30 Best Absinthe Serving Recipes, Cocktails & Rituals

ABSINTHE HOW TO DRINK

If you didn’t know that you can make that perfect absinthe drink right at home, then this article is right for you. Absinthe is a spirit with very high alcohol content and an anise flavor, therefore it offers so many different and interesting ways of consumption. We often receive questions how to drink absinthe or whether it is safe to drink absinthe neat. First of all, it is same as with any other strong alcohol, you have to know your limits. Since genuine absinthe usually contains between 45-70% ABV (90-140 proof), one shot of absinthe is same as two shots of gin, vodka, whiskey or rum. So bear that in mind when drinking absinthe.

It is great when served on ice with small amount of water and it is our preferred way of drinking absinthe. With the traditional absinthe ritual, you can discover how strong this popular drink can really be. However, absinthe liquor is also great for cocktails, that is why we have prepared and tried so many absinthe cocktails for you to try. These absinthe cocktails are indulgent, gorgeous and make a welcome addition to any celebration. Many of these absinthe cocktail recipes have been prepared by famous bartenders and mixologists in London and Prague. Absinthe liquor is very famous drink in Prague, it is being served in many bars and clubs where you can try various absinthe cocktails and they all feature absinthe rinses. This makes sure that absinthe cocktails have some extra intensity and trace of licorice flavors.


THE CZECH ABSINTHE RITUAL

This 'ritual' was created as a marketing stunt in the late 1990's and has been accepted by many as a historical fact, especially after being incorporated into some modern films about the Belle Époque.

Pour a shot of absinthe liquor in a small tumbler glass. Take a teaspoon of sugar. Dip the teaspoon into the absinthe so that the sugar absorbs the liquor. Then, holding the spoon above the absinthe, set light to the sugar. Let it burn for a minute or so. The sugar will bubble and slowly begin to caramelize. Once the flame is beginning to die down, stir the shot of absinthe liquor with the sugared spoon (smothering the glass if it catches alight). Now add an equal measure of water, some ice and enjoy your absinthe drink.

Absinthe is very flammable. Please be very careful when performing this absinthe ritual!

Absinthe bottle pouring absinthe into a lawball glass.

First, pour a shot of absinthe liquor into a short tumbler glass...

A spoon above the absinthe drink in a glass, with sugar on fire.

Holding the spoon above the absinthe, set light to the absinthe-soaked sugar...

Original Absinthe bootle with absinthe drink on ice.

Add small amount of water, some ice and enjoy your absinthe drink!

TRADITIONAL ABSINTHE SERVING RECIPE

This is the traditional French absinthe recipe. The serving of absinthe in the 19th century was something of a ritual which involved pouring water over lumps of sugar sitting on special slotted absinthe spoons. The ritual arose because absinthe is traditionally bottled unsweetened, and many imbibers were accustomed to sweetened liqueurs that were popular at the time. The high percentage of alcohol (45-70%) kept the sugar from dissolving properly in the absinthe, so spoons were created and used to suspend sugar over the glass; it dissolved into the drink when cold water was poured during its preparation at the table.

First pour roughly three ounces of absinthe liquor into a heavy parfait-style stemmed absinthe glass. A perforated absinthe spoon is set upon the rim of the glass and on the spoon is placed a cube of sugar. Ice-cold water is ever so slowly dripped from a glass carafe or absinthe fountain onto the cube. The sugar dissolves and you continue pouring until the ratio of absinthe to water is about two to five parts, depending upon your taste and fortitude. Give the absinthe drink a spin with the spoon and drink like you dripped - slowly.

It's impossible to pinpoint the exact birth of the ritual, surrounded as it is by myth and legend. But it seems that absinthe was being drunk with added water and sugar from at least the 1850s, if not earlier. From this time illustrations and engravings show that a kind of long spoon or stirrer was often served with absinthe to help dissolve the sugar.

Bohemian absinthe recipes have always meant that less anise is used in local absinthe production, thus the majority of our products do not louche when water is added. The whole range of Absinthe Original turns slightly cloudy, however, they do not louche as such. It has no influence on quality whatsoever. Generally, French or Spanish absinthes are much sweeter.

