National Absinthe Day is, whoa, today! March 5. While absinthe may not be the It Spirit it was a few years ago, it’s finding plenty of action as a cocktail ingredient. Here are a number of absinthe-centric recipes to check out. Some are on the new side, while others are closer to classics.

Sour Cherry Absinthe Cocktail
by Daniel Hanawalt
¾ cup sour cherries (we substituted ¼ oz. Espinheira Ginja cherry liqueur)
2 oz Bacardi white rum
½ oz Vieux Carré absinthe
3 dashes Peychaud’s Aromatic Cocktail Bitters (we substituted King Floyd’s Cherry Cacao Bitters)

Remove the pits from your cherries. Place the cherries in a cocktail shaker and muddle thoroughly. Fill the cocktail shaker ¾ of the way full with ice. Add rum and absinthe to the shaker. Shake thoroughly and strain into a coupe or large cordial glass.

Blackthorn
2 oz. Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey
1 oz. sweet vermouth
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 dash Emperor Norton San Francisco Absinthe Dieu
1 lemon twist or wheel

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and fill with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist (or an orange twist if you prefer) and serve.

Dorflinger Cocktail
by Colleen Graham
2 oz. Plymouth Gin
1 oz. absinthe
dash of orange bitters

Gather the ingredients. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, pour the gin and absinthe. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add an extra dash or two of orange bitters to taste. Serve and enjoy! Use lemon instead of orange for a Third Degree cocktail.

The Chrysanthemum
2 oz. dry vermouth
1 oz. Benedictine
3 dashes of Fellows and Foragers Absinthe
orange twist

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass filled with ice and stir until chilled. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with an expressed orange twist. The only thing left is to enjoy!

Sunflower
courtesy Comme Ça, Las Vegas
½ oz. Kübler Absinthe
¾ oz. Plymouth Gin
¾ oz. lemon juice (we used homemade lemoncello)
¾ oz. St-Germaine
¾ oz. triple sec

Swirl the absinthe in a coupe glass to coat the inside, then spill out the excess. In a cocktail shaker, add the remaining ingredients and ice. Shake well, and strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Absinthe Colada
recipe courtesy William Elliott, Maison Premiere, Brooklyn, NY
1 oz. St. George Absinthe Verte
½ oz. rum
1 tsp. crème de menthe
1 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. coconut syrup
½ oz. lemon juice
mint leaves, for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth, and pour into a hurricane glass. Garnish with a bouquet of mint leaves and serve with a straw.

Absinthe Makes the Heart Grow Fonder
courtesy of goodfoodstories.com
6 strawberries, hulled and quartered
6-8 medium leaves of basil, minced plus additional sprigs of basil for garnish
2 Tbsp. simple syrup
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. Grande Absente (original)
1 Tbsp. vodka
1/3 cup water

Fill 2 rocks glasses with ice cubes. Muddle strawberries, basil, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker. Add absinthe, vodka, water, and a few ice cubes and shake well. Divide between the two rocks glasses. Add a sprig of basil to each for garnish.

Dauphin
by Franky Marshall
2 dashes Miracle Mile chocolate-chili bitters
½ oz. Demerara sugar syrup
½ oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur
1 oz. absinthe
1 1/2 oz. coconut almond milk

Build all ingredients in absinthe glass. Add pebble ice, stir to integrate. Garnish with cacao nibs and star anise.

Gulf Side
courtesy of Drew Sweeney, Bodega Negra, New York City
5 cucumber slices, divided
1½ oz. Del Maguey Vida Mezcal
¾ oz. lime juice
¾ oz. simple syrup
1 barspoon Pernod Absinthe

In a cocktail shaker, muddle 2 cucumber slices. Add remaining liquid ingredients and ice. Shake well, and strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with remaining cucumber slices speared on a toothpick.

Hey Natalie
recipe courtesy Dan Rook, South Water Kitchen, Chicago
1 oz. Sirène Absinthe Verte
½ oz. Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
½ oz. Velvet Falernum
4 dashes Fee’s Chocolate Bitters
1 egg white
orange zest, for garnish

Combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker with ice and shake well. Strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with orange zest, if desired.

Billionaire
from Dushan Zaric, Employees Only – NYC
2 oz. high-proof bourbon (cask strength)
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
½ oz. simple syrup
½ oz. grenadine
¼ oz. Letherbee Charred Oak Absinthe Brun
lemon wheel garnish

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks lass and garnish with a lemon wheel.

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