With its potent burst of alpine herbs and flirty natural sweetness, absinthe charmed many a bartender in its day. The recipes in this chapter represent the most beloved absinthe cocktails of all time, those so timeless that they survived the ninety-year drought. When the green fairy was reintroduced a few years ago, nostalgic cocktailians celebrated with these classic recipes—from stoic Sazeracs to punchy Monkey Glands and elegant Remember the Maines. Queue the cabaret tunes, the salon music, the jazz, the vaudeville, and sip one of these bibulous time machines.
This isn’t really a cocktail—it’s the traditional way to prepare a glass of absinthe. If you haven’t tasted absinthe before, try it this way before jumping into cocktail-making, to get a feel for the stuff. Whether you use sugar, and how much, is entirely a matter of individual taste. Premium absinthe does have bitter notes, and sugar has historically been a part of the absinthe ritual, but some find the spirit to be sweet enough on its own. Whatever you do, don’t forget the water; in addition to tempering the strength of an absinthe, it opens up its flavors and really completes it.
1 OUNCE ABSINTHE
1 SUGAR CUBE OR1 TEASPOON GRANULATED SUGAR (OPTIONAL)
5 OUNCES WATER, ICE-COLD
Pour the absinthe into an absinthe glass, wineglass, or water goblet. If using sugar, place an absinthe spoon or a small strainer across the top of the glass. Place the sugar on top of the spoon. Using a carafe, pitcher, or absinthe fountain slowly drizzle the water over the sugar and into the glass (or directly into the glass, if no sugar is desired). As the water mingles with the anise oils, the absinthe will begin to louche or cloud up, turning an ethereal pearly white.
MAKES 1 DRINK
This most simple of absinthe cocktails is also one of the oldest and most refreshing on a hot day—hence its popularity in balmy nineteenth-century New Orleans. Sip slowly, so as not to freeze your brain.
1½ OUNCES ABSINTHE
¼ OUNCE SIMPLE SYRUP
1 DASH BÉNÉDICTINE (OPTIONAL)
2 OUNCES SELTZER / SODA WATER, CHILLED
Pack a tall, narrow chimney glass with crushed ice. Add the absinthe, simple syrup, and the Bénédictine (if using). Stir to combine. Top with the seltzer/soda water.
MAKES 1 DRINK
In New Orleans, this absinthe milkshake is still considered a brunch drink, but it’s tasty any time of day. It’s traditionally made with orgeat, an almond-based syrup. At the city’s celebrated Swizzle Stick Bar, spunky bartendrix Lu Brow spices things up with her housemade orgeat punch.
1½ OUNCES ABSINTHE
½ OUNCE ORGEAT SYRUP OR LU BROW’S ORGEAT PUNCH (RECIPE FOLOWS)
½ OUNCE HALF-AND-HALF/HALF CREAM
1 EGG WHITE
½ CUP/100 G CRUSHED ICE
Fill a rocks glass with ice and let sit to chill. In a shaker, combine the absinthe, orgeat syrup, half-and-half/half cream, and egg white and shake to blend. Add the crushed ice and shake vigorously to chill. Discard the ice from the rocks glass, shaking out excess water. Pour the contents of the shaker into the chilled glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
1 OUNCE ORGEAT SYRUP
1½ OUNCES SPICED RUM
½ OUNCE 151-PROOF RUM
½ OUNCE LIMONCELLO
½ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
½ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
Combine the ingredients in a shaker or a bottle with a tight-fitting lid and shake to blend. Store leftover punch in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
MAKES 4½ OUNCES
This is the granddaddy of absinthe cocktails. New Orleans pharmacist Antoine Peychaud first whipped up his proprietary mixture of cognac and bitters in the mid-nineteenth century. It eventually evolved into a whiskey drink with a signature absinthe rinse. To this day, you can walk into just about any bar in New Orleans and get a Sazerac. This particular recipe comes from Chris Hannah of the French 75 Bar, one of the city’s most revered cocktail spots.
5 DASHES PEYCHAUD’S BITTERS
2 SUGAR CUBES OR 2 TEASPOONS SIMPLE SYRUP
2 OUNCES RYE WHISKEY
½ OUNCE ABSINTHE
GARNISH: LEMON PEEL
Fill a rocks glass with ice and let sit to chill. In a mixing glass, muddle the bitters and sugar cubes. Add the rye whiskey and stir with ice until chilled. Discard the ice from the rocks glass, shaking out excess water. Pour the absinthe into the chilled rocks glass, turning the glass to cover the surface. Discard excess absinthe, leaving a shallow puddle in the bottom of the glass. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Twist a strip of lemon peel over the drink and place it in the glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
With all the herbs going on in this cocktail—from the lovely sixteenth-century liqueur Bénédictine to the wine- and herb-based vermouth to, not least, the absinthe—it’s amazing that it tastes as light and elegant as its name suggests.