Want to get the most out of your absinthe drink? The active ingredient thujone has its best effects within a half hour of drinking. Afterward, the effect you feel will be pure alcohol based, so make sure to pace your drinking so you enjoy the wormwood and the alcohol over the length of your experience. You know now how to experience the authentic absinthe ritual with strong, flavorful absinthe when it's mixed with water. As always, drink responsibly and in moderation.

ABSINTHE COCKTAILS

MOULIN ROUGE
25 ml Archers
12.5 ml absinthe
5 ml Grenadine

Top up with Red Bull energy drink. Garnish with mint tips and serve on ice.
TRAFFIC LIGHT
2 parts of cranberry juice
1 part of orange juice
1 part of absinthe liquor

Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice.
GREEN TEAR
1 part of Absinthe Original
2 parts of cranberry juice
1 part of Indian tonic water
1 slice of lemon

Shake well and pour into a cocktail glass.
MERLINS PICASSO
25 ml Absolut Citron
12.5 ml Drambuie
12.5 ml absinthe
Top up with Monster Energy drink

Garnish with lime and serve on ice.
MORTAL STAIN
1 ounce absinthe liquor
1 ounce Sour Apple Schapps
1 ounce Black Raspberry Liqueur
1 ounce Pomegranite / Cherry Juice

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients, shake well, let stand for approximately 2 minutes, then shake again. Serve in a martini glass, garnished with a maraschino cherry.
ABSINTHE FIZZ
1 & 1/2 shots Absinthe Original
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 egg white
seltzer

Shake with ice and strain into a highball glass and fill with seltzer.
HALLOWEEN SLASH
1/2 shot of lemon liqueur
3 shots of cranberry juice
1/2 shot of peach vodka
1 shot of absinthe
1/3 shot of orange juice

Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice.
DARK 'N DIRTY
1 part absinthe
3 parts coke
Garnish absinthe cocktail with a lime wedge

Pour 25ml of absinthe into a cocktail glass filled with cracked ice, top up with coke and squeeze the lime over the glass. Garnish cocktail with the lime wedge. It looks dirty and the secret is in the kick provided by the absinthe.
FIERY FAIRY
1 measure of Absinthe Bitter Spirit
A good ginger beer
Fresh mint

Pour a measure of absinthe into a tall glass, add a sprig of mint. Muddle the mint with the absinthe, add plenty of ice and top up with ginger beer, garnish with a sprig of mint and ginger as desired.
Possibly one of the most thirst quenching drinks ever for those long hot summer days.
PANACHÉE
1 shot of absinthe
1 shot of anisette
fill with ice-water

One of the earliest known absinthe mixtures. The addition of anisette adds sweetness to the drink, while reinforcing the feeling of 'freshness'.
It was commonly considered the only way a 'lady' should consume absinthe.
DESIRE
1/4 Absinthe Original
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3/4 lemon juice

Shake well and pour into cocktail glass.
ATOMIC BOMB
1/2 absinthe liquor
1/2 brandy

Stir and pour into cocktail glass.
ABSINTHE FLIP
1/2 oz Absinthe Original
1/2 oz Cointreau orange liqueur
2 tsp lemon juice
1 egg
1 tsp sugar
nutmeg

Shake ingredients well with ice. Strain into a pre-chilled lawball glass. Sprinkle nutmeg on top.
CORRIDA
1 shot absinthe liquor
1 shot vodka
1 can Red Bull

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into an ice-filled collins glass.
BELA FRAPPE
1 shot Absinthe Original
2/3 shot Volare Triple Sec
6-7 fresh Raspberries
juice of half a lime
dash of Monin Sirop de Framboise
Champagne

Muddle Raspberries with lime juice and Monin Framboise in a Boston glass. Top up with hard ice cubes, add Absinthe and Volare and shake hard in the Boston shaker. Double strain into a rocks glass filled with crushed ice. Top up with champagne and garnish with fresh raspberries.
ABSINTHE CURACAO FRAPPE
1 shot absinthe
1/2 shot curacao
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange juice
1 thin slice of orange

Stir ingredients and pour over crushed ice in a deep-saucer champagne glass. Add orange slice.
WHARF RAT
1 part of the white rum
1 part of Grenadine
1 part of Absinthe Original
1 part of Apricot brandy
3 parts of orange juice

