Absinthe Frappé
The green fairy's cool kiss
There is something magnificently perverse about a drink that was once thought to cause madness, delirium, and death, and which nonetheless became the signature beverage of some of history's most celebrated minds. Oscar Wilde claimed that after drinking absinthe, he could feel the tulips brushing against his legs. Mark Twain sampled it at the Old Absinthe House in New Orleans. General Robert E. Lee apparently knocked back a few there as well, which perhaps explains certain strategic decisions.
The Absinthe Frappé was born in 1874, when Cayetano Ferrer, bartender at that very establishment on Bourbon Street, decided that the best way to tame the green fairy's notorious intensity was to chill her into submission. The result is a drink that manages to be both bracingly cold and warmly aromatic, the licorice notes of the absinthe softened by ice until they become almost medicinal in the best possible way—the kind of medicine you'd happily take twice daily.
When absinthe was banned in 1912 (the wormwood, it turned out, was more hallucinogenic than helpful), bartenders substituted Herbsaint and Pernod. Now that proper absinthe has returned to American shores since 2007, we can make the frappé as Ferrer intended. The madness, presumably, is optional.
Method
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1
Prepare the glass
Fill a highball or old-fashioned glass with crushed ice and set aside to chill while you prepare the drink.
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2
Muddle the mint
Place mint leaves in a shaker and gently press with a muddler to release the oils. Do not shred them—a few firm presses will do.
💡 The mint should whisper, not scream.
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3
Add the spirits
Pour absinthe and simple syrup over the mint. Add a handful of ice cubes to the shaker.
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4
Shake vigorously
Shake hard for 15-20 seconds until the shaker frosts over. The cold is essential here—absinthe warms the palate, so we counter with ice.
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5
Strain and top
Strain into your prepared glass over the crushed ice. Top with soda water and stir gently.
💡 The drink should be pale green and thoroughly frosted.
Notes & Tips
On absinthe selection
- • Lucid and St. George are excellent modern absinthes. For the authentic 1874 experience, look for one with a higher wormwood content and traditional distillation.
Variations
- • The Old Absinthe House version uses anisette instead of simple syrup for double anise intensity
- • An egg white adds silkiness and a beautiful foam (shake extra hard)
The name
- • "Frappé" comes from the French for "struck" or "iced"—the drink should be cold enough to make your teeth ache, in the most pleasant way.