Absinthe cocktails?

[DollyDagger]

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 :)

[AlchemistGeorge]

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

[dhs]

Another lovely absinthe drink is the Absinthe Suissesse. I orginally came across this when researching recipes for homemade orgeat.

In looking it up for this post I came across a couple of different variations. I definately favor the orgeat version, but admittedly I am saying this without having tried the creme de menthe version.

In making it for myself I varied from this recipe by using 2% milk instead of half and half or cream.

with orgeat:
http://www.kaiserpenguin.com/how-to-make-orgeat-syrup/

with creme de menthe:
http://www.chow.com/recipes/10001

[roscothechump]

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!

[DollyDagger]

I'm definitely looking this one up - sounds great!

[DollyDagger]

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?

[Monch]

Dolly,

It's been awhile since you asked, but, to my pallet, coffee goes with licorice.

Love a good espresso and then dump white sambucca into the cup. Sipping the sambucca is tremendous, this way.

Just one guy's opinion.

[DollyDagger]

Hmm, I hadn't considered coffee - thanks!

The absinthe and lime jelly shots worked well, though they did look a bit like something you'd serve at a teenage Halloween party.

[barleywino]

you could go with the Half Sinner Half Saint (strictly speaking this uses pastis instead of absinthe) http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/20...

[Faune]

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.blogsp...

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

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.

[DollyDagger]

The Dr Funk sounds incredible. I'll certainly try that out and report back!

I had thought of adding a splash of absinthe to a glass of champagne but it seems this isn't a good idea. Does it really taste vile or just not that great?

[JK Grence the Cosmic Jester]

It's not hideous. The absinthe does its usual thing and takes over; you don't really notice any of the champagne except the sparkle.

[argylew]

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.

[chazzerking]

I do a little different. I use Vieux Orleans absinthe(10 years old from France) and rinse a chilled cocktail glass with the absinthe, then stir on a shaker over ice; 2 1/2 oz. Rittenhouse 100 rye, 3/4 oz. simple syrup, 1 dash Peychaud bitters and a few drops of fresh lemon juice. Stir till cold and serve up, in the absinthed glass and garnish with a lemon peel.

[argylew]

Nice! I've also tried it with Sazerac 18 year rye with great results. The 18 year is difficult to get, though - they release it twice a year in very limited quantities.

What is it with 18 years on a whiskey, anyway? They all seem to get this wonderful layered spiciness to them.

[sku]

I love Sazeracs, and have done all manner of variations. Although rye is traditional, nearly any whiskey will make something interesting in combination with the other ingredients. I've even made it with heavily peated Scotch and it turned out wonderfully.

I also use Lucid Absinthe, though I use a demarra sugar cube muddled with bitters and water. And I use a dash of Angostura with my Peychaud's, which is pretty typical if nontraditional.

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2008/0...

[skb104]

I recently had a version of the traditional Sazerac recipe made for me using genever in place of the rye which worked really nicely. Not as spicy as a rye-based version of course but the maltiness of the Dutch gin helped give a familiar flavor to the drink.

[Carmelizedbunions]

Corpse Reviver #2:
-3/4 oz Gin
-3/4 oz Cointreau
-3/4 oz Lillet Blanc
-3/4 oz Lemon juice
- dash of Absinthe
This is a recipe from the Savoy Cocktail book, recipe calls for a dash but I like about a 1/2 oz of Absinthe and a little splash of soda also really lifts this drink up.