Death in the Afternoon (cocktail)
Encyclopedia
Death in the Afternoon, also called the Hemingway or the Hemingway Champagne, is a cocktail
made up of absinthe
and Champagne invented by Ernest Hemingway
. The cocktail shares a name with Hemingway's book Death in the Afternoon
, and the recipe published in So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon, 1935 cocktail book with contributions from famous authors. Hemingway's original instructions were:
According to The Ultimate Bar Book, the drink was one of Hemingway's favourites, but it was not the only cocktail he invented. There was also the gin
-based Death in the Gulf Stream. It is claimed that the cocktail was invented by Hemingway after he spent time in the Left Bank, Paris, and enjoyed the absinthe there. Death in the Afternoon is known for both its decadence
and its high strength.
There are a number of alternative ways to produce Death in the Afternoon. The absinthe can be added to the glass after the Champagne, as some brands of absinthe will float on the Champagne for a short time. Other alternatives have arisen because of the difficulty of acquiring absinthe; the absinthe can be replaced with Absente
, an alternative to absinthe available where it is illegal, or a strong pastis
, such as Pernod. Variants which use an alternative to absinthe are sometimes given a different name, but are also sometimes still referred to as Death in the Afternoon. Some recipes direct the person making the cocktail to use ingredients in addition to the Champagne and absinthe; Valerie Mellma recommends that a sugar cube
and several dashes of bitters
be added to the glass prior to the main ingredients, while Simon Difford recommends shaking the absinthe with sugar, water, lemon juice and ice, before straining the drink into the glass and adding the Champagne. He further directs that a single rose petal should be floated on the surface as garnish
. He gave the cocktail 3 out of 5, and said that, while the taste of the absinthe dominated, there were also "hints of citrus and biscuity champagne".
The cocktail is milky in appearance on account of the spontaneous emulsification
of the absinthe (or substitute), and bubbly, which it takes from the Champagne. After the first drink, however, it becomes significantly less bubbly. Harold McGee, dining and wine writer for The New York Times
, said that it "seemed a waste of effervescence".
Cocktail
A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
made up of absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
and Champagne invented by Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
. The cocktail shares a name with Hemingway's book Death in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon
Death in the Afternoon is a non-fiction book by Ernest Hemingway about the ceremony and traditions of Spanish bullfighting. It was originally published in 1932. The book provides a look at the history and what Hemingway considers the magnificence of bullfighting...
, and the recipe published in So Red the Nose, or Breath in the Afternoon, 1935 cocktail book with contributions from famous authors. Hemingway's original instructions were:
"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."
According to The Ultimate Bar Book, the drink was one of Hemingway's favourites, but it was not the only cocktail he invented. There was also the gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
-based Death in the Gulf Stream. It is claimed that the cocktail was invented by Hemingway after he spent time in the Left Bank, Paris, and enjoyed the absinthe there. Death in the Afternoon is known for both its decadence
Decadence
Decadence can refer to a personal trait, or to the state of a society . Used to describe a person's lifestyle. Concise Oxford Dictionary: "a luxurious self-indulgence"...
and its high strength.
There are a number of alternative ways to produce Death in the Afternoon. The absinthe can be added to the glass after the Champagne, as some brands of absinthe will float on the Champagne for a short time. Other alternatives have arisen because of the difficulty of acquiring absinthe; the absinthe can be replaced with Absente
Absente
Absente is a brand name of 110 proof anise liqueur that has been marketed under the tagline "Absinthe Refined" since circa 2001. "Absente" is a French word that translates as "absent" in English.-In the U.S.:...
, an alternative to absinthe available where it is illegal, or a strong pastis
Pastis
Pastis is an anise-flavored liqueur and apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume, although alcohol-free varieties exist.-Origins:...
, such as Pernod. Variants which use an alternative to absinthe are sometimes given a different name, but are also sometimes still referred to as Death in the Afternoon. Some recipes direct the person making the cocktail to use ingredients in addition to the Champagne and absinthe; Valerie Mellma recommends that a sugar cube
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
and several dashes of bitters
Bitters
A bitters is an alcoholic beverage that is flavored with herbal essences and has a bitter or bittersweet flavor. There are numerous brands of bitters that were formerly marketed as patent medicines but are now considered to be digestifs, rather than medicines...
be added to the glass prior to the main ingredients, while Simon Difford recommends shaking the absinthe with sugar, water, lemon juice and ice, before straining the drink into the glass and adding the Champagne. He further directs that a single rose petal should be floated on the surface as garnish
Cocktail garnish
Cocktail garnishes are decorative ornaments that add character or style to a mixed drink, most notably to cocktails.A large variety of cocktail garnishes are used. Many rum-based cocktails, especially those with fruit flavors, tend to be decorated with tropical-themed garnishes or slices of fruit....
. He gave the cocktail 3 out of 5, and said that, while the taste of the absinthe dominated, there were also "hints of citrus and biscuity champagne".
The cocktail is milky in appearance on account of the spontaneous emulsification
Ouzo effect
The ouzo effect is a phenomenon observed when water is added to ouzo and other anise-flavored liqueurs and spirits, such as pastis, raki, arak and absinthe, forming a milky oil-in-water microemulsion...
of the absinthe (or substitute), and bubbly, which it takes from the Champagne. After the first drink, however, it becomes significantly less bubbly. Harold McGee, dining and wine writer for The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, said that it "seemed a waste of effervescence".