Absinthe Cocktails – The Art of Herbaceous Infusions

Absinthe may have an unfavorable reputation (blame Oscar Wilde or Baz Luhrman for this!), but its beauty and herbal spiceiness cannot be denied. Furthermore, absinthe can serve as an exceptional base for cocktails that add unique twists to classic recipes–ranging from lemon-based sours and champagne cocktails to even surprisingly boozy New Orleans drinks!

While some purists insist on one specific variety of absinthe, most modern absinthe is produced by multiple distilleries across Europe and America. One notable brand, Henri-Louis Pernod’s Absinthe Verte is one such example; this spirit contains fennel anise and wormwood for an intense bitter-sweet flavor profile; other brands such as American-made St George Spirits use botanical blends to achieve multiple tastes.

Traditional French style of drinking absinthe involves placing a sugar cube on a small convex spoon balanced over a glass containing the spirit, then pouring iced water onto it slowly until a process called louching occurs: as high-proof alcohol dissolves with cold water, certain elements with less solubility such as fennel, star anise, or wormwood come out of solution to cloud the drink with their milky appearance and create an opaque opalescence that makes an elegant presentation of flavour!

Though absinthe can be easily substituted into any standard cocktail recipe, for maximum appreciation of its herbaceous qualities it is advised that you stick with simple preparations in order to best appreciate this potent spirit. Also be sure to clean bar tools used when mixing with absinthe as any residual residue could end up lingering in other drinks and spoiling their flavor!