Like Absinthe? You'll Love These Absinthe Cocktails

Absinthe, the preferred drink of artists, poets, and bad boys like Oscar Wilde, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Baudelaire, and Toulouse Lautrec has traditionally been served with a sugar cube, ice water, and plenty of mystique. Dubbed The Green Fairy, people once claimed it caused hallucinations, madness, and other fun stuff. That it was illegal in the States for over a century only added to absinthe’s allure. Since the ban was lifted in 2007, anise-y absinthe’s become a bartender favorite.

Like gin, absinthe is a barrage of botanicals, primarily fennel, anise, and wormwood, which does not, despite all the 19th century hype, give you hallucinations. But absinthe is a mighty high ABV spirit. As Liz Williams, food and beverage historian and author of Lift Your Spirits says, “With 85 to 95 ABV, any hallucinating happens from alcohol poisoning, not the herbs.”

Simmer down, boys, most absinthe on the market now is at the more sippable 50 to 70 ABV range, but it’s absinthe’s herbaceous notes rather than the kick of alcohol that makes for captivating cocktails. As with gins or amaros, absinthe flavor varies by brand, some play up the citrus notes, others are assertively anisey, some are sweeter, some work absinthe’s herbaceous edge. Just a little absinthe in a drink offers “tons of flavor,” says Cocktail Ambassadors’ H. Joseph Ehrmann. “I mostly use it as an accent flavor, either as a rinse or just a small amount as a modifier.”

Some absinthe brands use artificial coloring to give their absinthe that green fairy glow, or add sugar to balance out the bitter base note of wormwood. That’s a big no-no as far Ehrmann and other as mixologists are concerned. “I want it to retain its authenticity,” he says. A well-crafted absinthe’s got so much going on, it doesn’t need more.

Shirazerac

Recipe courtesy of H. Joseph Ehrmann, owner of Elixir, San Francisco, CA,

Behold the Shirazerac, Ehrmann’s twist on the classic Sazerac. A house-made Shiraz wine syrup adds spicy notes to the whiskey and absinthe. The absinthe is subtle— “just the right amount. Without it, the drink’s not the same,” he says. “The Shirazerac is currently on our menu at Elixir and is selling very well, so it will likely stick around.”

1 barspoon of Shiraz syrup*
2oz rye whiskey
½ barspoon absinthe
2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 star anise
1 quarter-size round of lemon rind

Fill an old fashioned glass with ice and set aside to chill.

Cut the lemon rind to a circle about the size of a quarter, without pith. Stick a toothpick through the star anise and into the lemon rind until only a small bit of the toothpick shows from the top, breaking off the extra beneath the lemon. Set garnish aside.

In a separate glass, put Shiraz syrup at the bottom of the glass and cover with the rye whiskey and the bitters. Stir briefly to dissolve the syrup.

Empty the chilled glass and add the absinthe, swirling around to coat it and leaving a small pool of what is left at the bottom.

Strain the cocktail into that glass and add the star anise as a floating garnish.

Place Shiraz in a sauce pan on medium heat and bring to a boil. Slowly add brown ugar while stirring with a whisk. After all sugar has been diluted, bring to a slow boil and reduce heat. Repeat bringing it to a boil and cooling back down 2 or 3 times until the mixture is reduced to a thickness that sticks to the bottom of the pan when you lean it forward. Allow to cool for a few minutes and transfer to a serving bottle.

* Shiraz syrup

Equal parts light brown sugar and Shiraz (one cup of each will yield approximately ½ cup of syrup).

Brunelle

Recipe courtesy of Laura Maddox of Small Victory Bar, Austin, TX

For an entry-level absinthe experience, the Brunelle’s your drink. Based on a 1930s cocktail, it’s got a Gilded Age vibe but drinks like “big lemon cocktail,” says Small Victory bar manager, Laura Maddox. The high ratio of lemon juice and simple syrup to spirit tames the absinthe and make it a lower ABV cocktail too. “It’s a really safe, fun, tasty, easy-to-drink way to taste absinthe.”

.75 oz Absente absinthe
.75 oz simple syrup
1.5 oz lemon juice

Shake with ice and strain into a double old fashioned glass filled with crushed ice.

Garnish with fresh mint.

The Living Dead

Recipe courtesy of bartender Will Thompson, Jaguar Sun, Miami, FL

With citrus, tropical notes, and a little chile heat animating the absinthe, “the Living Dead is a cocktail with a bunch of ingredients that are all too loud,” says Jaguar Sun bartender Will Thompson, “but hopefully, in their too-loudness balance each other out.”

.75 oz Clairin
.75 oz allspice dram
.5 oz absinthe
.75 oz passionfruit pulp
.75 oz lime juice
.5 oz ginger simple syrup
2 dash Tabasco
mint leaves and nutmeg

Combine the ingredients in a shaker glass. Shake and strain into a crushed ice-filled ceramic mug. Garnish with mint leaves and a grating of fresh nutmeg.

Arsenic and Old Lace

Recipe courtesy of bar manager Eric Stashak, The Absinthe Group, San Francisco, CA

“Arsenic and Old Lace has its origins in a cocktail originally called the atty, which was popular in the 1910s. It was revived and renamed in the 1940s to promote the eponymous play,” says Stashak. “I like to think they chose this cocktail because the poster for the play is green and purple, mirroring the absinthe and the violette in the cocktail.