1½ OUNCES DOLIN BLANC OR ANOTHER BLANC OR BIANCO VERMOUTH
¾ OUNCE BÉNÉDICTINE
½ TEASPOON MARTEAU OR ANOTHER ABSINTHE VERTE
GARNISH: ORANGE PEEL OR EDIBLE FLOWERS (OPTIONAL)
Stir the ingredients with ice to chill. Strain into a stemmed glass. Twist a swath of orange peel over the drink, then place it in the glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
That this cocktail remains popular despite its unappetizing name is evidence of its deliciousness. Its moniker refers to the peculiar science of Dr. Serge Abrahamovitch Voronoff, whose primate-to-human tissue-grafting experiments were all the rage for a brief moment in 1920s France.
1½ OUNCES DRY GIN
1½ OUNCES FRESHLY SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE
1 TEASPOON JACKSON CANNON’S GRENADINE (RECIPE FOLLOWS)
6 DROPS ABSINTHE
GARNISH: BRANDIED CHERRY AND AN ORANGE SLICE,SPEARED TOGETHER ON A TOOTHPICK
Pour the ingredients into a shaker, add ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a stemmed glass. Garnish.
MAKES 1 DRINK
1 CUP/240 ML PURE POMEGRANATE JUICE
½ CUP/100 G SUGAR
1 DASH ORANGE FLOWER WATER
Combine the pomegranate juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Let simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Finish with a dash of orange flower water. Store extra syrup in a covered container in the refrigerator. Keeps well for up to 2 weeks.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP/240 ML
In his 1939 cocktail guide, thirsty adventurer Charles Baker wrote of a pilot friend with a taste for this apple of a drink. Fortunately, the pilot only indulged while off duty. This adaptation comes from Erik Adkins at Heaven’s Dog in San Francisco, whose bar menu is based entirely on Baker’s drinks.
2 OUNCES CALVADOS OR APPLEJACK
½ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
½ OUNCE JACKSON CANNON’S GRENADINE
¼ TEASPOON DUPLAIS OR ANOTHER ABSINTHE VERTE
Combine the ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a stemmed glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
In his cult-favorite 1939 drinking memoir, globetrotting writer Charles Baker remembers sipping this cocktail in Havana in 1933, mutiny underway, “each swallow … punctuated with bombs going off on the Prado.” Its name reveals the still-smoldering resentment felt thirty-five years after the Spanish-American War. This adaptation comes from Julie Reiner, owner of Brooklyn’s Clover Club. In a rebellion of her own, she replaces Baker’s stemmed coupe with a sturdy rocks glass.
2½ OUNCES RYE WHISKEY
¾ OUNCE PUNT E MES OR ANOTHER SWEET VERMOUTH
¼ OUNCE CHERRY HEERING
ABSINTHE TO COAT THE GLASS
GARNISH: LEMON PEEL (OR BRANDIED CHERRY)
Fill a rocks glass with ice and let sit to chill. In a mixing glass, combine the rye, vermouth, and Cherry Heering and stir with ice until chilled. Discard the ice from the rocks glass, shaking out excess water. Pour just enough absinthe to coat the chilled rocks glass, turning the glass to cover the surface. Pour out any excess absinthe. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Twist a swath of lemon peel over the drink and place it in the glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
Ethereal in color and in taste, this handsome cocktail does indeed attract attention. This adaptation of the Prohibition-era classic is a favorite of Seattle barman Jamie Boudreau.
2 OUNCES DRY GIN
¼ OUNCE ABSINTHE
¼ OUNCE DRY VERMOUTH
¼ OUNCE CRÈME DE VIOLETTE
2 DASHES ORANGE BITTERS
GARNISH: LEMON PEEL
Stir the ingredients with ice to chill. Strain into a stemmed glass. Twist a swath of lemon peel over the drink and place it in the glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
This drink is named for New York’s old Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, which sat where the Empire State Building now stands. This straightforward adaptation of the classic recipe comes from Seattle “cocktail whisperer” Jamie Boudreau.
