Absinthe Cocktails: 50 Ways to Mix with the Green Fairy
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Product Description
Product Description
SALES HANDLE: What better way to capitalize on the rising popularity of absinthe than to feature the spirit in 50 different cocktails, plus provide a buyers' guide and history? * Since absinthe became street legal in the United States in 2007, the absinthe category has exploded, with 34 additional brands of absinthe available in 2009 than were available in 2008. * The author, Kate Simon, is well connected in the spirits world, and has included recipes from many of the darlings of the artisanal cocktails scene. We'll be sure to get lots of attention through her connections and for the includion of these tastemakers in the book. * AbsintheBuyersGuide.com is a popular Web site that receives about 250,000 server requests each week for information about absinthe from visitors around the world. Since its inception, it has served more than 55 million visitors. MORE NUMBERS: Forums of The Wormwood Society, a popular Web site dedicated to absinthe information, reviews, and recipes, receive questions and comments from tens of thousands of readers weekly: http://wormwoodsociety.org Fee Vert Forum experiences similar traffic: http://www.feeverte.net/forum/ PUBLICATIONS ON THE SUBJECT: Absinthe has received coverage in the New York Times: http://www. nytimes.com/2009/05/13/dining/reviews/13wine.html The New Yorker: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2006/03/13/060313fa_fact_turner The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/10/AR2008031002846.html Imbibe: http://www.imbibemagazine.com/Absinthe-Is-Back
About the Author
Kate Simon is editor-at-large at Imbibe magazine and author of Tiny Bubbles. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
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43 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Not for the college kid
13 April 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
I was thrilled to come across this book. I had always loved absinthe as sort of a cultural obsession and I had quite the supply personally imported during the forbidden years here in the States. But it honestly never occurred to me there was much you could do with it except drink it straight or with water and/or sugar. But there are over 50 recipes in here!
When I know about something, I am kind of a snob about it, so I was cynical about the historical and cultural content of this book, but it was well done and well written and I may have learned something after all. It's a well put together, neat looking book that just begs for attention from your coffee table - enticing pictures and interesting designs throughout. Fun to look through for any fan of a good drink.
And the drinks are good. But this book is definitely not for everyone:
In preparation for this review - and my own curiosity - I counted my liquor this morning. I have literally 144 different liquors and liqueurs in the house that I brought back from all over the world, and I can only make a couple of recipes in this book exactly as the author describes. There are even a few things I hadn't heard of before. The drinks have been fantastic without much need for reapportioning or anything like that, but it astounds me just how much my bar is missing. It will cost quite a sum by the time I get all this stuff, but the research and shopping will be fun, indeed. But only if that kind of thing is for you.
Some of the less common mixers asked for frequently in the book are Peychaud's bitters (you can get them here on Amazon), Cherry Heering, Creme de Violette, St. Germain, Benedictine, and Ginger Liqueur.
Also note that these are all drinks for people that like good cocktails. There are no recipes in here for college kids who want everything to taste like pineapple juice (thank God). And please don't buy artificially flavoured versions of the mixer liqueurs...
Oh, and quite a few recipes require egg whites for frothiness. I absolutely love 'em, but some people don't, I suppose.
All in all, a great book ...if you're into that sort of thing.
When I know about something, I am kind of a snob about it, so I was cynical about the historical and cultural content of this book, but it was well done and well written and I may have learned something after all. It's a well put together, neat looking book that just begs for attention from your coffee table - enticing pictures and interesting designs throughout. Fun to look through for any fan of a good drink.
And the drinks are good. But this book is definitely not for everyone:
In preparation for this review - and my own curiosity - I counted my liquor this morning. I have literally 144 different liquors and liqueurs in the house that I brought back from all over the world, and I can only make a couple of recipes in this book exactly as the author describes. There are even a few things I hadn't heard of before. The drinks have been fantastic without much need for reapportioning or anything like that, but it astounds me just how much my bar is missing. It will cost quite a sum by the time I get all this stuff, but the research and shopping will be fun, indeed. But only if that kind of thing is for you.
Some of the less common mixers asked for frequently in the book are Peychaud's bitters (you can get them here on Amazon), Cherry Heering, Creme de Violette, St. Germain, Benedictine, and Ginger Liqueur.
Also note that these are all drinks for people that like good cocktails. There are no recipes in here for college kids who want everything to taste like pineapple juice (thank God). And please don't buy artificially flavoured versions of the mixer liqueurs...
Oh, and quite a few recipes require egg whites for frothiness. I absolutely love 'em, but some people don't, I suppose.
