There is perhaps no spirit as shroud in mystery and misinformation as absinthe. Fernet Branca and Malört may be known among the cocktail community for their bold flavors, but absinthe, equally as assertive, enjoys a greater familiarity in the general population. The most likely reason for this familiarity is that it was banned in the U.S. from 1912 – 2007. When you are told you can’t have something, you only desire it more.
Despite absinthe being legal in the U. S. for over a decade now it’s not uncommon to observe curious bar patrons order their first sip. Intrigued by the absinthe drip at a cocktail bar, they decide to order a round, secretly desiring that they might hallucinate – just a bit.
Unfortunately, this is the most common misconception. Wormwood is psychoactive, but is not a hallucinogen. The Internet’s best known database of psychoactive substances, Erowid, confirms this.
Absinthe can range anywhere from 45% – 74% ABV, so it’s easy to see why its effects could be mistaken for inducing hallucinations. This high ABV is why the common preparation with an absinthe drip sweetens and dilutes the spirit.
Absinthe’s most dominant flavor, anise, is a flavor that most people would recognize as black licorice. Wormwood and fennel are the other primary flavor components. For those inclined to sip their absinthe, Letherbee’s barrel-aged absinthe is more approachable. Barrel aging rounds off the flavors and adds some pleasant vanilla and caramel notes.
For those not ready to go all-in on sipping absinthe, here is a list of my top ten absinthe cocktails for absinthe day. Some use absinthe as a rinse, while others allow absinthe to take center stage. Regardless of your personal preference, there is sure to be an absinthe cocktail in the list that you’ll enjoy.
Cheers!
1. Necromancer
The necromancer is a simple sour-style cocktail and a great introductory absinthe cocktail for the skeptics.
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2. La Tour Eiffel
Two commonly misunderstood ingredients (SUZE and absinthe) meet up in this Sazerac riff created by Gary Regan. Regan’s goal was to simply re-imagine the what the Sazerac would be like if it was created in France instead of New Orleans. While our modern Sazerac opts to use rye as the base spirit, the NOLA classic began as a cognac cocktail.
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3. Obituary
A simple martini riff with a kiss of absinthe. This cocktail is all about showcasing the spirits.
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4. Chrysanthemum
Likely the sweetest and most approachable cocktail of the bunch, the Chrysanthemum could be considered a “shim” (low alcohol cocktail) with dry vermouth as the base spirit.
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5. The Green Beast
This cocktail has the iconic green hue that is often attributed to absinthe, except the green comes from the lime and the cucumber. This cocktail scales up well into a punch.
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6. Sazerac
The Sazerac is a quintessential American cocktail. Rye or brandy can be used as the base, but it has to be Peychaud’s bitters to be authentic.
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7. Death in the Afternoon
Whether Hemingway created this cocktail or not is the subject of much speculation. If it’s true that Hemingway said “Write drunk; edit sober,” then this is the cocktail he was drinking.
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8. Corpse Reviver #2
The Corpse Reviver #2 is one of the better known absinthe cocktails, but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten. Despite the spooky name, this cocktail is enjoyable for any occasion.
Get the recipe…
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9. Billionaire
This cocktail from Employees Only in NYC is one that is hard to put down. It drinks as easily as a punch, and is a perfect warm weather sipper.
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10. Il Santo
This cocktail is likely the most unique of this listing. Think of it as a reversed perfect Manhattan, but with absinthe.
