Death in the Afternoon

Names of cocktails can be deceiving, and Death in the Afternoon is one such example.  

At first blush, you might imagine it to be a sessionable, mid-day tipple, in the mold of an Aperol Spritz or Negroni Sbagliato; after all, its name does contain the word “Afternoon.” However, the aspect of is title we should be concerned with is “Death.”

That’s not to suggest that this highly potent concoction—which was invented by Ernest Hemingway, named after his book on bullfighting and first collected in the 1935 literary cocktail compendium So Red the Nose, or, Breath in the Afternoon (ring me if you find a copy)–will lead to an actual fatality. That would make it a terrible recommendation.

No, the drink—which is simply a jigger of absinthe floating in a flute of Champagne, making for a sweet, anise-laced dram with a milky complexion owing to its ingredients’ emulsification—is another kind of mort. The kind that ensures that the email you were going to send won’t get written, the call in your calendar will have to be moved, and perhaps even your own plans for the evening will get rain checked.

Instead, you might find yourself looking for a comfortable place to stretch out, turn your attention to a good book, and maybe even rest your eyes—if only for a moment.

In that case, death doesn’t sound so bad, does it? 

Death in the Afternoon

45ml absinthe

Champagne

Add absinthe to a chilled Champagne flute. Top with Champagne, pouring slowly.