A bit of a spell or a flick of the magic wand - the Sour Witch has just landed on her broomstick. This sophisticated cocktail is no laughing matter because it packs a powerful sour punch. Don’t be fooled by its soft exterior and champagne flute glass, this cocktail features absinthe and sour cherries.

Sour Witch

1 1/2 oz. Lucid absinthe
3/4 oz. Almond Syrup
1/2 oz. fresh lime juice
3 or 4 pitted sour cherries
Sparkling wine or Champagne

In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle the sour cherries in the lime juice and almond syrup.  Add the Lucid with ice and shake very well.  Strain into a chilled champagne flute.  Top with sparkling wine or champagne.
Garnish: freshly grated nutmeg

more Halloween Cocktails and Punches
Recipe created by Jonathan Pogash, Cocktail Guru
Recipe & photo courtesy Lucid Absinthe

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Le Tourment Vert, the high flying Absinthe brand has updated their formula to mix even better in cocktails. The color is no longer a Listerine blue, which is comforting. It is now a pale green, as you can see above. The new formula reveals greater hints of anise and they removed the sugar. This was a good call, Le Tourment is now much smoother, highlighting the pleasant characteristics of anise & hints of citrus. The after-taste is clean on the palate without the sugary residue. Overall, the changes make Le Tourment a less harsh, more flavorful version of it’s predecessor.

Although, Le Tourment Vert is meant for cocktails, it is getting closer to being an Absinthe that can be enjoyed the traditional way with sugar and water.

Le Tourment Vert

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• The Green Crush
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Our friend Hal at A Muddled Thought was playing around with some Absinthe to come up with a Autumn Cocktail. He came up with this concoction of Lucid Absinthe, Cruzan Rum, a touch of Vanilla, a dash of Orange bitters and Orange Soda, it is sure to be come an instant classic.

The Green Crush

1 oz Lucid Absinthe
1 ¼ oz Cruzan Rum
¾ Vanilla Syrup
½ oz Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
2 Dashes Regan Orange Bitters
Orange Soda

Shake with Ice
Serve in Highball filled with Crushed Ice. Top with Orange Soda (Either Fanta or Orange Crush)
Garnish with Orange Wedge

Courtesy A Muddled Thought

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Tales of the Cocktail kicked off today on Royal Street in New Orleans. Ann and Paul Tuennerman, Founder and Executive Director of the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society and Tales of the Cocktail, opened the festivities with Herbsaint Frappés and Creole Juleps, the official cocktail of TOTC 2009.

Joining the Tuennerman’s was Robert Hess of Herbsaint which is celebrating their 75th Anniversary. To honor this unique flavor of New Orleans, the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society will unveil a plaque that will be placed at 124 Baronne Street, the site of J.M. Legendre’s Pharmacy where Herbsaint was born.

Lots more to come from New Orleans!

Le Tourment Vert Absinthe Francaise is now the first absinthe in the sky and it’s only on Virgin America. To launch mile-high absinthe cocktails in style, Le Tourment is giving away 2 Free Tickets to anywhere Virgin America flies. How can you win? Choose a city where Virgin America flies and share why you love to travel there (map above). So picture yourself enjoying Le Tourment at 40,000 feet as you jet off to a great American city.

Enter the contest here: Win and Fly with Virgin America

The Tourment of the Irish. Ok, St. Patrick’s Day cocktails should probably start with Irish Whiskey, but the Absinthe Irish from Le Tourment Vert is to tasty to pass up. So why not? Go Absinthe this St. Patrick’s Day!

Absinthe Irish

1 1/2 oz. Tourment Absinthe
1/2 oz. Cointreau
1/2 oz. Midori
1/3 oz. Pineapple Juice
1/3 oz. Sweet and Sour
1/3 oz. Red Bull

Shake well in a shaker filled with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with a cherry

more St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails

Hail the “holy trinity”! Last week I had the pleasure to meet the faces behind Le Tourment Vert (www.letourmentvert.com) and experience their vision of what this wonderful spirit offers after such a long hiatus from our shores. This Absinthe is handcrafted in small batches by Bruno Delannoy of Vinet Ege and combines fourteen herbs to create a truly inspirational blend.

The color of Le Toutment is a mouthwash blue, it is quite shocking. It has a strong anise flavor and may be a tad overly sweet. The aftertaste is all sugar, which makes it good for cocktails.

Moving beyond the ritualistic, yet fun, Classic and Bohemian Method of enjoying Absinthe, Le Tourment Vert mixes with a variety of flavorful cocktails. I particularly enjoyed La Fee Verte, the Green Fairy.

The Green Fairy

Mix in Shaker

2oz. Le Tourment Absinthe
1/2 oz. Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz. Orange Juice,
squeeze of lime

Shake well and pour into martini glass, garnish with lime.

A perfect green drink! I may include it in my rounds this St. Patty’s day.

more St. Patrick’s Day Cocktails
Le Tourment Vert
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