Obituary

A dry gin martini given a haunting wash of absinthe, the Obituary trades the usual whisper of vermouth for the green anise bite of wormwood. It surfaced in New Orleans' French Quarter in the 1940s at the bar now housed in Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop, where it was poured to a literary "cafe society" crowd; a 1948 newspaper column credited bar owner Tom Caplinger, though the drink is more often remembered simply as the house's spectral martini. Stirred cold and lemon-kissed, it is austere, herbal, and bracingly strong.

ClassicSpirit-Forward

Ingredients

  • 2 ozGin
  • 0.25 ozDry Vermouth
  • 0.25 ozAbsinthe

Garnish: Lemon Peel

Preparation

Stirred · Coupe · None

  1. 1.

    add

    Add the gin, dry vermouth, and absinthe to a mixing glass filled with ice.

  2. 2.

    stir

    Stir until well chilled, about 30 seconds.

  3. 3.

    strain

    Strain into a chilled coupe glass.

  4. 4.

    express

    Express the oils from a lemon twist over the surface.

  5. 5.

    garnish

    Drop in or rest the lemon twist as garnish.

Flavor Profile

herbal
64%
floral
38%
citrus
32%
spiced
30%
heat
30%
body
21%
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