It is not a secret that ‘Green Fairy’ is another very well-spread and frequently used name for the absinthe liquor. When hearing those two words many imagine an attractive girl in a stylized green outfit with beautiful airy wings or a mystery half-transparent ghost haunting behind a confirmed absinthe drinker’s back or rather a bottle of the liquor itself. However, did you know, that the same name also stands for an absinthe cocktail?

This very article is dedicated to the ‘Green Fairy Cocktail’ preparation instructions, and the information provided in it will enrich your absinthe drinks recipe potential as well as vary your drinking-party life.

The needed ingredients are the following:

• absinthe (2 ounces),
• GET 27 liquor (1 ounce),
• lemon juice (1 splash),
• sugar (0.5 teaspoon - optional),
• ice cubes (5 to 7 pieces),
• lemon slice or lemon peel.

The roots of this famous cocktail go far back to the early 19th century, and New Orleans is claimed to be its birthplace. Funny it is, but it was invented as a remedy for the tropical malaise. Actually, many believe that ‘Sazerac’ is the first cocktail ever made. And it is you, who gonna learn how to mix it today.

The name of the drink derives from the brand-name of the cognac, originally used for the preparation, which was ‘Sazerac-de-Forge’. However, you will never find it nowadays – it only became a part of the history – so you have to substitute it with another cognac brand. Rye whiskey works well for that.

Thus, you need:

• absinthe (1.5 ounces),
• Rye whiskey (2 ounces),
• Herbsaint (few drops),
• Peychaud’s Bitters (few drops),
• sugar (1 cube),
• crashed ice (one 3.5 ounces glass – optional),
• ice (2-3 cubes).

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).

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).

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).