Mix with crushed ice and top it up with absinthe.
MINTY COKE KICK
1 oz absinthe
1 oz Vodka
Coke
Garnish with sprig Mint

Shake absinthe and vodka with ice, then strain into a chilled highball glass full of ice. Fill with Coke and stir. Finally, garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.
75
1 teaspoonful of absinthe
2/3 ounce Calvados (French apple brandy)
1/3 ounce genièvre

Shake with ice and strain into a glass.
The original cocktail (or fear-preventative) was created during World War I and named after the French 75mm artillery cannon. In the 1920's, the 'French 75' - something completely different, and without absinthe, was created by Harry's American Bar in Paris.
ABSINTHE MARTINI
1.5 ounces Martini red vermouth
1 dash absinthe
1 dash orange bitters

Shake with ice and strain into a cocktail glass.
This cocktail was created around the beginning of the 20th century, when it became fashionable in France to drink 'American-style' cocktails.
ABSINTHE EYE
1/3 peppermint
2/3 absinthe liquor
Shake well and pour into cocktail glass.
HEMINGWAY
1.5 fluid ounces of Absinthe
Champagne

Pour absinthe into flute Champagne glass over ice. Top up with well chilled Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness.
CATHERINE ZETA-JONES
1 shot Creme de Mure
1 shot Absolut Mandrin
1 shot champagne
1 shot Absinthe Original

Pour carefully into a cocktail glass half filled with ice.
FIRE FAIRY
1 oz Amaretto
1/2 oz absinthe
1 can of Red Bull

Put amaretto in a large shot glass then float the absinthe on top. Light absinthe then drop into 1 pint glass with red bull. Drink and enjoy!
ABSINTHE MINDED
3 oz Bombay Saphire gin
1/2 oz Absinthe Original
1/2 oz Grand Marnier orange liqueur
dry vermouth
1 orange peel

Properly chill 1 cocktail glass. In mixing glass with ice, pour gin and absinthe, and stir. In your cocktail glass, roll 1/2 oz of dry vermouth and throw away the excess. Strain other ingredients into cocktail glass and float 1/2 oz of Grand Marnier over top. Garnish with orange peel.
ABSINTHE BOLLYSIDE
1 part of absinthe liquor
1/2 part of Jack Daniels
1/2 of gin
1/4 of Archers Peach Schnapps
1 part of Red Bull
A drop of cranberry juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled collins glass.
KNOCK OUT
1 teaspoonful white Creme de Menthe
1 shot absinthe
1 shot dry gin
1 shot French vermouth

Shake well with ice and strain into martini glass.
LETHAL ABSINTHE LEMONADE
1 part of Absinthe Bitter
2 parts of lemonade
2 parts of cranberry juice
Garnish with a lemon wedge

Pour absinthe into a chilled highball glass with ice. Slowly top with lemonade and cranberry juice. Garnish with a lemon wedge and enjoy your absinthe drink.
EARTHQUAKE
1/2 absinthe
1/2 cognac (don't use the Louis XIII - in fact a rustic Armagnac can be a better choice)

Dose both half volumes according to mood and combine in a brandy snifter. Swirl well to avoid eye-tearing. An ice cube and a splash of water will be a welcome addition.
Alternatively, recent research has shown that this cocktail benefits by being prepared in an absinthe glass and dosed with cold water, as one would prepare a traditional absinthe. Quite drinkable!
SUISSESSE
1½ ounces (40 ml) Absinthe
½ ounce (15 ml) orgeat syrup
1 egg white
½ ounce (15 ml) single cream
4 ounces (120 g) shaved ice

Combine all ingredients in a blender, blend for 5 seconds and serve in a chilled cocktail glass.
This cocktail is a staple at The Old Absinthe House in New Orleans - it's simple to make and ideal for a hot summer's day. It is also one of the finest 'morning after' remedies you will ever taste.

Do you have your own favorite absinthe cocktail, serving suggestion, mixture or recipe? Help us grow our extensive absinthe cocktail collection and keep sending your recipes, we'll publish them all here. And remember to visit our absinthe blog for more inspiring absinthe cocktails, meal recipes with absinthe, reviews, stories, and much more!

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