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).

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).

To begin with there has never been any other alcoholic drink that would be prepared so thoroughly and carefully. Even the poorest laborer in the lousiest bar would take their time to give the absinthe ritual a proper attention. There is no place for rush as far as absinthe is concerned.

Many years ago, when absinthe was not banned in any country and could be easily ordered in almost any bar or restaurant, a waiter would serve it with ice cold water and sugar separately, leaving the preparation of it up to the customer’s preference. It is true to say that due to the presence of the wormwood (‘Artemisia Absinthium’ in Latin) all absinthes possess a flavor bitter to some extent that is why they are commonly served with adding sugar.