Absinthe Eggnog: The ultimate Christmas cocktail

Eggnogs are perfect for Christmas. Low in alcohol, they are perfect for those people that don't want to get too tipsy. High in taste, they are delicious! Absinthe, of course, has a somewhat different reputation. It's strong and a little "evil" and is considered, by some at least, to be something of an acquired taste. Put all that together, and it is clear that an absinthe eggnog can be a delightful contradiction in terms, a real talking point at home and in bars. So I was delighted when my distiller partner started to make La Clandestine Crème d'Absinthe.

Apparently this style of drink, which is reminiscent of Bailey's, has been popular in Switzerland for some time. My distiller, however, wanted to make this with our absinthe. Swiss consumers loved it, as did international visitors to our distillery. 

I took a couple of bottles with me when I visited our importer, journalists and bars in the USA. Drinkhacker, the first journalist to taste it, was intrigued. "It’s super strange, yet surprisingly compelling." 

Robert Nikodem, Manager at Sage at the Aria Hotel, Las Vegas loved the Crème d'Absinthe. Sadly we had to tell him we couldn't sell it to him (not officially available in the USA, short shelf life etc). So his team developed their own version, considering all the absinthes they stocked (more than 15 at the time). They found La Clandestine to be the best absinthe for this cocktail, marrying perfectly with all the other ingredients. This proved to be such a success that it was listed separately at the top of the absinthe list ... and stayed there over Christmas, New Year and all the way to Easter (Easter and eggs is a good reason to offer this cocktail outside the normal Eggnog season).

Other bars in the USA, UK, Japan and Australia followed the example of Sage.  Café Bohème in London (part of the Soho House group) offered both hot and cold versions of Absinthe Eggnog.

So how can those making cocktails to drink at home make Absinthe Eggnog? Here are two options. Firstly a one drink version:

Secondly, a version which makes enough for two 750 ml bottles (thanks for this, Ron!):

Both versions are exceptional and are highly recommended. Santé! Joyeux Noël! Bonne et Heureuse Année!