"absinthe" news and stories

Kohout Cocktail - LeNell It All

by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jan 20th 2010 @ 5:00PM

We had five wild turkeys and one wild hen, already, but how could we say no to a beautiful old cock whose male offspring exerted dominance in the farmyard. If you are not familiar with chicken politics, you cannot, under any circumstances, keep two roosters in close proximity without a fight over who's boss. Even this old guy our neighbor sold us for $2.50 couldn't hold back his pride as he entered our poultry pen. He immediately stuck out his chest and declared war on our turkeys ... and the cock is blind.

After separating the rooster into a different area and discussing his fate, Demián and I thought his valiance worthy of a toast. We searched through various old cocktail books and found nary a drink with the word "rooster" in it. An internet search turned up a few rooster notion potions such as vodka, orange juice and cranberry, but we figure the Madras already has that combination. No bold Fighting Cock bourbon from Heaven Hill Distillery is available around La Paz, so don't even mention a "cock-a-rita"or some other take on a classic made with this whiskey.

We decided on a more complex mix that I put together first at Montgomery Place, a wonderful little bar in London's Notting Hill neighborhood. Montgomery Place allowed me the honor of guest bartending a couple of times. The cocktail contains some of my homemade rock and rye and grapefruit bitters. I named the drink "Kohout," which is Czech for "rooster," in honor of the Montgomery Place bar manager, who grew up in the Czech Republic.

Filed under: Drink Recipes, Drinks, Spirits

Absinthe, Popovers and Salami - The New York Times in 60 Seconds

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by Sarah LeTrent, Posted Dec 23rd 2009 @ 12:00PM

popovers Photo: dumin, Flickr

By omitting the beef drippings from traditional Yorkshire pudding, Mark Bittman makes pillowy popovers.
The Green Fairy takes a bite out of the Empire State: Cheryl Lins is the first distiller of absinthe in New York.
The Southern Italian salami, 'nduja, has been dubbed "the spreadable Italian love child of pepperoni and French rillettes," and the "Lady Gaga of pork products."
Restaurants are using different fonts, type sizes, colors and page placements to up-sell diners on their menu choices.

Filed under: In 60 Seconds, Features

LeNell It All - Absinthe Service

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by LeNell Smothers, Posted Oct 28th 2009 @ 5:00PM

Photo: Ales Olasz

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label, called Red Hook Rye, and has been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

A dear friend who loves his absinthe fully deserved my splurge on a 1910 sample of pre-Prohibition absinthe as the perfect way to celebrate his birthday. Older absinthes made without the use of fake coloring often show off what the French call "feuille morte" (or "dead leaf"), simply meaning the green hue has turned more golden. This old sample had stood the test of time and proudly displayed a golden-green hue.

We tasted it on its own, then enjoyed a nice glass in traditional French style, diluted with ice-cold water, enjoying the slow milky color that appeared. The French call this precipitation of essential oils out of the absinthe the "louche." Other methods of serving might include the addition of anisette, maraschino or sugar syrup. The pure pleasure of tasting an old sample was enough for us to savor simply with sugar and water.

True absinthe is back on the retail shelves again in the U.S., but sad to say this delightful beverage is still grossly misunderstood. Yes, the real product contains wormwood. No, you will not hallucinate and kill people by having a glass of it.

Modern science has revealed that true distilled absinthe even made with wormwood contains very little thujone, the ingredient in artemisia absinthium that our government officials claimed to be so worried about. Funny thing is that the herb sage has more thujone than wormwood, but the FDA never banned it. The truth is absinthe was not "legalized" again in the U.S. -- it just took 75 years for someone to work through all the bureaucratic red tape to clarify thujone limitations.

Filed under: Drink Recipes

Bastille Day Food and Drink Roundup

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by Alex Van Buren, Posted Jul 14th 2009 @ 4:00PM

Absinthe drip and sugar cube.
Photo: Alex Van Buren.

So we've been all about Bastille Day for the last 24 hours, from petanque to moules frites, brioche burger buns to a gorgeous vegetable tian and even a Francophile-friendly absinthe-spiked cocktail.

We're not the only ones itching to get out the door and toast our friends in the Old Country (or the wonderful eats and drinks they've sent our way). For those who will celebrating the occasion at home, Chow has recipes for three lovely terrines; Serious Eats discovers the tapenades of Provence; and one of Slashfood's own beer columnists breaks down Saison style beer at Gourmet while his colleague tackles eight great aperitifs, several of which are French.

Perhaps the triumph of the online articles, however, is France Magazine's enormous feature on aperitifs. From Lillet to Suze to Noilly Prat, it's all there, and we'll be printing it out and tucking it into our bag. (They've just unlocked the online files especially for Slashfood.) Happy celebrating!

How will you celebrate Bastille Day?
Drinking French wine	24 (24.7%)
Drinking French beer	2 (2.1%)
Drinking French spirits	5 (5.2%)
Eating French food	22 (22.7%)
None of the above (tell us in the comments)	44 (45.4%)

Filed under: Raves & Reviews, On the Blogs, Drink Recipes

Starry Night Cooler - LeNell It All

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by LeNell Smothers, Posted Jul 14th 2009 @ 3:00PM

Starry Night Cooler. Photo: LeNell Smothers.

Alabama-born LeNell Smothers defines herself first and foremost as a bartender, but she's been called many things -- most recently, the proprietress of LeNell's liquor store. She's owned her own whiskey label called Red Hook Rye and been recognized by her home state as an honorary Colonel. Other interests include gin, sin and men.

Absinthe has been blamed for a lot of rowdy behavior, but I don't think any French folks could blame it for the storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789. Absinthe actually had its peak in France in the late 1800s, but the trend lasted into the early 1900s. Although it originated in Switzerland, most production during the heyday of the Green Fairy took place in southern France.

The idea for Van Gogh's magnum opus, "Starry Night," is also said to have originated in southern France. Although it was created a full 100 years after the Bastille showdown, I figured I'd celebrate le quatorze juillet with a tribute to beautiful night skies (black currant syrup), a bit of revolution (gin) and a touch of madness (absinthe). I call this my Starry Night Cooler. Oh, yeah, and to beat off the summer heat, I threw in some seltzer and a bit of family-recipe lemonade.

The recipe for LeNell's Starry Night Cooler is after the jump.

Filed under: Drink Recipes