Before this week, when I would think about Absinthe, most recently I thought of how it was featured on the movie Get Him to the Greek. But now I can say I actually had the chance to taste and learn much more about it on a tour around town. Having the opportunity to try Absinthe paired into a variety of cocktails, in 3 different Boston bars (with a 1930’s style vintage limo to take us to each spot), and paired with plenty of snacks, was definitely a unique and exciting experience.
On our first stop on our Absinthe excursion, at Stoddard’s (Est. 1868) in the Downtown Crossing area, a Sazerac cocktail was created with rye whiskey, bitters, simple syrup, a lemon twist, and of course the Absinthe, paired with oysters.
Then onto a Corpse Reviver #2, where Pernod Absinthe is matched with gin, lillet, Cointreau, and lemon juice, which was a personal favorite of mine, though many thought the Cointreau did not stand out enough. This drink was fun and reminded me of a spiked lemonade. This was served with fluffy little lobster hushpuppies with an avocado cream dipping sauce, which were tasty but could have used a little more seasoning.
And then onto the Happy Fanny, created with rum, Chartreuse, simple syrup, bitters, and lime to go with the Absinthe. A plate of Stoddard’s beer and cheese fondue, along with fruit, veggies, and bread sticks accompanied the steaming hot mini-pot of cheese gouda and cask ale fondue.
And for the finale, we even had the chance to see an Absinthe fountain and share in the tradition and taste it in its purest form, which I found nice and cold, with a fun lime green color, and a taste reminiscent of black licorice.
I also found this to be the highlight of the night and an interesting experience.
Absinthe is definitely back, and no, drinking it does not involve hallucinating or anything crazy, but yes it is strong ( 136 proof) and here to stay! The night continued on with a limo ride and 2 more bars, 6 more drinks, and plenty more snacks. To be continued…