2 oz dry gin
1 oz blanc vermouth
barspoon crème de violette
barspoon absinthe
lemon twist

Add the ingredients listed to a mixing glass, stir for roughly 15-20 seconds, strain into a chilled martini glass, and serve with a twist of lemon garnish.

Arctic Monkey

Recipe courtesy of Laura Pica @boozybartender

“Absinthes works to play off the gin flavors,” says Pica. “Gin and absinthe are really complimentary.”

2 oz. Blood Monkey Irish gin
1 oz. fresh lemon
5 oz simple syrup
1 barspoon absinthe
1-3 sprays absinthe in the glass (optional)
pepper
rosemary sprig
edible flower (optional)

Shake all ingredients in a shaker with ice until well chilled. Spray glass with1- 3 absinthe sprays. Double strain over one large cube.

Garnish with fresh pepper and rosemary (edible flower optional)

Right Hand Man

Recipe courtesy of Will Pasternak, head bartender, Blacktail pop-up from Hotel Eventi’s Back Bar, New York, NY

“Our Right Hand Man cocktail is a twist on the ‘Right Hand’ a which is an aged rum Negroni,” says Blacktail bartender Will Pasternak. “Our version features a molasses-driven blend of rums reminiscent of historic Jamaican rums, Angostura amaro, Campari, Pedro Ximinez sherry and a dash of Vieux Pontarlier absinthe to pull the flavors together similar to how a dash of bitters can bring things together. The absinthe provides a great fennel, anise, and herbal quality to the cocktail.”

1 oz aged rum
.5 oz Jamaican rum blend**
.5 oz Cocchi Torino
.25 oz Campari
.25 oz Amaro di Angostura
.25 oz Pedro Ximinez sherry (Barbadillo)
1 dash absinthe
1 teaspoon vanilla syrup*

Combine all ingredients and stir. Strain over ice in an old fashioned glass.

Garnish: orange oil (express and discard a twist of orange over the drink)

Subrecipes:

*Vanilla Syrup: Make a 2:1 Simple Syrup and add organic vanilla extract.

**Jamaican rum blend: Mix 3 Parts Cruzan blackstrap, 2 parts Smith & Cross, 1 Part Appleton 8, 1 Part Transcontinental High Seas

Smoke and Mirrors

Smoke & Mirrors cocktail with Grande Absente — Smoke & Mirrors photo courtesy Rob Lynch

Recipe courtesy of @stirringandshaking digital creator Rob Lynch

“Absente adds such a fun and unique flavor to any cocktail, but the one we made was especially tasty!,” says digital creator Rob Lynch.

1 oz. blended scotch
.5 oz. Islay single malt scotch
.25 oz. Grande Absente
.75 oz. fresh lime juice
.75 oz. simple syrup
4 mint leaves

Add mint leaves to shaker glass with simple syrup and muddle. Combine all remaining ingredients and fill shaker with ice. Shake hard until chilled, then strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with more mint and enjoy. Cheers!

Rattlesnake

Recipe courtesy of @stirringandshaking digital creator Rob Lynch

“Growing up in rural North Carolina, I had a healthy fear of snakes — especially copperheads and rattlesnakes. Never wanted to come across one,” says @stirringandshaking’s Rob Lynch “This rattlesnake, though, you could put this in front of me every day and I’d be happy.”

1.75 oz. Sazerac Rye
.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
1/2 teaspoon Absente absinthe
1 egg white

Combine all ingredients in a shaker and dry shake (no ice) to get the egg white nice and frothy. Pop open the shaker, add ice, and shake hard again until cold. (To get it extra frothy, strain the ice and shake one more time) Strain into a coupe glass and enjoy. Cheers!

Van Gogh’s Flame

Recipe courtesy of Absente Absinthe

Flaming the absinthe lessens its alcohol punch and provides a knockout visual too.

.5 oz Absente Refined 110
1.25 oz mezcal
.25 oz passionfruit liqueur
.25 oz orgeat
lime peel cup
cinnamon

Whip shake. Top with pebble ice in a Julep glass.

Garnish with a lime peel cup holding .25 oz absinthe.

Light absinthe and shake ground cinnamon over the flame.

Grapefruit Absente Mojito

Recipe courtesy of Anju Sethi Kapoor @lifestylebyanju

Grapefuit Absente Mojito photo courtesy of Anju Seth Kapoor

“This grapefruit absinthe mojito is not only pretty but has perfect flavors from mint, grapefruit and absinthe,” says Kapoor. “Delicious!”

1 tablespoon sugar
4 oz grapefruit juice
1 oz rum
1 oz absinthe
Few mint leaves
1 lime, cut in wedges

Put mint, lime wedges and sugar in a shaker glass, muddle everything nicely.

Add grapefruit juice, absinthe rum, and ice.

Shake until chilled and pour in a glass filled with ice.

Garnish with fresh mint leaves and enjoy your grapefruit absinthe mojito.

Want to know more about absinthe? Read about Absinthia Vermut and her Absinthe Fairies then get to know Laura Pica, previously brand ambassador for Abssente Absinthe.

Like Absinthe? You'll Love These Cocktails