Absinthe

Black licorice lovers, this drink’s for you.

Absinthe—which is higher proof and packed with warm flavors—makes any glass of bubbly feel even more special.

Cubist painter Pablo Picasso was also a prolific sculptor. And his little-known absinthe glass sculptures, currently at the MoMA, reveal what it was like to go to bars in 1914.

This potent New Orleans nightcap is as much about the aromatic absinthe rinse as it is the Cognac and rye.

This riff off the classic sazerac features wine instead of rye whiskey.

Spritzes use mixers and ice, so skip pricey Champagne.

To make a no-churn version, use 1 cup cream in the custard and whip an additional ¾ cup. After adding berries, fold whipped cream into the base, then freeze in a plastic-wrap-lined loaf pan, 6 hours or overnight.

These fillings would also work wrapped up in a tortilla or lavash.

Mix this New Orleans classic hours ahead of time, says Andrew Volk, of Maine's Portland Hunt & Alpine Club, and serving it is as simple as pouring a pitcher of lemonade.

On a steamy New Orleans street called Rue Royal, in the early 19th century, a descendant of escaped slaves assembled a surprising mix of ingredients to make a cocktail that would outlast fads, floods, and whatever else his town could dish out. Antoine Peychaud's original elixir was a combination of Cognac, from Sazerac de Forge et Fils in France, and bitters made by Peychaud himself. Today the cocktail has evolved into a sublime mixture of rye whiskey, absinthe, bitters, lemon peel, and a hint o
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Green and frothy in appearance, this gin, lime, and absinthe cocktail is a whimsical warm-weather drink.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. This is basically an easy way to transform the well-known Absinthe Drip into an iced drink. To make the basic Drip, simply add an ounce of absinthe to a glass, set a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip icy-cold water over the cube until it dissolves. Those absinthe fountains that you see in old pictures are full of cold water, not absinthe, and allow boozers to dilute the drink to their preferred level. The absinthe in the glass will "louche," or turn cloudy. Add three to five times as much water as absinthe, to taste.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. In this case, because absinthe has a very strong flavor, the recipe doesn't call for much. In fact, a large number of cocktails including the Sazerac, Corpse Reviver #2, and even some tiki drinks call for just a rinse of absinthe. It is always poured into the glass, swirled, and then discarded. But still, it adds a layer of complexity to the final cocktail.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. Here, absinthe is paired with orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup. The egg white and cream give the drink a frothy, milkshake-like texture. (If salmonella is a problem in your area, omit the egg white or substitute pasteurized liquid egg whites.) In New Orleans, many people consider this a breakfast drink.