Absinthe cocktails?

Question

Does anyone have any cocktail recipes using absinthe for those who enjoy it but can't handle it at full strength or wish to prolong the pleasure?

Anything using Chambord or Creme de Cerise (not Cassis) would be ideal.

All suggestions greatly appreciated :)

Answer

The original Sazerac did not have any absinthe in it (and was brandy-based, to boot), but the usual modern Sazerac does - although most places use Herbsaint instead of true absinthe. At home, I do a New Sazerac thusly:

2 oz. Maker's Mark
1/2 tsp. Lucid absinthe
1 tsp. simple syrup
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters (NOT Angostura!)

Mix all but the bourbon in a glass with ice; stir to coat and chill the glass. Pour all of this into a shaker and add the bourbon. Stir (NEVER shake!) the drink a bit and strain back into the chilled glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Answer

You're drinking it full strength? Woo. That will put some hair on your chest. I still love the classic absinthe drip, just absinthe in a glass, with ice cold water dripped slowly over a sugar cube in a slotted spoon. Generally about 5:1 water to absinthe is how I take it, but of course you can adjust to your preference.

The thing about absinthe is that its flavor is quite potent. Add a little too much and it completely takes over the drink. Also, licorice-y flavors with raspberry or cherry is not quite a traditional mix. I think possible a little twist on a Tiki classic, the Dr. Funk, may work. It's close to a Planter's Punch recipe, but with a dash of pastis (or absinthe now that it's legal). It normally has grenadine, but since grenadine is a red fruit flavor (pomegranate) you *might* be able to switch out the grenadine for your Chambord or Cherry Heering (Heering is the best crème de cerise out there, it tastes like cherries instead of cough syrup!), adding a little simple syrup to compensate for the difference in sweetness between grenadine and the liqueur.

Doctor Funk (circa 1937)

2-1/2 ounces dark Jamaican rum (Myers's works just fine)
2-1/2 ounces fresh lime juice
1/2 ounce fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce grenadine (or in your case, 1/2 ounce Chambord or Cherry Heering plus 1/4 ounce simple syrup)
1/4 ounce absinthe

1-1/2 ounces soda water

Shake everything but the soda water vigorously with a cup of crushed ice. Pour into a tall glass, and top with soda.

Then there's always Death in the Afternoon, created by none other than Ernest Hemingway. It's more of a joke cocktail than anything else (the two ingredients do not complement each other well), but still, here it is:

Pour 1-1/2 ounces absinthe into a champagne flute. Add chilled champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly. After three to five of these, you will find The Sun Also Rises.

Answer

I second the Corpse reviver:

# 3/4 oz gin
# 3/4 oz Cointreau
# 3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
# 3/4 oz lemon juice
# 1 drop absinthe (or absinthe substitute, such as Pernod)

For more on the "Corpse Reviver":
http://keepyourspiritsup-faune.blogspot.com/2009/02/cocktail-corpse-reviver.html

Answer

you could go with the Half Sinner Half Saint (strictly speaking this uses pastis instead of absinthe) http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/2008/08/half-sinner-half-saint.html

Answer

This is a separate question really, but can anyone recommend a complimentary flavour that might work in an absinthe jelly shot? I'm thinking a full-on absinthe shot, even in jelly form, might be a bit hardcore but what would balance it out? Something sweet / citrus?

Answer

Maybe this isn't all too pertinent, but the original Waldorf cocktail was made up of equal parts Sweet Vermouth, Bourbon and Absinthe with a couple of dashes of Angostura.
The proper garnish escapes me, but it is a worthy cocktail!

Answer

Death in the Afternoon - 1.5 oz absinthe and 4 oz Champagne - Ernest Hemingway's creation. Adjust the ratio to your taste, and don't forget that most absinthes are 60 to 70 percent alcohol. At the moment we really like the St. George's that is made here in the bay area.

And we love the Corpse Reviver #2

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