¾ OUNCE BOURBON
¾ OUNCE ABSINTHE
¾ OUNCE SWEET VERMOUTH
3 DASHES ANGOSTURA OR OTHER AROMATIC BITTERS
Fill a stemmed glass with ice and let sit to chill. In a mixing glass, combine the ingredients and add ice, stirring briskly to chill. Discard the ice from the stemmed glass, shaking out excess water. Strain the contents of the mixing glass into the chilled glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
In his 1946 Stork Club Bar Book, Lucius Beebe called this a breakfast drink. An egg, some lemon juice—the man’s got a point. Whether you’re imbibing before noon or after dark, this absinthe fizz will put some pep in your step.
1½ OUNCES ABSINTHE
¾ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
½ OUNCE SIMPLE SYRUP
1 EGG WHITE
2 OUNCES SELTZER/SODA WATER, CHILLED
Fill a juice glass or a highball with ice and let sit to chill. In a shaker, combine the absinthe, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white and shake to blend. Add ice and shake until chilled. Add the seltzer/soda water and stir. Discard the ice from the glass, shaking out excess water. Strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
Like the Sea Fizz, this nineteenth-century holdover was once considered a breakfast drink. The addition of scotch is a happy one. Guid Mornin!
1½ OUNCES SCOTCH
¾ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
½ OUNCE SIMPLE SYRUP
¾ TEASPOON ABSINTHE
1 EGG WHITE
1 OUNCE SELTZER / SODA WATER, CHILLED
GARNISH: 1 DASH ANGOSTURA OR OTHER AROMATIC BITTERS
Fill a small juice glass or a highball with ice and let sit to chill. In a shaker, combine the scotch, lemon juice, simple syrup, absinthe, and egg white and shake to blend. Add ice and shake until chilled. Add the seltzer/soda water and stir. Discard the ice from the glass, shaking out excess water. Strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled glass. Dash the bitters on top.
MAKES 1 DRINK
In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, morning-after tonics like this one were thought to revive and refresh a ragged mind after a night of drinking. Rinse, spin, repeat. The Savoy’s Harry Craddock prescribed “four of these taken in swift succession” to weary revelers. No wonder the average life expectancy was under sixty. Please, start with just one.
¾ OUNCE DRY GIN
¾ OUNCE COINTREAU OR TRIPLE SEC
¾ OUNCE LILLET BLANC
¾ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
8 DROPS ABSINTHE
GARNISH: BRANDIED CHERRY
Fill a stemmed glass with ice and let sit to chill. In a shaker, combine the ingredients and shake with ice until chilled. Discard the ice from the stemmed glass, shaking out excess water. Strain the contents of the shaker into the chilled glass. Garnish.
MAKES 1 DRINK
This recipe comes from the notebook of esteemed booze historian Ted “Dr. Cocktail” Haigh. In a brilliant turn, he updated the original Modern cocktail with a touch of smoky Swedish punsch, a unique Scandinavian liqueur. In his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, he dubs it the Modernista. You might also call it the Post-Modern.
2 OUNCES SCOTCH
½ OUNCE AGED RUM
½ OUNCE SWEDISH PUNSCH
½ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
1 TEASPOON ABSINTHE
2 DASHES ORANGE BITTERS
GARNISH: LEMON PEEL
In a shaker, combine the ingredients and shake with ice until chilled. Strain into a stemmed glass. Twist a swath of lemon peel over the drink and place it in the glass.
MAKES 1 DRINK
This savory tiki-bar classic has been linked back to early-twentieth-century Samoa, where it was supposedly administered as a medicinal tonic by a doctor named Funk. This particular recipe, formulated by mid-century tiki-bar great Don the Beachcomber, was unearthed by modern-day tiki-bar scholar Jeff “Beach Bum” Berry, author of The Grog Log, Intoxica!, and Sippin’ Safari.
2½ OUNCES AGED RUM
2½ OUNCES FRESHLY SQUEEZED LIME JUICE
½ OUNCE FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
½ OUNCE JACKSON CANNON’S GRENADINE
¼ OUNCE ABSINTHE
1 DASH SIMPLE SYRUP (OPTIONAL)
1½ OUNCES SELTZER / SODA WATER, CHILLED
GARNISH: LARGE SPRIG OF MINT
In a shaker filled with crushed ice, combine the ingredients—except the seltzer/soda water—and shake until chilled. Stir in the seltzer/soda water. Pour unstrained into a tall glass. Garnish.
MAKES 1 DRINK
