The Little Green Book of Absinthe: An Essential Companion with Lore, Trivia, and Classic and Contemporary Cocktails

by Paul Owens, Paul Nathan

Read Paul Owens and Paul Nathan's posts on the Penguin Blog

A celebration of "the green goddess"-this is the first book to share absinthe recipes since it was recently legalized in the U.S.

This enticing little volume presents a collection of more than 100 absinthe cocktail recipes that draw upon the classic roots of the drink as well as its new iterations. Readers will be entertained with nuggets of absinthe history and trivia, including the tradition of the green fairy, famous devotees of the drink, and the myths (or facts) of its hallucinatory properties.

Readers will learn
•America's most famous early cocktail, the sazerac, was a New Orleans creation that called for a dash of absinthe

•When the absinthe backlash started in the 1890s, Edgar Degas' masterpiece L'Absinthe was booed off the auction block at Christie's in London

•An experienced absintheur can identify a brand from across the room just by watching how it louches-the way the herbs' oils cloud the drink as the bartender adds water

Genres: History, Cookbooks, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Paul is an official member of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and is endorsed by The National Association of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). He is the author of the 1999 best-selling book The Dog Whisperer: A Compassionate Nonviolent Approach to Dog Training.

Reviews

[Chantal Tseng · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Haiku
...
Perfectly storied
Clear indications of love
Recipes dated
.
.
Great green companion
Lore, trivia, anecdotes
Dispelling Absinthe
.
.
All the essentials
Would love to see an update
So much more to learn

3.5

[Cody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only made one of these cocktails but it got the job done lmao. This book was an interesting introduction into absinthe. I liked that they listed the brands of absinthe to use in making of the cocktails. There is also a list of films included in the book that prominently feature absinthe, and I always like when I get introduced to new media from books.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty light on the details of the history, production methods, etc. Focused primarily on recipes. This is a decent intro to the topic, but if you want more than a cursory survey, you need another book.

[NK · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information and drink recipes. I was hoping for more information about the product but this is an excellent reference. Not sure if I keep it in my bookshelve or in the kitchen with my other recipe books??? It is a keeper.

[Mark Spivak · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of vintage cocktail recipes involving absinthe, intertwined with stories and historical nuggets.