Refreshing and restorative
The best way to appreciate absinthe and a perfect cooler on a warm day
Absinthe found its way into cocktails during the mid-1800s but was mostly added in tiny quantities, a few dashes here and there. It wasn’t until the unimaginatively-named Absinthe Cocktail enjoyed its heyday during the 1870s that bartenders began using the wormwood spirit as a base. However, this cocktail quickly went out of fashion and the more enjoyable, refreshing Absinthe Frappé moved into the spotlight.
Invented in 1874 in New Orleans, the frappé was a common drink of choice in American sporting circles and in the early 1900s an ode to the cocktail’s restorative powers was sung in Victor Herbert and Glen Macdonough’s show It Happened in Norland. Despite the spirit’s somewhat dubious reputation, well-made absinthe is superb and nothing showcases this point better than an Absinthe Frappé.
Make it at home:
Prep Time: 5 minutes | Serves: 1 | Skill: Easy
Ingredients
45ml absinthe | 45ml chilled water | 15ml sugar syrup | Cubed ice to shake | Crushed ice to serve | 1 mint sprig
Equipment
Cocktail shaker | Hawthorne strainer | Rocks glass
Method
1. Pour absinthe, water and sugar into one half of your cocktail shaker
2. Fill this with ice
3. Cover and shake well until thoroughly chilled
4. Strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice
5. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with a mint sprig