Virginia Davis, manager, Pirate’s Alley Café/Absinthe House, New Orleans
The ”Bloody Fairy?” Gimmick or classic? Let’s explore this..
By “Bloody Fairy,” of course, I mean an absinthe equivalent of the “Bloody Mary.” Sounds simple, or so I thought.
But it turns out that there are different directions this could go: it could be a standard spicy Bloody Mary with a few dashes of absinthe as seen here:
Or it could be a completely different (and not spicy) drink using absinthe, cranberry juice and tonic water as seen here:
Or it could be a drink in which absinthe completely replaces vodka as mentioned here:
I believe the last option included here fits far better with the "Bloody" proposition and is clearly more "Fairy" related.
I used this starting point on my 2018 visit to New Orleans and later at home. I now believe I am close to the perfect Bloody Fairy, loved by bars, using tweaks from famous cocktail experts, and indulging my own preferences too. It’s been a tough journey but someone had to do it!
Firstly I see little need to tamper with the "Bloody" element, For bars serving very spicy or alternatively more mellow Bloody Marys, you know what works for your customers, so don’t tamper with that element. That’s what your customers want, whether it be a brunch cocktail, aperitif or even digestif (a good Bloody Mary can indeed be all of these). So I will not detail or define here the spicy tomato element of this cocktail: what works for your customers in your bar or for you at home in a Bloody Mary will work for you in a Bloody Fairy.
Moving onto the absinthe element, it is clear that absinthe can be a polarising taste. While vodka can be somewhat blander. I believe less bitter absinthes work much better in this cocktail, complementing the tomato juice and the spicy elements, rather than fighting with them. For me, and the New Orleans bartenders we tried this with, Butterfly Classic Absinthe worked really well, with respectable strength (65%), little bitterness, and a flavour profile that complements tomato and spices. Butterfly has a traditional recipe base of herbs and spices which complement the spices used in Bloody Mary; it also has hints of citrus and mint that sit well alongside tomato juice.
Butterfly's US heritage makes it a perfect ingredient in this Bloody Mary twist, given that the Bloody Mary may have been born at the New York Bar in Paris in 1921 or in New York itself in the 1930's, and it is certainly a cocktail which is most popular in the USA.
So this was the start of the drink: a traditional tomato/spice mix and Butterfly Absinthe. A prototype Bloody Fairy that I drank in bars in New Orleans in September 2018. Firstly in The Old Absinthe House with Jackie and her team:
(yes, I know the Bloody Fairy glass is empty: a clear indication that this was the most popular of the three cocktails we shared)
at other bars around New Orleans:
and at Tony Seville's Pirate's Alley Café and Absinthe House (see photo with Virginia Davis at the top). We all loved it.
However I recognise that the slight element of bitterness in any good absinthe may not work for everyone, and after consideration I realised that an extra ingredient I had enjoyed in Bloody Marys a few years ago would really be the icing on the cake,
Sherry.
I researched further and I found that some of the world’s most celebrated cocktail experts have used sherry to complete their Bloody Marys. If this idea is good enough for Erik Lorincz (formerly of The Savoy)
Manzanilla or Fino didn’t seem quite right, so I was interested to consider a cream sherry. I was not alone, judging by this article from a British newspaper:
So there we have it. The perfect Bloody Fairy recipe:-
1. Tomato juice and all the usual spices and garnishes: exactly how you would combine them in your Bloody Mary.
2. Spirit:
Either replace all the vodka with Butterfly Absinthe, an American-style absinthe. Noting that this comes in at 65% alcohol, then you could perhaps reduce the amount of absinthe to around two-thirds of the amount (of vodka) you would use in a Bloody Mary.
Or replace half of the vodka with Butterfly Absinthe, so a smaller amount of Butterfly and half of the vodka.
3. The icing on the cake: float Cream Sherry on top.
We hope you love this Bloody Fairy as much as we do! It is much much more than a gimmick and deserves to become a new classic cocktail. And, as it's Oscar season, I'd like to thank Bernie for all her help in New Orleans and for sharing a few Bloody Fairies! Cheers!
On August 4th, 2015, many absinthe lovers were quite dismissive of a new video which appeared on BuzzFeed that day: "Americans try Absinthe for the First Time."
