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).

In the beginning of the 20th century France was overwhelmed by the fashion for the so-called ‘American-style’ cocktails. Therefore Europeans not only consumed the already existing shakes, but also invented those of their own. This one is a classic example of the early ‘American-style’ European cocktails.

Absinthe amateurs claim the ‘Green Fairy’ and vermouth blend perfectly due to the fact that they are both produced from the same herb – wormwood (or Artemisia Absinthium in Latin). However, one shouldn’t expect to experience the same ‘buzz’ from drinking dry vermouth, because the two alcoholic beverages are made not exactly from the same material. Absinthe is produced from the whole wormwood plant plus some other herbs, and vermouth – only from the wormwood flowers. Moreover, it contains less Thujone than the ‘Green Muse’, which explains the difference in the effect both create.

Alright, that is enough of the theory; let’s get down to the practice. In order to prepare the cocktail, one needs:

• gin (two ounces),
• dry vermouth (half ounce),
• absinthe (one splash),
• ice (three to five cubes).