All in all, a great book ...if you're into that sort of thing.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A good look at a classic drink
9 Feb 2011
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
When I open a book of drinks recipes the flavor of a drink is subjective but there are some important things I want to see which are not. These include does the writer make the drinks sound fun? Do they seem to be writing for me and not some elite club in darkened hallways with secret handshakes and is it possible to approach the drinks for experimentation without having to lay out lots of cash? Thankfully in Kate Simon's "Absinthe Cocktails" the answer to all these is yes.
For those who don't know absinthe, it is a very potent, licorice flavored, green liquor that was popular with the `in crowd' of artistic communities, most famously in Paris, during the `belle epoch.' Having the good fortune to hit Paris as the cocktail was being invented and the French wine industry was cursed by blight it became the in drink for many people but it fell out of favor and was banned due to cheaper production causing brain lesions and a resurgent French wine clique putting pressure on the culture. It is now enjoying something of a revival in a new, safer version.
Absinthe Cocktails explains this in more detail without being pretentious and manages to keep a sense of humor about the whole thing. After all this is about drinking. More than just the history of the liquor and the horrors its faux impostors created, Simon explains how it acts and why many recipes in an Absinth book have only a trace amount of the liquor.
When it comes to the drinks themselves anyone with a halfway decent bar set up will be able to start experimenting right after getting a bottle of absinthe. Beyond the recipe themselves Simon includes a few words on the history of the drinks and suggestions for altering them slightly if you don't like the taste.
Some of the drinks do have some expensive ingredients and a few odd mixes, but she provides recipes for some of the more obscure mixers and gives ideas how to get around some of the more off beat ingredients. The bottom line is that you can experiment without a massive outlay of cash and if you like it and want to get further into the subject, you're enjoying yourself enough to be willing to pay this.
The book is nice to look at with good pictures of the drinks and easily read instructions, a co-worker who doesn't drink even enjoyed leafing through my copy because it was so attractive, but the black pages with white lettering have the disadvantage that you can't really make notes on them about what you liked or didn't. since this is my only real quibble with the book and many people may not mark up their cook books it really doesn't affect it.
The bottom line is that Simon has produced an attractive and informative book that will let the inquisitive explore the world of the "Green fairy" easily and without too much outlay. Whether or not you like the flavor is subjective, that Simon has written a book that is approachable is not. Her tone is light and avoids being ponderous and since the ultimate aim is to have a drink and a good time, isn't that a good thing?
For those who don't know absinthe, it is a very potent, licorice flavored, green liquor that was popular with the `in crowd' of artistic communities, most famously in Paris, during the `belle epoch.' Having the good fortune to hit Paris as the cocktail was being invented and the French wine industry was cursed by blight it became the in drink for many people but it fell out of favor and was banned due to cheaper production causing brain lesions and a resurgent French wine clique putting pressure on the culture. It is now enjoying something of a revival in a new, safer version.
Absinthe Cocktails explains this in more detail without being pretentious and manages to keep a sense of humor about the whole thing. After all this is about drinking. More than just the history of the liquor and the horrors its faux impostors created, Simon explains how it acts and why many recipes in an Absinth book have only a trace amount of the liquor.
When it comes to the drinks themselves anyone with a halfway decent bar set up will be able to start experimenting right after getting a bottle of absinthe. Beyond the recipe themselves Simon includes a few words on the history of the drinks and suggestions for altering them slightly if you don't like the taste.
Some of the drinks do have some expensive ingredients and a few odd mixes, but she provides recipes for some of the more obscure mixers and gives ideas how to get around some of the more off beat ingredients. The bottom line is that you can experiment without a massive outlay of cash and if you like it and want to get further into the subject, you're enjoying yourself enough to be willing to pay this.
The book is nice to look at with good pictures of the drinks and easily read instructions, a co-worker who doesn't drink even enjoyed leafing through my copy because it was so attractive, but the black pages with white lettering have the disadvantage that you can't really make notes on them about what you liked or didn't. since this is my only real quibble with the book and many people may not mark up their cook books it really doesn't affect it.
The bottom line is that Simon has produced an attractive and informative book that will let the inquisitive explore the world of the "Green fairy" easily and without too much outlay. Whether or not you like the flavor is subjective, that Simon has written a book that is approachable is not. Her tone is light and avoids being ponderous and since the ultimate aim is to have a drink and a good time, isn't that a good thing?
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
This is a coffee table book...
10 Jan 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
There are a few things to know about this book.
First, it is a coffee table book more than it is a practical manual of "mixology". This is evident from the beautiful photos and the fact that more attention is paid to style than to substance. In part, this is probably due to the fact that most people are more familiar with absinthe as a stylish drink than they are as a viable spirit.