Initial comments included: "Just silly, "Makes us Americans look like idiots," "It boggles my mind to believe that people STILL believe that absinthe makes you "TRIP" balls .."
Then the comments changed to "Well, at least they prepared it properly and used actual absinthe," and recognition of how BuzzFeed works: "If it isn't ridiculous then BuzzFeed doesn't want it. Hipsters pretending to trip ballz on just alcohol generates views, education does not."
And this video has certainly generated views: over 2.1 million YouTube views at the time of writing, making it by some way the highest viewed absinthe video ever shown on YouTube (and thus probably globally). It also has more likes (over 65,000 likes) and more comments (over 2,500) than any other absinthe video. The video was also posted on Facebook, where (as of October 8, 2015),it has had over 20 million views, over 180,000 likes, over 280,000 shares, and over 44,000 comments!)
Here are the rest of the Top Five YouTube absinthe videos. They are here for completion only, and I don't recommend wasting too much time watching them (apart from the absinthe glass drawing video).
A video for IOS Jailbreak software. Nothing to do with real absinthe. 1.4 million views.
The absinthe effect. Nothing to do with real absinthe, this video just shows the effect of being very drunk. 1.2 million views.
How I drew an absinthe glass. At last a good video that is partly about absinthe. Also 1.2 million views.
Shoenice slams absinthe. Showing how to drink a whole bottle of Lucid Absinthe at one go. Just under 1.2 million views.
I wanted to put up those other 4 videos as well to highlight a couple of points:-
a) Sadly there doesn't seem to be any great interest in good educational videos for real absinthe. There are some educational videos further down the top 20 list, but most of them choose products that absinthe connoisseurs would not recognise as real absinthe and one includes the burning option.
b) It is all too easy to associate drinking absinthe with getting drunk or "other" effects. The BuzzFeed video's stars are either claiming to experience those "other" effects, or are actually experiencing placebo effects. Entertaining, perhaps, but not very educational or informative. At least it is not focused on watching people getting drunk!
c) Viewing all five videos, and then reading the comments underneath the BuzzFeed video, there remains an enormous, ongoing need for education about absinthe. What it is, what it does and how to drink it.
Ignoring the video's humorous elements, BuzzFeed clearly shows how to drink it.
With chilled water (3 - 5 parts).
The fountain is optional: a decanter or carafe can work just as well.
Maybe with a sugar cube, although a lot of good absinthes do not need any sugar.
Not as a shot, and definitely not burnt.
It skips briefly over what it is ...
and doesn't really answer the question of effects here:
There is NO difference between absinthe in the past and "modern absinthe," except for the fact that some "bath-tub absinthe" made in the 19th century may have been poisonous!
BuzzFeed makes one very good point, maybe without realising it. It chose two absinthes in smaller (200 ml) bottles for its video: La Clandestine and St. George.
Smaller bottles are an ideal way to try absinthes for the first time before committing to a full bottle purchase. In fact smaller bottles may also be a good way for some bars to start with absinthes (especially if they want to offer a broader range or if they expect a lot of their absinthe to be used in dashes or rinses).
BuzzFeed shows people socialising and having fun with absinthe, hints at its naughtier side, but also illustrates the issues and opportunities for absinthe. BuzzFeed videos are produced in Los Angeles, and it seems rather surprising that none of the cast have tried absinthe before. If the characters in this video (trendy, well-off Californians) really are trying absinthe for the first time, then absinthe companies have some way to go to create trial and interest.
I find the comments beneath the BuzzFeed video to be of greater concern (current ignorance) and to highlight the opportunities (overcoming ignorance will attract and keep tomorrow's consumers). There continues to be a lot of misunderstanding about absinthe, but BuzzFeed has helped to correct some of that. For those of us in the absinthe sector (making, marketing, selling absinthe), the need for education continues. Bars and retailers serving and selling absinthe correctly will do a lot to address the ongoing ignorance about the category.
I would love it if BuzzFeed had made an even better educational video, but their film is, in overall terms, a positive for the category. I'm pleased that BuzzFeed chose 200 ml bottles for the video (La Clandestine and St. George): they are a great way to try an absinthe for the first time.
