"absinthe" news and stories

Seattle bartender Evan Martin won $1,250 with his tiki punch that a group of four judges declared as the official cocktail of this year's Tales of the Cocktail July 21-25 event in New Orleans. Over 150 drink recipes were submitted. Who knows whether all 150 recipes were actually created and tasted as often times with these types of competitions a few eye-catching recipes are culled from submissions to make the competition a little easier on the judges.

Judge Jeff "Beachbum" Berry admitted judging so many drinks wasn't easy, saying, "Often it came down to the originality of the garnish..."


The winner dressed itself with a garnish that looked like a guy hanging off of the drink with a cherry head, pineapple leaf arms and citrus peel dangling legs.

By the time you assemble all these ingredients you may want to spear yourself as a garnish.

Find the winning Tales of the Cocktail recipe after the jump...

The Sazerac Company delighted fans of anise recently by resurrecting the original recipe first used by J. Marion Legendre for Herbsaint. Legendre had learned about absinthe while stationed in France during World War I. The original product was called Legendre Absinthe; however, just months after his product launch back in the 30's, the U.S. Government forced him to remove the word "absinthe" from the label despite the fact that his product contained no wormwood. His cleverness resulted in the moniker "Herbsaint." Soon his slogan "Drink Herbsaint wherever absinthe is called for" was followed by imbibers.

With the absence of absinthe, Herbsaint became the anise flavor in the beloved New Orleans cocktail called the Sazerac, NOLA's official cocktail by legislative decree.

How appropriate that The Sazerac Company bought the brand in 1949. Later in the 50's, the flavor profile changed giving more star anise power; yet, the actual alcohol power was lowered from 100 to 90 proof. Thankfully, the original recipe remained in the archives of Sazerac.

Happy National Absinthe Day!

Known for its mood-shifting powers, this stormy wormwood liqueur gets a bad rep - famous impressionist Van Gogh is reputed to have cut off his right ear while under its spell. But as embraced as it may have been as the hallucinogenic of choice by the Bohemians of Belle Epoque Paris, in moderation, absinthe makes for a flowery, delicate, nuanced drink.

Legalized in the United States in 2007, the "green fairy" has increasingly been showing up in cocktail menus across the country. For some inspiration, check out Epicurious' Top 5 Absinthe Cocktails -- or link to your favorite recipes in the comments.

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Awhile back I taught an absinthe class followed by a night of guest bartending with absinthe in London. Fellow bartender Aleš Olasz and I worked on a few new concoctions, and his idea for the Celery Fairy was a winner with guests all evening. The drink eased newcomers into absinthe with the freshness of celery and the bright fruitiness of Floc de Gascogne.

Bars that serve bloody mary's typically have some celery on hand, but most don't have Floc de Gascogne, an aperitif from the Gascogny region of France (also where Armagnac comes from). Originally drank among family and friends, this tasty mix of fresh grape juice and Armagnac brandy became legal to sell in France in 1976, so you won't find it as an ingredient in old cocktail books. In 1990 it was approved to become an ''Appellation d'Origine Controlée'' (AOC). You may find Floc in a white or red (rosé) version, and once open, it's best drunk within three months, even if refrigerated. On its own it's typically prepared chilled without ice, but we find it also adds life to a few new cocktails like this one.

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• Vodka is just a day job for this absinthe maker.
• Ah, c'est tres moderne: These venerable Parisian restaurants are both angling themselves for twenty-first-century customers, but in very different ways.