Hello all,

As our Celebration of Absinthe event draws near here in Houston (Dec 5th), we are having a small gathering to sample and come up with a short menu of easy to make absinthe cocktails for the bar staff.

What are your favorite recipes?

id

I recommend checking the main site, where we have an extensive list of both modern and classic absinthe cocktails.

Some notables include the Crysanthemum, Maiden's Blush, Monkey Gland, Obituary, Imperial Topaz, Sazerac, and Death in the Afternoon.

All those are easy, tasty and very effective.

What the bookshelf and manatee said.

That reads like a passage from Alice in Wonderland.

I'd also recommend the Duchess (a variation on the one listed in the Savoy Cocktail book)

Equal parts absinthe, sweet and dry vermouth and water. All shaken with ice and strained into a cocktail glass. If using modern quality vermouths like Vya or Dolin's you end up with a color like skin (perhaps of a Duchess???). You might want to add some food coloring to produce a brighter red color, or try a more commercial (gasp!) sweet vermouth for coloring with a more artisanal sweet vermouth for flavoring.

Edit: I added the water to have the absinthe louche. The vermouths themselves don't lower the proof enough and aren't thin enough to have that happen. You might decide that a clear (ie unlouched) cocktail is better.

Thanks all,

I am aware of the extensive cocktail recipes listed on the site. I'm looking for personal suggestions/favorites as it does provide some additional insight.

id

Arsenic and Old Lace is one of my favorites.

All of the cocktails listed so far are great, with one exception. I'd recommend against the Maiden's Blush.

I didn't have a good experience with it (despite using superb absinthe and gin it was overpowering), and I know others will say the same thing. The picture looks beautiful, but consider the proportions:

1/3 absinthe
2/3 dry gin
1 teaspoonful grenadine

Don't do it!

I think an Obituary is a much better way to go, since you still get big absinthe and gin flavor, but the vermouth rounds things out and the absinthe proportion is actually reasonable.

Just my $.02

Personal favorite: The Monkey Gland. Nobody doesn't like this cocktail.

Another personal favorite, but NOT for everybody, is the Fourth Degree (Savoy Version. The other version isn't a 4th degree at all) Basically a vermouth-heavy "Perfect" Martini, with a LOT of absinthe dashed in. Not only is this more or less my favorite cocktail, it was also FDR's, according to the 2-part History Channel documentary. They never mentioned it by name, but rather described how he made it, which tells us what it was. History records that it was not well liked by others, but who's going to say that to FDR? Turns out his taste and mine are the same. I love the drink.

To be fair, if you use a lower proof absinthe, like Obsello or Kubler (50%), and shake with ice, the final product won't be much stronger than a normal martini.

The ones I listed are my favorites.

I've only ever made these with pastis rather than absinthe, but one of my favorites as well. And it's a great one for a gathering or party because it's really eye catching (the purple color from the creme de violette) and people will be asking "what's that?" and "can I have one?"

I hear ya; I guess that's pretty much how you'd have to do it. With a goodly amount of shaking I can see Obsello working with a well chosen gin (I haven't tried B. Alex's new gin yet, but it wouldn't surprise me if Port of Barcelona was a good match!).

I tried it with 2 different absinthes- Pacifique and Leo Bros.- and I'm a firm believer that anything much over 50% is too much. I ended up having to add some water to both so they'd be drinkable.

L'Amour en Fuite

Nothing wrong with that. Just because it's not mentioned in the recipe doesn't mean that it shouldn't be used. The difference between a 68% absinthe and a 50% absinthe is water. The reduction in proof needs nearly half as much in water as spirit (0.42:1).

btw, the Dutchess is one of my favorite cocktails as well as the frappe.

Heartily seconded.

I checked cocktaildb's entry on it before I made that post, and it has pastis listed instead of absinthe. Usually I swap it out with Kübler. Maybe it's not really an Arsenic and Old Lace anymore...

I thought about making some for a group of friends a few weeks ago, but didn't feel like driving around with four open bottles of alcohol.