Finally, an absinthe video that is a little more educational. I've pulled together a collection of photos (taken by Peter Wilhelm) showing the wonderful 2015 Grande Wormwood harvest featuring a top wormwood grower, Yves Currit and several absinthe makers, including Claude-Alain Bugnon. The wormwood is now being dried (see the last few photos) and the absinthe will be available in 2016 should BuzzFeed be ready for another video about absinthe!
"Ranked #1 in the Nation in Liver Transplants?" Yes, that's the sign at New Orleans Airport. We can't claim we weren't warned!
"New Orleans has always been the centre of absinthe culture in the United States." (Source: The Absinthe Encyclopedia). That sounds more like it.
New Orleans: the home of Tales of the Cocktail, probably the world's biggest event for bartenders, drinks brand ambassadors and owners, and anyone else who is interested in cocktails. The word "probably" may not be needed there.
Yet after more than 20 years in the drinks business and after nearly nine years promoting absinthe, 2013 sees my first visit to Tales and my first visit to New Orleans. And for my first visit, I'm privileged to have been chosen to run a seminar in front of 170 people who probably know a whole lot more about cocktails than me. Luckily I will have help for that!
MONDAY
I arrive in New Orleans a full three days before our seminar, because I want to absorb the atmosphere, see some of the bars (especially those selling absinthe), and attend a couple of other seminars to see how the more experienced Tales presenters handle the event.
I start slowly.
The Old Absinthe House is about 100 yards from my hotel (the Monteleone) and I don't want to exert myself in the legendary New Orleans July heat and humidity. I'm pleased to say it was hotter in both New York and in London, and NOLA had nothing like the humidity I experienced living in South East Asia.
Absinthe fans have been rather dismissive about the Old Absinthe House which apparently has a record of burning absinthe. I came back here several times during my stay, and I didn't have or see a single burnt absinthe all week. The range available is not enormous, but there are two or three higher quality absinthes ...
As well as the classic drip, the Old Absinthe House offers absinthe cocktails, including the Absinthe Frappé that was created here.
but I decided to have my first NOLA Absinthe Frappé at one of the most famous mixology bars in New Orleans: Cure.
A great bar with wonderful cocktails and a good selection range of quality absinthes: La Clandestine, Vieux Pontarlier, Nouvelle Orleans and Ridge Blanche.
TUESDAY
A working day, finalising my presentation. Later I had my first Sazerac in NOLA at Sainte Marie. Made with Herbsaint as seems to be the norm in New Orleans.
Later that evening we went to the Copper Monkey Grill in the French Quarter. Quite a big range of absinthes including La Clandestine, Nouvelle Orleans, Lucid and Kübler. They also carry Grande Absente, Mata Hari, and La Fée. Classic drip used.
WEDNESDAY
The first day of Tales, so I attended a couple of seminars, mainly to learn from other presenters how they managed the combination of entertainment and content. The Art and Philosophy of Hospitality had a star-studded cast, led by Jacob Briars. The cast were both entertaining and very interesting, and I saw a lot of notes taken by the audience. Midnight in Paris: Cocktails of the lost generation closely ressembled the theme of my seminar, and I enjoyed seeing how Philip Greene made the seminar highly relevant to a bartender audience AND interesting to a student of Hemingway and Paris.
In between these two seminars, I had a very liquid lunch with some customers at Stanley. Since the 1900's Butterfly Absinthe is on the page facing New Orleans in the Absinthe Encyclopedia, this was a fitting place to break open one of the first US-legal bottles of the re-launched Butterfly (now made in Switzerland),
as well as the very interesting barrel-aged version of La Clandestine (not yet legally available in the USA).
Wednesday evening: no bars visited. I was inspired by the seminars I had seen to amend our own presentation, so had too much work to venture out. Or maybe I went out for a quick drink at the Old Absinthe House? Much of this week has become a blur when looked at two weeks later, so maybe I did ..
THURSDAY
More than 8 months after submitting our seminar proposal to Tales of the Cocktail, the day to deliver it had finally arrived. Hundreds of emails, Facebook messages, texts, conversations, and meetings; hundreds of hours of research; all would all come down to 90 minutes that afternoon. And I was doing just one seminar. Imagine all the work done by Ann Tuennerman and her team at Tales to put on more than 50 seminars and hundreds of other events..
