Absinthe | Dayton937

A Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans from the 1890’s.

On Wednesday, Christians will begin the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. It is a day of fasting and reflection, complete with a trip to church and marking of the forehead with palm ashes. It occurs forty days (forty-six, if you are really counting) before Easter, indicating the time that Jesus spent in the desert fasting and meditating. Before that day is Shrove Tuesday, which is just exactly the opposite of Ash Wednesday. It is a day of all out partying, which changes from country to country. In some countries, it is a day of eating pancakes. Yes, pancakes. Or other pastries. They are made to use up the milk, eggs, and other perishables that would otherwise have gone bad after being untouched for over a month. In the United States, it is not that.

Our way of celebrating, much like Brazil, is to go on a bender for a day. There are parades, parties, and a day of getting in all the sinning we can before we work on getting rid of other sins for forty days. Parties will happen all over the country, but none will be bigger than the one in New Orleans. The city has always been ready for a good party. And Mardi Gras is their party of the year. Since the 1900’s, the city has been inviting the United States to come down and let it all go for one of their biggest days of the year.

It is also one of the biggest cocktail cities in the country. New Orleans is home to Tales of the Cocktail, one of the bartending industries top events, and the Museum of the American Cocktail. Many, many, MANY popular cocktails have been developed there, and Bourbon Street is very well known for its bar scene, among other things. If you did not make it down south for the party of parties, there is nothing stopping you from drinking like you are down there. Here are five cocktails that were invented in the Crescent City.

The Grand Daddy

The sazerac is a delicious, slow sipper to start the party.

For most people, the Hurricane is the cocktail of New Orleans. Historically, the Sazerac is older with more pedigree. It is arguably considered the oldest American cocktail. What can’t be debated is that it is named after the cognac it was originally made with. After American tastes bent towards whiskey, it became the primary spirit of the drink.

Sazerac (Adapted from The Sazerac Company)

1 sugar cube
1.5 oz. rye whiskey (or cognac if you want to be old school)
.25 oz. absinthe
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Glass: Old Fashioned
Ice: None
Garnish: Lemon Peel

In a chilled mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube and the bitters together. Then add the whiskey, add ice, and stir. In a chilled Old Fashioned glass, pour in the absinthe. Swirl the liquid around the glass, then discard the excess liquid. Strain the cocktail into the glass, twist the lemon peel over the drink, then serve.

Milk is a Good Idea

When New Orleans comes out to celebrate, someone brings the milk punch. A cocktail that goes back to colonial times, this is a staple in the southern drinking scene. If you happen to head to Brennan’s when you are in NOLA, order one. They are very well known for their spin on this classic.

Milk Punch

1.5 oz. brandy (or bourbon, if you choose)
.25 oz. dark rum
2 oz. whole milk
.5 oz. maple syrup
1 dash vanilla extract

Glass: Mug or goblet
Ice: None
Garnish: Grated nutmeg

Pour all of the ingredients into a mixing tin over ice. Shake well for 20-30 seconds, and strain into the prepared mug. Grate some nutmeg over the top of it and serve.

Shaken…and shaken…and shaken…

Look at the foam on that Ramos Gin Fizz!

James Bond, a fan of shaken drinks, would love this one. The original preparation of this cocktail called for it to be shaken for twelve minutes. Henry Ramos, the creator of this cocktail, would hire up to thirty people for Mardi Gras just to shake the drinks. They were in high demand. Not many places will shake it for that long anymore, but some bars will employ a machine to do the shaking for them.

Ramos Gin Fizz

1.25 oz. gin
1 tbsp. simple syrup
.25 oz. fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. fresh lime juice
1 fresh egg white
1 oz. heavy cream
3 drops orange flower water
1 oz. club soda

Glass: Highball
Ice: None
Garnish: None

Pour all but the club soda into a mixing tin with ice and shake hard for 1 – 2 minutes. Strain the mixture into the top of the tin and discard the ice. Shake for another minute, then strain into the highball glass. Pour the club soda gently into the mixture, until the foam reaches near the top of the class. Stir gently, then serve.

The above technique, shaking the egg with ice, then without, is called a reverse dry shake. It fluffs up the eggs a little more, and you can just pour the cocktail into the glass when you are finished.

Bring Back Brandy

Someday brandy will come back in a big way. With drinks like the brandy crusta on menus, I am hoping that day will be sooner rather than later. It was first found on a menu in New Orleans before the Civil War. Other variations of crusta have been attempted, but none had the sticking power of the brandy version. But when you have this recipe, what more do you need?

Brandy Crusta

2 oz. cognac
.25 oz. triple sec
.5 oz. fresh lemon juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
1 tsp. Maraschino liqueur
1 dash Angostura Bitters

Glass: Coupe
Ice: None
Garnish: Sugared rim and lemon twist

Rub a slice of lemon around the rim of the coupe. Dip the rim into a plate of sugar, rolling it to make sure the rim is covered. Tap off the excess, then put to the side. Pour the ingredients into a shaking tin over ice, then shake well for 20 – 30 seconds. Strain the mixture into the coupe, twist the lemon over the cocktail, add to the drink, then serve.

Storm’s Brewin’

A Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s in New Orleans. Where else?

This is the popular one. Most people heading to New Orleans are going to head to Pat O’Brien’s for their famous Hurricane. It was created in the 1940’s when Pat was forced to buy an unacceptable amount of rum to get a single case of whiskey. To get rid of the rum, he added passion fruit juice and other juices, poured it into a fancy glass, and gave one away to anyone who would take one. The legend was born, and the cocktail persists.

