Some say that the Sazerac is the first cocktail; it’s certainly the first New Orleans cocktail; acknowledged by many as the home of the cocktail.

New Orleans being closely tied with France was absinthe’s home in the US.

Mixologist Jonathan Pogash shows us how to make the Sazerac.

Since 1793 Antoine Amadie Peychaud a Creole apothecary with a shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans sold his own patent medicine known as Peychaud Bitters. This was later added to toddy with cognac, and is believed to be the first cocktail.

Demand was so strong that in 1850 a large bar by the name of The Sazerac was opened to sell the drink, and it is believed that one of the bartenders there started the addition of a few drops of absinthe to the cocktail. With this addition, the Sazerac as we know it today was born.

Glass: Old-fashioned
Method: Pour absinthe into ice-filled glass and top with water. Leave the mixture to stand in the glass. Separately, shake liqueur, bourbon and bitters with ice. Finally discard contents of absinthe-coated glass and fine strain contents of shaker into absinthe washed glass. (Note that there is no ice in the finished drink.)
½ shot La Fée Parisienne (68%) absinthe
Top up with Chilled mineral water
1½ shots Grand Marnier liqueur
1½ shots Bulleit bourbon whiskey
2 dashes Angostura aromatic bitters
3 dashes Peychaud’s aromatic bitters
Origin: Created in 2004 by Yours Truly.
Comment: An orange twist on the classic Sazerac.

1 ½ oz (45ml) La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
Juice of half a fresh lemon
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white

Glass: Cocktail
Method: Shake all ingredients with crushed ice and fine strain into a chilled cocktail glass. For a longer drink, use a high-ball, top with soda and enjoy a La Fée Sea Fizz

1/3 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/3 French vermouth
1/3 Italian vermouth

Glass: Cocktail
Method: Shake well and strain into glass

Savoy Cocktail Book

5 Strawberries
10 Raspberries
2cl Lemon Juice
One bar spoon of sugar
7cl La Fée X.S Francaise or La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
2cl Cognac VSOP

Directions: Muddle the fruit, lemon juice & sugar before adding the alcohol, Shake, Double strain into chilled cocktail glass then garnish with some Fennel, Dill branch or Strawberry

1oz Rye Whiskey.
1oz ounce Sweet Vermouth.
1oz ounce Bénédictine.
1/4oz La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
3 or 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters.

Directions: Stir over ice for a slow count to 20. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass in which has been placed a maraschino cherry

1 1/2oz Courvoisier Exclusif
3/4oz Green Creme de Menthe
1/2oz La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/2oz heavy whipping cream
1/2oz simple syrup
1 mint leaf

Directions: In a cold mixing tin, af La Fée, cream & simple syrup. Whip to a semi-fluid consistency. Do not over-whip & make thick – you should still be able to pour it. Set aside in ice. In a mixing glass add the Courvoisier and Creme de Menthe, fill with ice & stir for 15 seconds. Julep-strain up into a cup or cocktail glass. Pour the whipped cream mixture over the back of a spoon and float over the cocktail. Garnish with mint leaf.

H. Joseph Ehrmann, Elixir, San Francisco

2oz Carpano Antica (a sweet, red vermouth)
1/2oz La Fée Absinthe
1/2oz cinnamon syrup
lemon twist, for garnish

Directions: Build over ice and give it a quick stir. Twist to release oils and chuck the peel.

Gabriel, cocktailnerd.com

1/2 oz Rhum Clement VSOP
1/2 oz Demerera Syrup (2 to 1 water to demerara sugar)
1/2 oz fresh lime juice

Directions: Shake all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker and strain into a La Fee absinthe-rinsed cocktail glass.
Garnish: ‘Venom-soak’ the lime wheel (lime wheel soaked in La Fée), then carefully ignite the lime to neutralize the venom!

Jonathan Pogash of Bookmarks Lounge

1oz Cachaça
1oz La Fée
¾ oz Fresh Lime Juice
¼ oz Agarve Nectar
Float of Champagne
Twist of Lemon to Garnish

Method: Shake ingredients except champagne over ice, strain into glass. Float Champagne & garnish.

Johnny Raglin of the Absinthe Brasserie, San Francisco

(AKA The Hemingway)

Readers of Ernest Hemmingway will know “Death in the Afternoon” as book about bullfighting, but some drinkers may recognize it as a favorite cocktail of the American novelist.

1 measure of La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
Champagne

Method: Pour measure of absinthe into a Champagne flute and top up with Champagne

1 part La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1 part Wolfschmidt Kummel
Glass:Tumbler

Method: Serve in a tumbler glass over ice.

Will Dorsey

1/2 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/2 Grenadine

Glass: Medium
Method: Shake well and strain into a medium size glass, and fill with soda water.

Savoy Cocktail Book

1/3 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
2/3 Dry Gin
1 Teaspoon (5ml) grenadine

Glass: Cocktail
Method: Shake well and strain into glass

Savoy Cocktail Book

So-called because if there should be an earthquake on when you are drinking it, you might not notice…

1/3 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/3 Whiskey
1/3 Gin

Glass:Cocktail
Method: Shake well and strain into glass.

Savoy Cocktail Book

1 shot La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
2 shots Knockeen Hills Irish Poteen
1 shot Goldschlager
6 shots grapefruit juice

Glass: 10oz highball glass. Garnish with lime.

Ian Wright, Bar Manager of Arc, Bristol

30ml La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
20ml Peach Liqueur
20ml Lemon Juice
15ml Monin Pistachio Syrup
Dash Angostura Bitters
Dash Egg White

Glass:Martini
Method: Shake Well and Strain into a chilled glass. Garnish with star anise

Jamie Stephenson

2/3 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/6 Gin
1/6 Anisette (or gomme syrup)
Dash Orange bitters
Dash Angostura bitters

Glass:Cocktail
Method: Shake well and strain into glass

1 shot La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1 shot citron vodka
1/2 shot gomme
1/2 shot fresh lime juice
5 mint leaves
Glass:high-ball

Method: Shake into a glass top with soda & lemonade.

Adam Hierons

1 shot La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/2 shot Tia Maria
1/2 Kahula
1 espresso coffee

Glass: Martini
Method: Shake contents into a glass and float cream on top.
Note: Kahula can be replaced with Tuaca.

Giovanni Burdi

3 shots La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
3 teaspoons orgeat
Glass:Tumbler
Garnish: Serve with stirrer on a doily-covered saucer.

Method: Pour La Fée into glass with a couple of ice cubes. Stir in orgeat, top with chilled water.
Notes: A little mummy, like the Egyptians ones famously discovered at the time

50ml Woodford Reserve Bourbon
15ml cherry brandy
10ml sweet vermouth
dash of La Fée Parisian Absinthe
dash orange bitters

Glass: Rocks
Garnish: Cherry
Method: Rinse glass with La Fée then stir in all other contents, strain into glass & garnish.

Jason Fendick

1/4 La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
1/2 dry gin
1/4 dry vermouth

Glass: Cocktail
Method: Shake well into glass.

1 liqueur glass of La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
4 dashes anisette (or gomme syrup)
white of one egg

Glass: Cocktail
Method: Shake well into glass.

3 shots La Fée Absinthe Parisienne
3 teaspoons (or more) grenadine

Glass: Tumbler
Garnish: Serve with stirrer on a doily-covered saucer.
Method: Pour La Fée into glass with a couple of ice cubes. Stir in grenadine, top with chilled water.
Notes: Named ‘Tomate’ because it is red like a tomato.