But first one more seminar to watch: Modifiers: Eternal Life for Cocktails, led by the irrepressible Philip Duff, followed by the Indie Spirits that Rock mini-exhibition. How strange to run into Simon Difford here, and to have the opportunity to discuss my absinthe with him briefly: we'd both had to fly in from London to meet up in NOLA! And, of course, that's what makes Tales so special: the meetings planned and unplanned with colleagues, customers, and competitors: I met customers - and prospects - from all over the USA and the UK at Tales (and from a few other countries I won't reveal here since my competitors may be reading).
The Blackthorn is one of several Savoy absinthe cocktails I had not tasted before: the ingredients worked well together.
The ATTY and the Jeyplak are just two of many absinthe cocktails from the Savoy that also have gin and vermouth. The addition of Creme de Violette in the former enhanced the cocktail from both taste and visual standpoints, and hopefully inspired the audience to think again about many of the cocktails in the Savoy: as fresh and original today as they were 83 years ago.
Some of my readers will know that our seminar was sponsored by Pernod as well as by Plymouth Gin and Drink Up New York. I told our audience that Harry Craddock didn't make as much use of lemon/lime juice with absinthe as he could have. Modern mixologists agree with both Pernod and La Clandestine in making some great cocktails with absinthe, lime juice and sugar or simple syrup.
Talking of which, it was nearly time to let my hair down and celebrate the completion of our seminar and turn to some refreshments. But firstly I had the opportunity - and the pleasure - to meet and share a drink or two with César Giron, Mathieu Sabbagh and Anne-Louise Marquis of Pernod, along with Brian Robinson, Review Editor of the Wormwood Society and Maxwell Britten from Maison Premiere, probably the best absinthe bar in the USA.
Brian and I tasted the "Original Recipe" Pernod Absinthe; the Pernod team tasted La Clandestine.
As others have commented elsewhere, Tales is the type of event where one puts aside all competitor issues, so it was good to put faces to names and to have a good chat and share drinks with the team at Pernod. Santé!
Not too sure about what happened later that evening. It definitely included a visit to the Carousel Bar at The Monteleone and the Old Absinthe House ...
FRIDAY
My last working day in NOLA, and two more very interesting seminars.
Grape's gaint leap towards immortality featured a stellar cast, while Camper English presented Water World: Water in Spirits and Drinks by himself. I had mistakenly thinking that a seminar on water would give me a chance to "dry out," but walked into the seminar room to find a 4.5 oz glass of Bowmore Single Malt in front of each place! Oh well, duty calls ...
Between seminars, I went to Cane and Table (at the old site of Pravda), and owned by the owners of Cure, featuring a pop-up bar operated by the team at Dead Rabbit, NYC. I had had the opportunity to go to Dead Rabbit twice the previous week and loved it: so it was great to meet new/old friends again. The Dead Rabbit would go on to deservedly win several awards at the Spirited Awards dinner the following night. Cane and Table currently stocks Pernod, while Dead Rabbit NYC stocks Pernod, La Clandestine, Duplais Verte, Vieux Pontarlier, Kubler, Lucid and Nouvelle Orleans.
Nice to see that they can get some great theatre into absinthe without resorting to fire. Pirate's Alley stocks a good range including La Clandestine, Kubler and Lucid, and prices are very reasonable.
For my last evening in New Orleans, I joined Brian Robinson, Kris (also from the Wormwood Society) and Chrissie, and later Ted Breaux and Jenny Gardener for a tour of famous bars. We started at the Roosevelt,
Creativity is very much alive here: we enjoyed a bucket of pre-mixed, carbonated Sazeracs. Cheryl tells me that the Sazeracs are "CO2 carbonated Perlini Sazeracs in 1960s - 1970s Coca-Cola bottles dug up in the grounds of NOLA. It took several cleanings and sanitizing to get them ready for the Sazeracs!"
Bourbon-O only carries Lucid "in honor of Ted (Breaux)'s hard work and money getting it into the US." So it was good to enjoy Bourbon-O with Ted himself.
Cheers, Cheryl!