Hurricane

2 oz. white rum
2 oz. dark rum
1 oz. lime juice
1 oz. orange juice
2 oz. passion fruit juice
.5 oz. simple syrup
.5 oz. grenadine

Glass: Hurricane
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Orange wheel and a cherry

Pour all of the ingredients into a shaking tin over ice. Shake well for 20 – 30 seconds, then strain into the hurricane glass over fresh ice. Garnish with the cherry and orange slice.

BONUS: Flirting with The Faerie

With the heavy French influence in New Orleans, it is not a surprise that absinthe made its way into the culture. It was banned in this country for decades because of myths and poor science, but it has been making a slow comeback in the new cocktail era. It is an acquired taste; absinthe has a strong anise component. If you avoid the black jelly beans, you can just skip this one.

Absinthe Frappe

1.5 oz. absinthe
.5 oz. simple syrup
2 oz. soda water
6-8 mint leaves

Glass: Frappe
Ice: Cubed
Garnish: Mint sprig

Place the mint and simple syrup into a shaking tin and muddle the mint until you can just smell the aromatics. Add the absinthe, then shake well for 20 – 30 seconds. Strain the mixture into the glass over fresh ice. Top off with the soda water, then garnish with the mint sprig.

Today is the day to let it all hang out, because tomorrow is a day of somber reflection and humility. There are many celebrations happening all around the Miami Valley, where these and many other cocktails will be flowing freely. Break out the king cake (or the pancakes) and party the day away. Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Mr. Brian Petro is a designer, educator, mixologist and bon vivant. His quest for knowledge never stops and he loves to share what he learns with others. Today in honor of National Absinthe Day, we rerun this post where Brian researches the green liquid.

It was not too long ago that the only absinthe in the United States was smuggled in. You had to know the right people to get a taste of a cocktail that was cloudy, aromatic, and a little bitter. Sure, there were some legal, poor substitutes, but there ain’t nothing like the real thing. The legal state of absinthe was not the only draw; the possibility of not only getting a good buzz, but the possibility of hallucinating also attracted the curious and adventurous.

One of the allures of absinthe, or la fée verte (the green fairy in French), is the mystery that surrounds the drink. In the late 19^th century, it was a drink that was enjoyed across the European continent. Kings enjoyed it as much as the working class, which lead to a peak consumption of 36 million liters in France alone. It was so popular that they did not just have a happy hour; they had l’heure verte (the Green Hour). Some of the most creative people of the day were known to be avid absinthe drinkers, like Van Gogh, Gaugin, Oscar Wilde, and later Ernest Hemingway, who made his own drink with it (1 oz. of absinthe in a champagne glass, topped with champagne. He called it Death in the Afternoon). It was also such an interesting emerald color. And when you added the water, it took on a cloudier, softer complexion.

But rumors started to swirl that drinking absinthe caused hallucinations, possibly drove you insane (Van Gogh cutting his ear off didn’t help), or even kill you. They were spread not only by proponents of the growing temperance movement, but by bitter wine growers and merchants that were losing huge amounts of sales to the green liquid. And many of those artists who loved the liberating effects of the drink painted images of listless patrons being enveloped by green demons, or seduced by misty jade ladies. Eventually the universally loved beverage became a universally banned beverage, and with all of its “dangers” it stayed banned in most places for over 80 years.

What absinthe is is much less racy. It is a distilled spirit made with a blend of herbs that is fairly unique to each brand, and adds the green tint it is known for. Anise and fennel are common to all brands, giving the drink a distinctive black licorice flavor. There is also a subtle hint of bitterness on the end from the major culprit to the hallucination myth – grande wormwood. Wormwood contains a chemical called thujone, which in large enough quantities can cause hallucinations. Large quantities which will not be found in just a few glasses. Absinthe also runs at a higher proof than your average liquor, usually clocking in between 90 and 150.

In 2007, the United States allowed the production and importation of absinthe for the first time since 1912.

If you are looking to try some, Salar does have it as part of their liquor collection, and you can also purchase several brands of it at Arrow Wine. And what does one order it in? Glad you asked…

The Absinthe Drip

1.5 oz. absinthe
3 – 5 oz. ice water, in a pitcher or carafe
Sugar cube (optional)
Absinthe spoon or other slotted spoon

Pour the absinthe in the bottom of a wine glass or water glass. There is also a specially crafted absinthe glass, but it is not commonly found. If you are using the sugar, place the spoon across the mouth of the glass and place the sugar cube on it. Pour the water over the sugar cube so it all dissolves into the absinthe. As the water hits the absinthe, it will louche (cloud up), releasing some of the more subtle flavors in the spirit. Stir the rest of the sugar into the drink and enjoy.

It is rare to find a cocktail that uses absinthe as a major ingredient. But since it is close to Mardi Gras, here is a traditional New Orleans cocktail that will make you feel like you are there for the celebration.

Sazerac

2 oz. rye whisky
3-4 dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters
1 tsp. of sugar
Splash of absinthe
Lemon twist

Prepare two glasses, chilling one glass with ice and water for the cocktail, one to mix the cocktail in. In your mixing glass, muddle the sugar and the bitters together. When it is well mixed, add the rye whisky and some ice, and chill the whole concoction. Pour the ice out of the second glass and add the splash of absinthe, swirling it around to coat the walls of the glass. Pour out the excess absinthe. Strain the rye mixture into the coated glass, Twist the lemon peel over the glass, and drop the peel into the drink or discard it.

Five Cocktails For Mardi Gras