The original name of the drink is ‘Tremblement de Terre’ which in French means ‘Earthquake’. It was invented by a renowned painter and a passionate absinthe drinker Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and, as many say, was probably drunk by him only.

It is an extremely strong drink, since the only two ingredients are:

• absinthe (half),
• cognac (half).

When asked what my favorite absinthe cocktail is, I always say: “Absinthe Minded”. However, it happened to me not even once that people got really puzzled after they had heard my reply, especially those who are not great absinthe drinkers, because my European accent disguises the first word a bit, so they naturally hear ‘absent minded’ and think I am a weirdo :)

It is a genuinely delicious drink good either for a noisy party with lots of friends or a calm evening in complete solitude. One enjoys it at whatever time of the day and in whatever mood or weather.

Thus, in order to prepare the famous Martini cocktail ‘Absinthe Minded’ you need the following ingredients:

• Grand Marnier (0.5 ounce),
• gin (3 ounces),
• dry vermouth (0.5 ounce),
• absinthe (0.5 ounce),
• orange peel,
• ice cubes (3-5 cubes),
• onion-stuffed olive (1-2 pieces).

Do you have any idea what instigated the absinthe prohibition in the United States? The answer is ‘Absinthe Frappé’ – one of the most popular American absinthe cocktails. In 1904 the famous Victor Herbert wrote the Broadway operetta “It happened in Nordland”, which contained a song about absinthe as well as called in the honor of it, written by Glenn MacDonough. The song became scandalously popular, and was played in almost every absinthe bar all over the country. Thus, it speeded up the introduction of the absinthe ban in the US on July 25, 1912.

Before starting the preparation of the renowned cocktail, make sure you have got at your disposal the following:

• absinthe (2 ounces),
• anisette (one splash),
• mineral water (2 ounces),
• simple sugar syrup (1 table spoon),
• crashed ice (full cocktail glass).

To those who are fond of Ernest Hemingway’s writings know “Death in the afternoon” as a classic work on the art of bullfighting. However, absinthe drinkers, even if ignorant of Hemingway’s literary heritage, will definitely recognize it as the name of the cocktail he contributed to the 1935 collection of celebrity recipes, called “So red the nose, or breath in the afternoon”.

The genius mixture of the ingredients and the effect the drink produces won it great popularity. Today is the day you gonna learn how to prepare it and enjoy the same cocktail the renowned Ernest Hemingway loved so much.

What you need is as follows:

• absinthe (1 ounce),
• ice-cold champagne (5 ounce).

In order to make your first acquaintance with the ‘Green Fairy’ an unforgettable experience you should get well-prepared. No doubt that the primary thing you need is the liquor itself. Nevertheless, a bottle of good absinthe does not make the ritual. Thus, this article is aimed at casting light on the variety of the absinthe accessories available nowadays.

Originally the emerald green spirit was served in regular glasses and water was dripped from an ordinary carafe. However, the drink was winning more and more admirers, and businesslike individuals figured it out that the production of specialized absinthe accessories would earn them a fortune. After the laws regulating the absinthe production, import and consumption banned the spirit in many countries, prices on the absinthe ritual equipment sky-rocketed dramatically. Today some antique slotted spoons can bring thousands of dollars to the owner.

Absinthe glass usually has a short thick stem and faceting, often representing ornate patterns. Another distinctive feature that helps to tell an absinthe glass from others is a dose line which indicates how much drink should be pored. The ‘reservoir glass’ has a small bulge at the bottom which marks the dose. Actually, the Pontarlier reservoir glass was the first type of glassware specially made for the ‘Green Muse’. Nowadays they come in many different styles: Egg and Swirl, Chope Yvonne, East, Cordon, Reservoir and Pontarlier glasses.