We headed back along the famous Bourbon Street
to the Monteleone's famous Carousel Bar. Photos don't really do this justice: I enjoyed this time lapse video (a 360 degree trip in fact takes 15 minutes):
We enjoyed Macallan and some more barrel-aged absinthe, and I thought briefly about packing for my early departure the next morning. And had another drink ...
................................................
So that was my working week in NOLA. Delta seemed determined to extend my stay in the USA, so I returned from NOLA via Nashville, Atlanta and JFK to Heathrow. My suitcase took another 3 day holiday in Boston. Maybe we just couldn't bear to leave.
NOLA and Tales were amazing. The best experience of my 24 years in the drinks business in a great city with wonderful food and even better company. People I had never met before became life-long friends. And the Tales team from Ann and Paul, the full-time staff and then the Apprentices: all played their part in making the event unforgettable.
And the absinthe in NOLA? Lucid, Nouvelle Orleans and La Clandestine were in most of the bars I visited, although some of the more traditional bars prefer to serve Herbsaint. There is nothing like the element of burning absinthes that I had been led to believe. Maybe the battle to get good absinthes served correctly has nearly been won in NOLA.
As many of my readers will know, July is the time when bartenders, brand owners and ambassadors, and all those connected to the drinks trade consider going to New Orleans for the Tales of the Cocktail. Absinthe has always been closely associated with New Orleans (the Sazerac and the Absinthe Frappé were invented there), and Tales of the Cocktail has been host to an increasing number of absinthe seminars and other events since 2007.
A few months ago, I submitted my proposal for a seminar at Tales, and I was delighted when it was accepted. The subject - The Savoy Hotel's Green Fairy Secrets Revealed - has fascinated me for several years. I'll be publishing some of the details of my seminar - and some of those secrets - over the next few weeks, but first of all, since it is a glorious summer in Europe and in much of Northern America, I wanted to highlight a great summer drink that was the last of the four cocktails with absinthe enjoyed at my seminar: the Maid in Cuba, created by
the Savoy's Tom Walker. Tom and Erik Lorincz, Head Bartender of the Savoy's American Bar joined me for this seminar. While Erik presented three historic cocktails from The Savoy Cocktail Book, Tom presented the Maid in Cuba, a much more recent creation. Here's Tom's recipe as served at the Savoy and as enjoyed at our seminar at Tales:
2 oz Bacardi Superior
1 oz Lime Juice 0.5 oz Sugar Syrup (2:1) Small handful of mint leaves 3 slices of cucumber
Add all ingredients to a shaker.
Shake rapidly with ice and double strain into an absinthe-rinsed coupette. Garnish with a slice of
cucumber, add a small splash of soda and serve.
As Tom said, the inclusion of absinthe (at Tales it was served with La Clandestine Absinthe) makes this a more mature and more interesting alternative to the mojito and the daiquiri, the main drinks which helped inspire the Maid in Cuba. I enjoyed the Maid in Cuba at The Savoy a few weeks ago, and I enjoyed it even more at the end of our seminar. Normally I don't like too much mint in my cocktails, but the balance achieved by those batching this cocktails for over 100 seminar attendees was perfect.
Although created initially for the Savoy, the Maid in Cuba seems to be taking on a life of its own, finding its way onto the menus of other bars in London, Scotland, Singapore, Israel very quickly, and, following Tales, Tom guest bar-tended in New York, serving it there too. Interestingly Harry Craddock's famous absinthe-including creation, the Corpse Reviver No. 2, did not get into the pages of the Café Royal Cocktail Book, published in London just seven years after the Savoy. The Maid in Cuba is becoming a cocktail enjoyed around the world much more quickly, helped by today's social media of course, as well as by Bacardi, I assume. The drink really works well in its own right, so I hope many of my readers will enjoy it this summer. A summer that, for me, took me to New Orleans and to Tales for the first time, but which now means I won't need one of these badges again:
Santé, New Orleans! Cheers and thanks to Erik and Tom!
Having sold and promoted wines, champagne and cognac with food in the UK and in Asia for brands including Krug and Remy Martin, I was always keen to explore the idea of an Absinthe Dining event. There are a lot of misguided pre-conceptions about absinthe, so an Absinthe Dinner could help overcome those and also prove to be a memorable event.
