Traditional French Style Absinthe Cocktail
An absinthe cocktail made in the traditional French style with an absinthe spoon and one of the oldest brands of absinthe: Pernod
City/Region: France
Time Period: Pre- WWII
Absinthe’s bad reputation is the result of a very successful smear campaign spearheaded by the unlikely alliance of the temperance movement and the French wine industry. Both parties, though opposing in nature, had the common goal of taking absinthe’s popularity down a notch. The events leading up to the widespread ban of the spirit included a quack doctor, a phony medical condition, and MURDER.
The water dripping into the absinthe turns it a lovely opalescent white, and it’s a wonderfully mild, sweet cocktail that is light enough that I could see myself sipping one in a French cafe of an afternoon. The main flavor that comes through is anise, so this may not be for you if you’re not a fan of it or black licorice.
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce absinthe*
- 1 sugar cube
- 3 to 5 ounces chilled water
*See notes below
Instructions:
- Pour 1 ounce of absinthe into a glass.
- Place an absinthe spoon over the glass and place the sugar cube on top of that.
- Using either an absinthe fountain, carafe, or whatever else you have, slowly drip the ice water over the sugar cube. The absinthe will turn a kind of opalescent white.
- Once the desired amount of water has dripped in, give the cocktail a stir with the absinthe spoon to make sure all of the sugar is incorporated, and serve it forth.
Notes
- I used Pernod, one of the oldest brands of absinthe. Find it and other liquors used on the channel in my curated collection at Curiada
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy something through them, it does not cost you anything more, but we will get a small commission which helps keep the site up and running. Thanks!