Second, absinthe is still a little faddish. This goes with the first. Realistically, if you tell people that absinthe is your favorite spirit, they're likely to think that you're either a poser or that you're a lush. In reality, the complex flavors of absinthe mean that (for those inclined to spend money) it is as reasonable a drink to enjoy amongst company as a fine Scotch. While I have tried a few of these cocktails, I vastly prefer absinthe mixed with something simpler, like Tarhun (a tarragon-flavored soda) or with water. I roll simple, but deep.
With those things in mind, it's not really that surprising that I don't really think that actually MAKING the cocktails is the point. Rather, you are supposed to put this book somewhere obvious (preferably near your absinthe glass and spoon), and have people marvel at your worldliness. Then, when they suggest a recipe to try it out, you mention that you're just fresh out of a few of the ingredients. In this way, your bluff isn't called.
If you ARE forced to actually make some of these cocktails, though, there are two things to keep in mind.
First, many of the ingredients in the book are relatively expensive. If you are willing to drop a significant amount of money, you can try most of the recipes. Many of the liquers required were things that I have never even heard of. Most of them were things that I've never tried. Be prepared to use a lot of things only once, and be prepared to spend. As such, you should perambulate and dodge it as long as possible.
Second, due to the obscure nature of absinthe, most of the cocktails don't really USE absinthe. They involve glass rinses, and a few drops of absinthe. Does that get the flavor in there? Probably a little. But often times, unless you're drinking top shelf, the delicate flavors of absinthe are not going to come through. You might as well just grate a little fennel into your rye and call it good. And if you're dropping stacks on top shelf for every ingredient, well...I guess that you have the dime to spare to buy this just for satisfying your curiosity. But, if you are avoiding making these, as I have suggested
As a reward, though, if you do have to mix one of these, the recipes are generally very interesting sounding, they usually look beautiful and have luscious, exotic names (like Necromancy or Sazerac), and the few I've tried are pretty decent. That said, as Eric C. Sedensky said, substitutions would have been welcome. But, it is important to recognize that this is not really a recipe book so much as it is to showcase the purchaser's sophisticated palate and interest in the forbidden, so I can't over-fault the author for providing a book that Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar would be proud of.
(Finally, I am taking a star away from this for the recipes that say, "Coat the glass with absinthe and discard the excess." Never discard absinthe. Ever.)
First, it is a coffee table book more than it is a practical manual of "mixology". This is evident from the beautiful photos and the fact that more attention is paid to style than to substance. In part, this is probably due to the fact that most people are more familiar with absinthe as a stylish drink than they are as a viable spirit.
Second, absinthe is still a little faddish. This goes with the first. Realistically, if you tell people that absinthe is your favorite spirit, they're likely to think that you're either a poser or that you're a lush. In reality, the complex flavors of absinthe mean that (for those inclined to spend money) it is as reasonable a drink to enjoy amongst company as a fine Scotch. While I have tried a few of these cocktails, I vastly prefer absinthe mixed with something simpler, like Tarhun (a tarragon-flavored soda) or with water. I roll simple, but deep.
With those things in mind, it's not really that surprising that I don't really think that actually MAKING the cocktails is the point. Rather, you are supposed to put this book somewhere obvious (preferably near your absinthe glass and spoon), and have people marvel at your worldliness. Then, when they suggest a recipe to try it out, you mention that you're just fresh out of a few of the ingredients. In this way, your bluff isn't called.
If you ARE forced to actually make some of these cocktails, though, there are two things to keep in mind.
First, many of the ingredients in the book are relatively expensive. If you are willing to drop a significant amount of money, you can try most of the recipes. Many of the liquers required were things that I have never even heard of. Most of them were things that I've never tried. Be prepared to use a lot of things only once, and be prepared to spend. As such, you should perambulate and dodge it as long as possible.
Second, due to the obscure nature of absinthe, most of the cocktails don't really USE absinthe. They involve glass rinses, and a few drops of absinthe. Does that get the flavor in there? Probably a little. But often times, unless you're drinking top shelf, the delicate flavors of absinthe are not going to come through. You might as well just grate a little fennel into your rye and call it good. And if you're dropping stacks on top shelf for every ingredient, well...I guess that you have the dime to spare to buy this just for satisfying your curiosity. But, if you are avoiding making these, as I have suggested
As a reward, though, if you do have to mix one of these, the recipes are generally very interesting sounding, they usually look beautiful and have luscious, exotic names (like Necromancy or Sazerac), and the few I've tried are pretty decent. That said, as Eric C. Sedensky said, substitutions would have been welcome. But, it is important to recognize that this is not really a recipe book so much as it is to showcase the purchaser's sophisticated palate and interest in the forbidden, so I can't over-fault the author for providing a book that Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar would be proud of.
(Finally, I am taking a star away from this for the recipes that say, "Coat the glass with absinthe and discard the excess." Never discard absinthe. Ever.)
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