In fact, after absinthe dinners in Asia, Europe and most recently the USA, I'm convinced that combining good absinthes with good food works perfectly. There's something in the herbal mix that goes into good absinthes that makes them a perfect fit with great food. I'm equally convinced that there's NO point in pairing some of the more "one dimensional" absinthes that may just look pretty (artificial colours do that) with the skills of a good cook!
So how should one plan for an absinthe dinner? These notes were originally written for restaurant owners and managers and those organising bigger events, but much of it is relevant for absinthe lovers organising dinner parties for friends at home.
Firstly, remember that when diluted with chilled water or in many cocktails, absinthe may be no stronger than a glass of wine. So don't worry too much about that (but, as ever, make sure that people who have been indulging don't drive afterwards).
Secondly, note that an absinthe dinner can include both drinks to accompany the food, and dishes made with absinthe. And that those drinks need not necessarily be limited to the traditional absinthe serve or absinthe cocktails. Our recent US dinner focused on a range of absinthe cocktails, both classic and modern, to complement the dinner, and that's a great way to do it. But not the only way, as my UK dinner proved!
So what would a typical absinthe dinner look like?
Apéritifs
If a dinner would normally start with an apéritif, then there are plenty of absinthe options.
The Death in the Afternoon above (or a variant) works perfectly, and is a real surprise to those who don't know absinthe well.
are an excellent start to the dinner itself, and a small top-up of the Death in the Afternoon can accompany it, if required. There are some good alternatives, using the Rockefeller inspiration, such as the Scampi Rockefeller shown here.
A ricotta cheese stuffed ravioli, with fresh and dried tomato and lemon olive oil
I'm not a cook, so I can only report what I've seen - and enjoyed - elsewhere. It seems that the herbal notes of an absinthe (especially the anise, the fennel and the grande wormwood) work especially well with the type of food dishes that work well with those plants. For instance, a salmon dish works well with fennel, so the classic absinthe drip cocktail works very well alongside salmon.
And this hollandaise sauce made with absinthe seems to go very well with roast beef. While a more robust dish - in this case a goat curry - works well with a more robust style of absinthe,
served here in the Calmer: Angélique Absinthe, dill, cucumber, elderflower and cava blended with crushed ice.
This Casserole de Poulet with pan-fried spatzle, glazed shallot and carrot was accompanied by a classic fountain-served Angélique absinthe.
Desserts
Lots of options here! When I enjoyed a Crème Brûlée, as served in the café near the Artemisia Distillerie in Couvet, it was the only time I have seen a Swiss distiller set fire to his absinthe. And it worked excellently. At a UK absinthe event in 2012 we enjoyed Fairy Delight: Coconut and Butterfly Absinthe Ice Cream with Fig Tarte Tatin ..
.. while my friends in Denmark seem to love pancakes made with absinthe egg nog! Theatre The absinthe ritual is a wonderful way to present it at dinner, and I was impressed to see an absinthe fountain bought to every table at one event. The absinthe balancier can be just as dramatic, even a little mesmerising, and doesn't stop love-struck diners looking into each other's eyes the way a fountain does. Theatre can go much further, however, and I love the way this UK restaurant prepared
a pre-made Sazerac bottle to be shared by each couple, with a spray of absinthe added to each glass. Theatrical ... and it saved time since the restaurant did not have to make lots of sazeracs at the end of dinner. And it's a nice touch to have all the plants available and some literature ..
Summary
Finally, how can an enterprising restaurant manager or owner organise such an event? Firstly, talk to an absinthe company that has organised similar events in the past. Ideally try to find a company that can provide some different styles and make sure you have the opportunity to experiment with the products well in advance. As far as price is concerned, consumers do not expect absinthe to be cheap, so make sure you at least cover your costs. The events shown here (UK and USA) were both priced at around $ 60 (plus tax). Click on the photos to see the menus more clearly.
Finally the menu from a series of dinners held at London's Gymkhana Restaurant in 2015: this was priced at £120 per head.
There are a few more absinthe and food suggestions shown on this ever-expanding Pinterest board. Hopefully there will be many additions to come.
And I would not be at all surprised if after future dinners I get the same reaction and feedback heard already. "I never knew you could do so much with absinthe," "That completely changed my view of absinthe," etc.
.JPG)
.PNG)
.JPG)
+(1).jpg)
.jpg)
