Death in the Afternoon
Hemingway's louche
Hemingway's contribution to the cocktail canon. Absinthe poured into a flute, lengthened with iced champagne until the drink turns opalescent — the 'louche.' His instruction was to 'drink three to five of these slowly.' Most drinkers find one to be enough.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 oz Absinthe
- 4 oz Sparkling Wine
Method
Pour the absinthe into a chilled champagne flute. Slowly top with iced champagne until the drink becomes opalescent and cloudy. Do not stir.
Created by Ernest Hemingway, first documented in "So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon" (Farrar & Rinehart, 1935). Per Hemingway's account, the drink emerged from an emergency at sea with H.M.S. Danae officers. Per Difford's Guide #623. Hemingway's original formula called for 1.5 ounces absinthe; modern recipes are considerably weaker.
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