GREEN IS GOOD
By Francine Cohen
Photo's By Nate "Igor" Smith
Download the article as seen in F&B Magazine
Absinthe. It stands alone. Like a shimmering green beacon on the bar. An elixir full of mystique, tied inextricably to creative geniuses such as Oscar Wilde, Ernest Hemingway, and Vincent Van Gogh and quickly gaining a place on the palates of today’s creative class as evidenced by the fact that Sundance Film Festival attendees like Kevin Bacon, Alan Cummings, and Sting were spotted enjoying absinthe cocktails. It’s a cool thing to be seen drinking. But is the absinthe bottle bound to remain lonely up there? Is it destined to become a dust collector, alongside the elegant fountain that is used in the traditional service?
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The answer from the drinks community is a resounding “no.” They are determined that the green fairy shall live. Absinthe survived to see the ban lifted in the United States, bringing it back to bar shelves from Florida to New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, and it will live on if most folks behind the bar have anything to say about it. Jason Littrell, Beverage Director at The Randolph in New York City, puts it succinctly, “As for the future of it, if it has been around this long, it’ll definitely survive.”
But what Littrell and his colleagues are also saying is that absinthe’s survival is dependent upon creativity; creative mixing, creative consumption and acceptance by today’s influential creators and arbiters of good taste. Mixologists know that to succeed as a category absinthe needs to be presented to guests as more than just a ritual. Absinthe will be wholly embraced by the general drinking public only when it is positioned as a familiar and complimenting cocktail ingredient, not simply a sipper.
That said, there are still plenty of patrons out there who relish the ritual, those who love to sip it with just a little ice water and sugar mixed in, watching it louche and fondly reminiscing about enjoying absinthe overseas. Kent Lanier, Owner of The Black Rabbit in Brooklyn, New York, serves a clientele in their 20’s and 30s who approach absinthe in a unique way. He explains, “In a weird way it sort of replaced the shot. It’s more of an experience than just a shot. They want the whole ritual – they enjoy that part.”
But not everyone has had the singular experience or is willing to try it. Admittedly, absinthe can be somewhat polarizing and challenging. As Stephan Berg, Traveling Mixologist/The Bitter Truth comments, “Absinthe is like black and white, like Laphroaig Single Malt-either you like it or you don`t-there is no grey.” And Mickey Sigler, Bar Manager at Encore in Kimpton’s Hotel Allegro in Chicago concurs, “It’s like drinking eau de vie – some people like it. Or not.”
To get around the mental block that some patrons possess, a mixologist’s curiosity and creativity has to come into play. True professionals know that working through that customer’s “I don’t like the flavor of licorice therefore I won’t like this cocktail with absinthe in it” attitude takes education and a little extra time spent with every guest.
Like the reps from brands like Le Tourment Vert, and others who sell to on premise accounts, The Wormwood Society is out front educating away, providing information to both aficionados and the uninitiated. Is this strategy working? Can sales reps and a dedicated band of absinthe distillers and fans make a large enough impact to grow a category’s popularity? Sam Seiler of Kubler is counting on it, “I think the mixology community is really taking the lead. There’s such an amazing interest at that level to play with it and find flavors that go with it.”
Finding a comfort level for the guest is also going to grow the category. At Sigler’s bar in Chicago their absinthe-included cocktails come with the caveat “if you don’t like it I’ll get you something else”; a common practice at all sensible bars that want to introduce their clients to finer cocktails but not always a practice that’s shared with the guest as each drink is delivered. However, the safety net of offering this to a patron when they inquire about an absinthe cocktail means you’re probably going to get them to try it. At least once. Brian Robinson, Review Editor for The Wormwood Society, knows that education is a key component to the success of a category but presenting a complex and enjoyable drink drives the point home. He says, “I think it’s probably going to come from the educated bartender who can talk to people about absinthe. Though there’s a lot of information out there in the media and on websites, and there are absinthe education seminars, they might only hit a small segment of the population. But when you dispel a lot of myths you get a lot of proselytizers out there.”
In addition to educated bartenders, the newly converted drinkers are the ones who we have to count on to spread the word that visually appealing absinthe is also versatile and mixable. The Sazerac has been around since 1830, but there are plenty of modern drinks that are enhanced with a bit of absinthe. Mixologists and cocktail aficionados already get this. They recognize that utilizing absinthe as an underlying flavor, rather than focusing attention on it as the dominant ingredient, can enhance a drink and deepen its flavor – just as adding salt in savory cooking brings out the best in a dish. And they understand that, like using different cuts of meat for various applications, each brand of absinthe offers up its own unique taste.
Truly understanding the flavor profiles of various brands and being able to combine them with other ingredients to create an intriguing cocktail is what will help break through the customer’s resistance. Many of the cocktails, whether they are sweet or even savory like those created by Kyle Billings at Saucebox in Portland, Oregon, and the Bloody Mary Van Gogh served at My Brother’s Place in Washington, DC, should have the ability to be mixed up at almost every bar, with ingredients that are readily available to all. By utilizing absinthe in a multitude of applications in a variety of venues the message will come across loud and clear that absinthe is an integral ingredient to a well made cocktail and not an unpalatable standalone.
As an ingredient, not all absinthe is the same. Robinson notes some differences between the brands, “Le Tourment is a very good mixer. It works great in cocktails, but adds a different profile than Lucid or something like that. It has a lot of other ingredients, like eucalyptus, that dominates. St. George has basil and tarragon and educated palate will pick up the fact that it’s not traditional absinthe. Mata Hari is another – it adds a bitter flavor because it’s got the bitterness of the wormwood without the sweetness of the anise.” Dan Bayha, of The Foundry in Los Angeles, says, “I often use the Le Tourment Vert – I find it easiest for mixability and adding flavors to it. I think it is easier, because it is not such a dominant flavor. It a little less proof than some of the others, not as harsh right out of the bottle so you’re already a step ahead when you try and blend it.” Eric Tecosky, Bar Manager at Jones (also in Los Angeles) adds, “I use Le Tourment Vert, because of its smooth balanced flavor and mixability into cocktails. I've tried a few other classic absinthes and haven't found any that were as well rounded. One other absinthe I enjoy is Mati Hari. Although it's a much higher proof.”
Still, the proof is in the pudding when it comes to the general public. And, for them, absinthe is just like the girlfriend you just moved in with. You love her, and you know you love her or you wouldn’t have moved in with her; but you’re still trying to figure out what makes her tick and how to negotiate harmony in your new place. That same confusion that permeates the mind of the newly co-habitating average bar patron influences their relationship with the category and, as industry professionals it is up to you to change their perception. Berg concludes, “I think the best way to introduce absinthe is in cocktails. Even if you have a small group being highly attracted by the mystical libation absinthe, it scares a wide number of people. They have still the "ear effect" in mind and won`t touch the stuff. So make it easy for them, show them that they should not worry, make them Sazeracs and once they get to love the anise/herbal taste, they will start begging for more.”
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