Any one ever tried a Pick-me-up?

Nope, but looks interesting!



Thirdededed.

Followed by Sazerac, Suissesse, and Obituary.

Indeed it does. Don't know about the name though--seems like false advertising to me, given the ingredients!

For me, the Sazerac is and will always be the king of absinthe cocktails. Like everyone else, I also love the Monkey Gland. The Corpse Reviver #2 is another personal favorite. Ditto for the Obituary, the Mephisto, and the Cocktail a la Louisiane.

I'd recommend trying Larsy's frappe too. Lots of good stuff to choose from!

Arsenic & Old Lace is a favorite of mine as well. And it was the Monkey Gland that I played around with to come up with the Garden Party:
2 oz gin (Voyager works best, though I've made it with Plymouth, Tanqueray)
1/2 oz St Germain
1/2 teaspoon absinthe (Kübler works well)
2 dashes Regan's orange bitters
Stir thoroughly with ice and strain into chilled glass.

Lots of good ones mentioned lately. I agree, Sazerac is tops. Funny thing, I've tried making Monkey Glands a couple of times and I must be doing something wrong, because I didn't care for them. Some day I'll get it figured out. The Larspeart Frappe is fun -- easy, quick, delicious, and quite a surprise the first time you see one come out of the shaker. And can't believe I forgot Bluewolf Pete's Garden Party, I've killed most of a bottle of Hendrick's gin on GPs.

It occurred to me that there are a number of great tiki cocktails that can be made with absinthe as well. Most of them date from the 1930s-1960s, so the recipes call for Pernod or Herbsaint, but you can easily substitute the real thing without overpowering the drink because the amounts called for are typically very small--no more than a teaspoon in most cases.

Jeff "Beachbum" Berry has published several great books on tiki cocktails; here are two great recipes from his newest, Sippin' Safari, that have been published online:

Zombie Punch

This is the original zombie recipe developed by Don the Beachcomber in 1934. You need to make your own cinammon syrup and find a bottle of Lemon Hart 151 rum (no Bacardi 151!) but the results are well worth it. Powerful stuff.

Jet Pilot

Same note as above with regards to the 151 rum and the cinnamon syrup. I use Cruzan gold for the PR rum and Coruba for the Dark Jamaican. Use white grapefruit juice. The 6 drops of absinthe works out to be about 1/8 teaspoon.

Leopold Bros. works very well in these drinks because of its rummy, butterscotchy flavor, but it's fun to experiment!

As an incentive to get folks to buy Sippin' Safari (a great tiki primer!), let me go on record as saying that my favorite tiki drink in the book making use of absinthe is the Dr. Wong. Great name, great drink.

I made an Atty cocktail last night, but substituted Creme Yvette for the Creme de Violette. While the latter is very good, the former is off the charts.

For those of you that don't know, Creme Yvette is similar to Creme de Violette, but it has gone a bit further and added just a touch of vanilla to the bill, rounding out the flavor and giving it a bit more depth of flavor. In the Atty, it's remarkable the difference it makes.

Atty (similar to an AaOL)

1.5 oz dry gin (I used Voyager)
.5 oz dry vermouth (I used Noilly Pratt old version)
barspoon of absinthe (I used Leopold)
barspoon of Creme Yvette

Stir and strain into cocktail glass.

Great idea to add those tiki recipes, and to recommend Sippin' Safari!

Glancing through the Jet Pilot recipe, though, and then looking it back up in the book, I was surprised to see the recipe call for Fee Brothers Falernum. Having read discussions about falernum on other fora, like eGullet and Ministry of Rum, I've become a huge fan of the original, John D. Taylor's Velvet Falernum. This is a rum-based concoction (Fee's is a non-alcoholic syrup) and is actually not horrible to sip all by itself. It's easier to find than the Fee's (at least in my area) and about five times deeper and more complex.

AIO, if you've been loving the recipes in Sippin' Safari, try them again with the Velvet Falernum.

Hey! You guys are having fun with this. I'm taking all this in.

