquaintance with it! To be fair, some sources credit the drink to the painter Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who was only born in 1864, and thus probably wouldn’t have therefore dreamed it up and introduced it to the larger society at the tender age of three.

In any case, the classic Earthquake combines two very French alcohols, cognac and absinthe, and can be sweetened or not, as the drinker desires. It seems rather scandalous that at the very least, this seemingly most French of mixed drinks was not on offer to Twain and his companions!