Much like the absinthe ritual, the Absinthe Frappé is an apéritif that puts the green fairy centre stage.
Absinthe is an anise-flavoured spirit made with artemisia absinthium which is commonly known as wormwood. The high proof spirit is often assigned a minor role in cocktails and used as a rinse that coats the glass, imparts a herbaceous note and cuts down on sweetness.
The Absinthe Frappé is an aperitif that puts the green fairy centre stage. The drink was invented in 1874 by Cayetano Ferrer of New Orleans’ Aleix’s Coffee House, a bar now called Old Absinthe House. The New Orleans cocktail combines absinthe with simple syrup and mint leaves shaken hard and double strained over crushed ice and lengthened with soda water.
Absinthe Frappé is a thirst-quenching summer cocktail that combines herbaceous notes of absinthe and mint with a hint of sweetness and the refreshment of crushed ice.
Absinthe Frappé Recipe
Ingredients
- 45 ml absinthe
- 15 ml simple syrup (1:1)
- 6 mint leaves
- soda water to top
Glassware: tall glass
Garnish: mint sprig
Method
In a cocktail shaker, add absinthe, syrup, mint leaves and ice and shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker begins to frost. Strain into a tall glass half filled with crushed ice. Top with soda water and add more crushed ice. Garnish with a mint sprig.
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