The Tiki recipes are a great idea. The Atty sounds great too.

Very cool!

id

Just curious, Brian: how does Creme de Yvette compare to Parfait Amour? The latter is also similar to Creme de Violette, except it has a marshmallowy, grape jelly bean note to its flavor (Ted Haigh's apt description).



I've had Velvet Falernum in a few of these cocktails before, thanks to a friend; it is indeed an improvement over the Fee Bros. stuff, which is very syrupy-sweet in comparison. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to come by in my neck of the woods as Fee's (thanks PLCB!) and I've been too lazy to order a bottle. You've inspired me to put it at the top of my wish list, though!

Yes, PLCB leaves a lot to be desired. They dropped one of my favorite tequila's, and I know it was a good seller. At least they have Root.

Night and day difference. Parfait amour reminds me of something along the lines of a DeKuyper liqueur, whereas the Creme Yvette is more like a Leopold's liqueur.

Interesting. Your comparison would suggest that the difference between the two is largely a matter of quality and craftsmanship (maybe subtlety too). Surely there's something that distinguishes them in terms of flavor as well?

Tried a Fourth Degree last night, WBT. Tasty! Even with the cheap M&R vermouth I had on hand.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the infamous Earthquake or Tremblement de terre yet. It's certainly memorable. Well, only if you have one or two; after that, you don't remember anything. Kind of like the DITA.

Here's a link to the Internet Cocktail Database. They list around 350 cocktails made with absinthe (though many of them are actually made with pastis--the measurements for some of these would have to be adjusted if you used the real thing). Reminded me of a few good ones I had forgotten about: the Depth Charge, the Morning Glory Fizz, the Third Rail, the Turf Cocktail...

I am a fan of the Earthquake. It is usually the nightcap when the bed is beckoning but a few last moments visiting are in order. Much like a Sazerac, it is meant for quiet sipping.

Most definitely. Have you had any other Creme de Violette liqueurs? Creme Yvette doesn't have the characteristic 'vitamin' aroma and flavor that a lot of them have. My guess is that it's a product of the addition of the vanilla. It's not candy-like in regards to sweetness.

I tried the Atty last night night as it sounded pretty good. We don't have Creme Yvette available here yet. so, being the irreverent guy I am, I added a little Mexican vanilla to see what happened. But you're right about the Creme de Violette. I really like the idea of it but that "vitamin" flavor is something that's difficult to get around. The second one, I added more Creme de Violette as my first was too dry for my taste. I was looking for a more rounded flavor.
Creme de Yvette is supposed to be available here soon. I'll try it again.

It occured to me to try Domaine de Canton instead. Just to go in a totally different direction.

The absinthe was barely there in my mix (Lucid).

For the absinthe, you'll really want to think about what type of flavor you want the end product to have. Some absinthes will just lend the tiniest hint of anise, others will lend a flowery mintiness, others will have an herbal blast.

I chose Leopold because of its wormwood and flowery, juicy fruity type of character, as I thought it would play well with the Violettes. I can see where Lucid might be a little 'watered down' for it though.

I get what you're saying and agree. More research!

Darn the luck!

(Oh, Mr. Wizard, you really don't need to quote the previous post. )

Thanks, Brian. I have a bottle each of Creme de Violette and Parfait Amour, but haven't experimented extensively with either--mostly just Aviations and Jupiters. I have to say that I haven't noticed the characteristic "vitamin" note you mention, though that may be because I'm mixing them with other ingredients that mask it. The maraschino in the Aviation, in particular, has the tendency to overpower everything else--even in relatively small quantities (I only use half a teaspoon).

The Creme Yvette sounds good; I'll have to give it a try!

Open a bottle of multivitamins (or even just B vitamins) and take a whiff. Then smell and taste the creme de violette.

Absinthe and Mountain Dew.

I kid I kid .. but, I will say I've done it and it's mighty tasty!

