Absinthe

A blend of two icons, the Sazeraquiri is greater than the sum of its parts.

Green and frothy in appearance, this gin, lime, and absinthe cocktail is a whimsical warm-weather drink.

Hailing from the historic New Orleans restaurant La Louisiane, this spiritous cocktail is a less-vaunted member of the Southern cocktail canon.

The classic Corpse Reviver #2 cocktail combines equal parts gin, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and Kina Lillet, an aperitif. It’s an easy drink for happy hour.

Inspired by a Sazerac, here's a super boozy, herbal-Scotchy drink that'll relax your shoulders, loosen your tongue, and clear your mind—basically, everything you need a stiff drink to do.

Basically, this is a Martini made intriguing by a splash of absinthe. If this ends up being your deathbed drink, you didn’t do too badly.

This potent New Orleans nightcap is as much about the aromatic absinthe rinse as it is the Cognac and rye.

Mix this New Orleans classic hours ahead of time, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.

Corpse Revivers were once a category of drinks, what might now be categorized as "hair of the dog" cocktails. The most famous of these is the Corpse Reviver No. 2, of which Harry Craddock wrote in his 1930 Savoy Cocktail Book, "Four of these taken in quick succession will unrevive the corpse again." By the end of the twentieth century, No. 2 was the only Corpse Reviver anyone could remember, if in fact they knew any at all. In this variation on No. 2, absinthe replaces the gin, and St-Germain fills in for Lillet—a Corpse Reviver of the future.

Stephen Cole, bartender at The Barrelhouse Flat in Chicago, created this dressed-up take on the classic gin and tonic for our story Spring Cocktails Perfect for Brunch. While you should feel free to use your favorite gin, for this absinthe-laced cocktail, Cole suggests trying Hayman's Old Tom Gin, which is slightly sweeter than more traditional English dry gin.

Now the official cocktail of New Orleans, this spicy, heady concoction was the creation of a Creole apothecary named Peychaud whose medicinal tinctures became after-hours cocktails with the addition of whiskey and sugar.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. In this case, because absinthe has a very strong flavor, the recipe doesn't call for much. In fact, a large number of cocktails including the Sazerac, Corpse Reviver #2, and even some tiki drinks call for just a rinse of absinthe. It is always poured into the glass, swirled, and then discarded. But still, it adds a layer of complexity to the final cocktail.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. This is basically an easy way to transform the well-known Absinthe Drip into an iced drink. To make the basic Drip, simply add an ounce of absinthe to a glass, set a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip icy-cold water over the cube until it dissolves. Those absinthe fountains that you see in old pictures are full of cold water, not absinthe, and allow boozers to dilute the drink to their preferred level. The absinthe in the glass will "louche," or turn cloudy. Add three to five times as much water as absinthe, to taste.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. Here, absinthe is paired with orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup. The egg white and cream give the drink a frothy, milkshake-like texture. (If salmonella is a problem in your area, omit the egg white or substitute pasteurized liquid egg whites.) In New Orleans, many people consider this a breakfast drink.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe, but Ernest Hemingway gets credit for the recipe. His advice, circa 1935: "Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly." We recommend drinking fewer than five. You may also try pouring the absinthe on top instead—some brands of absinthe will float for a time on the Champagne, and this makes for a nifty visual effect.

The Chrysanthemum can be found calling for varying proportions of ingredients in different recipe books—the brands of absinthe and vermouth chosen will greatly influence the drink's flavor profile.

This adaptation of a classic recipe comes from Eben Freeman, bartender of Tailor Restaurant in New York City.

This fennel-and-scallion-enriched version of tyropita (Greek cheese pie) uses feta and cottage cheese to create a filling that's mildly tangy yet mellow.

Babi Chin
This tender braised pork is wonderfully easy to make. The aromatic spices — cinnamon, clove, and coriander (which is toasted before grinding to deepen its taste) — add so much flavor that there's no need to brown the meat before braising it.

Top this with dollops of chilled whipped cream or scoops of vanilla ice cream.