Death in the Afternoon

• Absinthe
  30 ml (1 oz)

  Choose a high-quality absinthe for best flavor.
• Champagne (chilled)
  120 ml (4 oz)

  Dry Champagne or sparkling wine works best.

• Champagne flute or coupe
• Jigger
• Bar spoon (optional)

1. 1

   Pour 1 oz absinthe into a chilled Champagne flute or coupe.

2. 2

   Slowly top with 4 oz chilled Champagne. Pour gently to preserve bubbles and create a cloudy, opalescent effect.

3. 3

   Optional: Give a very gentle stir with a bar spoon to combine, but avoid losing carbonation.

4. 4

   Serve immediately and enjoy the transformation as the drink settles.

• It's a conversation starter with literary roots.
• The combination of absinthe and Champagne is uniquely decadent.
• Striking, opalescent appearance makes it visually stunning.
• Simple to make, yet delivers complex flavors.
• Perfect for toasting special occasions or channeling your inner Hemingway.

Death in the Afternoon was invented by the iconic American writer Ernest Hemingway and first published in a 1935 cocktail book. Hemingway, known for his love of both strong spirits and strong prose, reportedly named the drink after his own novel about Spanish bullfighting. The original instructions were as bold as the man himself: 'Pour one jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink three to five of these slowly.' This cocktail captures the essence of the roaring 1920s and '30s—a time of literary giants, Parisian cafés, and a thirst for the extraordinary.