I noticed it more so with a bottle of Rothman's Creme de Violette, ad didn't touch the bottle for a long time. When I recently took a whif of it, the vitamin flavor seemed more subdued, and the violette more pronounced. I wouldn't be surprised if it's just my imagination, but I'm optimistic that letting it sit for a while reduces the vitamin flavor. I'll have to do more research...

I've had a bottle from ldf for several years that still is just as vitamin'y'. I'd say, in order of vitamininess (yes, I'm making up the word for this conversation), from most to least:

Ldf
Rothman and Winters
Tempus Fugit
Creme Yvette

It's tough to put Creme Yvette in the same comparison though, since it's not technically the same product. I'm extremely eager to get the Tempus Fugit Creme de Violette though whenever it comes out. As well as their version of Campari and their Genever!

It was a beautiful, warm day here in PA; put my feet up after my daughter's B-Day party and sipped on my first Robert E. Lee Cooler. Sort of a cross between a Gin Buck and a Tom Collins, with a bit of pastis thrown in. I used Vieux Carre and topped it with some fresh mint as a nod to the drink's Southern heritage.

Highly, highly recommended.

I got into my R&W CdV tonight for an Arsenic & Old Lace. When the bottle was fresh the vitamin smell was really strong, and that was really all I could smell in it (thanks to Brian R. for putting a name to the aroma some time ago; it was definitely familiar, but I couldn't place it until Brian suggested multivitamin). Tonight the vitamin smell is still there, but I'm with baubel, it seems to have mellowed and I can finally smell the violet. May be power of suggestion, but it smelled nice tonight right from the bottle.

AiO, that cooler is a new one on me, never heard of it before. Sounds great, I'll add it to my list of drinks to try!

We had to come up with a simple cocktail for our wedding, which I've tweaked a bit since for balance. It's very simple and the vanilla flavor complements the herbals well. This is also a cocktail that works well with "simpler" absinthes (read: use your anise bombs here) and won't knock your guests off their feet.

1 jigger absinthe
2 tsp simple syrup
dash of vanilla extract (use the real stuff, or better yet, shave a vanilla bean into your simple syrup and store the remaining bean husk in your simple syrup jar for a few days beforehand)

serve on the rocks in an old fashioned glass and fill with soda water

I would also caution against offering Death in the Afternoons at events. While delicious (very good with sweeter bubbling wines), they are deceptively strong and can be overpowering for us lightweights.

I'll try that. Sounds interesting. Death in the Afternoon was voted out for that very reason.

Thanks,
id

absinthe + ginger beer

You know I wondered about ginger and absinthe. I suggested it the other day and they shot the idea down saying the two flavors were too strong.

I was suggesting using Domaine de Canton geinger liquor.

I'll try the ginger beer idea.

Cool, thanks,

id

On the subject of absinthe + ginger beer:

The Apothecary (aka APO) bar in Philly makes a great absinthe cocktail they call the French Buck. It's a variation on the Gin Buck, which is basically just gin, lime (or lemon) juice, and ginger ale; this version uses absinthe--Kübler--in place of the gin.

I was just in Philly for a few days and stopped by APO while I was there; unfortunately, they downsized their menu recently and a number of cocktails, including the FB, were (temporarily or permanently) dropped. The bartender graciously made me one anyway, however, and gave me the recipe. It is:

1.5 oz. Kübler
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
.5 oz. creme de cassis

Mix ingredients in chimney glass, add ice cubes, and top with ginger beer (about 4-5 oz.). Garnish with berries in season or a lemon/lime wheel.

A few notes: Kübler works well here because of its low ABV. If you use an absinthe with a higher alcohol content, you'll want to cut down on the amount used accordingly. APO makes its own ginger beer; it's heavy on the ginger, which I think is key in getting it to work well with the absinthe. This is not the place to use a mild ginger beer or a ginger ale. The stronger and spicier, the better. They also throw some ginseng in (liquid or powder--I'm not sure), but I'm not convinced that this has a huge impact on the taste of the drink.

A very refreshing cocktail--give it a try!

And speaking of ginger beer, anyone have favorite brands?

Cock 'n Bull is a great start to a Dark and Stormy.