Ernest Hemingway is well known for championing cocktails such as the Daiquiri and the Mojito, but he also is the purported creator of the absinthe based Death In The Afternoon. The drink was reportedly dreamed up after Hemingway spent time in France and developed an affinity for absinthe in the early 1930’s. As a result, it even became Hemingway’s contribution to a 1935 Cocktail Book called “So Red The Nose or Breath In The Afternoon”. It was described thusly:
Pour 1 jigger absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness. Drink 3 to 5 of these slowly
It’s fairly rare in classic cocktail books that such clear directions are given. Yet, here it is. So let’s take a crack and bringing Hemingway’s creation back to life (but maybe avoid having 3-5 of them at once!).
Death In The Afternoon
Death In The Afternoon is unsurprisingly aggressively forward in it’s fennel and star anise characteristics. The bright, bubbly nature of the wine is beautifully setup to help liven the drink, but doesn’t get in the way of the licorice notes. You should be aware that while absinthe and pastis can have a sweetness about them, this drink is inherently dry. This makes it both strong, and unquestionably refreshing. While the complexity is lovely, you might find yourself unable to follow the prescribed 3-5.
Drink Notes & Recommendations
Absinthe or pastis used here is going to make a massive difference in your end flavor. For Pernod, which we used, the star anise and fennel characteristics were given space, and the licorice notes expanded with some of the wines natural citrus. The complexity remains, but is spaced out and given some additional flavors to bounce off of.
- Absinthe or Pastis – The primary difference between absinthe and pastis is that pastis uses star anise as the principal flavoring, instead of using green anise, wormwood of fennel that are used in Absinthe. The resulting liqueur is different in it’s flavor profile, but similarly enough that it can be used as a substitute to absinthe. If you looking for recommendations, you should be able to find Pernod (pastis) in most places, but we also recommend St. George Absinthe.
- Sparkling Wine – Absinthe is a fairly dominate flavor, so don’t both with anything overly expensive. Look for cava, sparkling wine, or prosecco in the $10 – $20 range. We used Kirkland’s Prosecco for ours.