It takes a man with hair on his chest to drink five absinthe and Champagne cocktails, and still handle the English language in the Hemingway fashion. These aren’t our words, but those that accompany the first printed description of today’s drink: the Death in the Afternoon. The description and accompanying recipe appear in the 1935 cocktail book “So Red the Nose or Breath in the Afternoon,” and the Hemingway reference is by no means arbitrary.
This mix of French sparkling wine and absinthe wasn’t just created by Hemingway, it was also named after his 1932 nonfiction work. While a two-ingredient concoction served in a flute might seem simple, there are all of the usual “Cocktail College” considerations for us to explore today: specific ingredients, detailed preparation, serving temperature, riffs, and modern-day significance. Joining us to do just that is Kassidy Scholl, beverage director at New York’s Ask for Janice. Tune in for more.
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Kassidy Scholl’s Death in the Afternoon Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces absinthe
- 4 ounces Champagne
- Garnish: lemon or orange twist
Directions
- Add chilled absinthe to a chilled Champagne flute.
- Slowly add chilled Champagne.
- Express a lemon or orange twist to garnish then discard.
Kassidy Scholl’s Death in Havana Recipe
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce absinthe
- ¾ ounce white rum
- 1 teaspoon Maraschino liqueur
- 1 teaspoon velvet falernum
- Champagne, to top
Directions
- Add chilled absinthe, white rum, Maraschino liqueur, and velvet falernum to a chilled Champagne flute.
- Top with chilled Champagne.
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