Death in the Afternoon is a hauntingly strong cocktail with an eerie green hue and black licorice flavor. Rather than being fruity, candy-themed, or ornately garnished (as many Halloween drinks are), this drink captures its spectral appearance and distinct flavor with just two ingredients: absinthe and Champagne.
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
It was fathered by Ernest Hemingway, shares a name with one of his novels, and first appeared in 1935’s “So Red the Nose or Breath in the Afternoon” cocktail book, which was filled with recipes from famous authors.
To make this cocktail, pour an ounce or a jigger of absinthe into a coupe glass, then top with chilled Champagne or sparkling white wine. The result is an opalescent emulsification that deadens the fizz. Many modern recipes add simple syrup or a sugar cube, the latter of which creates a subtle bubble fountain and brings back some effervescence.
Hemingway recommended drinking “three to five of these slowly,” but we think you should probably share those sips with friends instead, lest you end up on the wrong side of a seance!
Death in the Afternoon
Ingredients: Champagne, absinthe
Photograph by Kristen Boehm
