Only a select few may imbibe this, the rarest of beverages, the absinthe cocktail. Only the Alcoholic Elect, the Quintessential Boozehound, the Kings of Lushes may sample its forbidden delights.
I'm going out on a limb here, I know. But at the end of the limb there's absinthe, so at least I know that if I fall and hurt myself, I won't feel it.
I'm going out on a limb here, I know. But at the end of the limb there's absinthe, so at least I know that if I fall and hurt myself, I won't feel it.
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| The Absinthe Drinkers by Jean-François Raffaëlli |
I got this recipe from the Old Mr. Boston De Luxe Official Bartender's Guide, copyright 1935. It is the last word in cocktails and mixology. These drinks have been around for ages, and only the best made it into the book. If you want a classic tipple, the likes of which everyone from Wiley Post to Clark Gable to Indiana Jones may well have sipped on, turn to Old Mr. Boston. He won't let you down.
I wasn't kidding about the "Alcoholic Elect," though. This drink takes special qualifications to enjoy. If you don't like licorice, you have no business drinking absinthe. (That's if you can even afford it: one bottle of Mata Hari Bohemian cost me $84.99.)
I'm not the biggest fan of the stuff, but I can put up with it when the situation calls for it. Especially if the situation calls for me getting my money's worth out of the deal. But be warned: if you try the absinthe special, you're going to get the full effect. Your mileage may vary, but absinthe I used is sixty percent alcohol. In 1935, absinthe was actually illegal. All the absinthe cocktails in the De Luxe Guide call for an "absinthe substitute," with a wink and a grin. The stuff's 120 proof. That's not far below Bacardi 151, folks. Prepare yourselves.
- 1½ ounces absinthe substitute
- 1 ounce water
- ¼ teaspoon powdered sugar
- 1 dash orange bitters
The result, thankfully, does not resemble anything that came out of the southbound end of a northbound cow. Ma actually compared its appearance to "pure pineapple juice." It actually looks more like lemonade to me. But wow, it sure doesn't taste like it.
The first thing you notice is, of course, the absinthe. A powerful wave of anise sweeps over your taste buds and fills your nose with a licorice bouquet. Again, I emphasize: you no likee licorice, you no wantee absinthe. It comes on strong in this libation. After you swish the drink around your mouth a little and knock it back, you finally begin to notice the other flavors. The effect is cumulative. The water dulls the green stuff just enough so the welcome bitterness counterpoints what would otherwise be overwhelming sweetness. The sugar helps balance the bitters, though, and takes away some of the absinthe's punch. And finally, that little hint of orange is the coup de grâce.
This drink is all about the aftertaste. If you want licorice, you can just pour some absinthe over a sugar cube and call it even. If you want flavor, try this cocktail instead. Water, sugar and orange bitters back the absinthe with authority and flair.
Please binge responsibly.
5 comments:
"..one bottle of Mata Hari Bohemian cost me $84.99." Oh my good God, just think of all the cheap wine you could buy with that..
Hmmmn. Tempted as I am, maybe I shall save this particular recipe for a better economic climate than from now. (Tho' this post does invoke some wonderful memories for me of my lush, rich, single days in the 80's, and of an annual cocktail party which - er, 'nuff said.. these days I have a semblance of a reputation to maintain.
Ah,happy days!
Never tried the Green Fairy myself, but read about it plenty.
Edge of Your Seat Romance
Ha, ooohhh absinthe. I was delighted to try it for the first time last summer in Rome, but sadly I was expecting fireworks and hallucinations... instead I just got very drunk.
Then in the Fall I worked at a cafe that sold absinthe, but only if you knew it was there- you had to ask for it. I had a cold one day, and my co-worker pulled out the bottle and made it with warm water and lemon and said it was a cure he swore by... it tasted pretty good. So I think it just takes some getting used to. There is a certain notoriety about drinking it at any time...
Shrinky: I get the feeling I should be a wino instead of a straight-up lush. It'd be easier on the wallet. And yes, save this one for when we're all out of the depression (excuse me, I mean RECESSION). There's only one thing worse than absinthe, and that's CHEAP absinthe.
Raquel: Congratulations on the publication of your book! And thanks for gracing my humble blog with your presence, Madame Author. The Green Fairy might be worth a tumble in celebration.
JJ: Well howdy there, stranger! Where've you been?
I'd heard all sorts of things about absinthe before I tried it, fireworks and hallucinations among them. Then (disappointingly) I learned that the Green Fairy was just a myth. The ingredients don't really combine in psychadelic ways. The concoction just gets you very, very drunk (and therefore prone to vagaries of perception).
Warm water and lemon! I'll have to try that. It does sound like a cure-all, but the headmaster at bartender's school used to say that a glass filled half with beer and half with tomato juice (with a raw egg cracked into it) was a surefire hangover cure (BLARGH). Can't be too sure unless you try it.
They say that absinthe is the favourite tipple of The Pope.
That explains why they carry him round on a chair then!
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