Traditional Absinthe Cocktails
Chrysanthemum,Corpse Reviver,Sazerac,Death in the Afternoon,75
The adventurous undoubtedly will experiment with the traditional louching, but why not try some old-fashioned cocktail recipes?
It may be surprising to learn how little absinthe was actually used in many of the popular cocktails. Or those that have tried louching may not be surprised at all, considering the extremely strong and distinctive flavor of the spirit.
Chrysanthemum
This appears to have been a popular cocktail, appearing in 1930's Savoy Cocktail Book.
- 3 dashes absinthe
- 1/3 Benedictine
- 2/3 French (dry) vermouth
Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake to combine. Strain into a coupe* glass, and garnish with a twist of orange.
Corpse Reviver
This cocktail also makes an appearance in the Savoy Cocktail Book.
- 3/4 oz. gin
- 3/4 oz. lemon juice
- 3/4 Cointreau
- 3/4 oz. Lillet Blanc
- Absinthe rinse
Rinse a chilled coupe with a splash of absinthe, coating the glass before pouring out the liquor. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients into a mixing glass filled with ice. Shake, and strain into the coupe.
Sazerac
A classic from New Orleans, and the first known American cocktail, the Sazerac is probably one of the best-known absinthe cocktails.
- 2 oz. rye
- 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 sugar cube (or 1/2 oz. simple syrup)
- 1/4 oz. absinthe
Fill a rocks glass with ice and set aside to chill. Place the sugar cube and the bitters in a mixing glass, and crush the cube with a muddler. Add the rye and ice, and stir to chill and dissolve the sugar.
Dump the ice out of the rocks glass and rinse with absinthe, discarding the excess, and pour the contents of the mixing glass into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Twist a lemon peel over the drink, and rub around the rim. Discard the twist - don't use it for a garnish!
Death in the Afternoon
Ernest Hemingway is credited with the creation of this cocktail, which he named after one of his books.
- 1 shot absinthe
- chilled champagne
Place absinthe in a champagne flute, and add champagne until the concoction appears milky and opalescent.
75
The cocktail was created during World War I, and named after the French 75mm cannon. In the 1920's, it was modified by bartenders at Harry's American Bar in Paris, becoming the French 75.
- 1 teaspoon absinthe
- 2/3 oz. Calvados (French apple brandy)
- 1/3 oz. gin
Combine all ingredients with ice and shake to combine. Strain into a chilled coupe.
Tremblement de Terre (Earthquake)
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is credited - or blamed - for this concoction, and that may very well be accurate. It's not hard to imagine it as the brainstorm of someone half crazy, and it could certainly stunt your growth!
- 1 part absinthe
- 1 part cognac (don't bother with the good stuff - think cheap and rustic)
Combine both liqueurs in a brandy snifter, and swirl to combine.
*A coupe glass is the sort of bowl-shaped stem glass that is often seen used as a champagne glass in old movies.
