Camper English

Yanni Kehagiaras of San Francisco's Nopa restaurant created this dessert drink for a beer-cocktail competition. He says, "The rum is in there to give this beer cocktail a bit of a punch. I wanted to use a dark rum, but nothing too spicy or funky that would take the focus away from the beer. So I chose Diplomatico, which adds a subtle sweetness and caramel flavor without clashing." That approach—and this drink—is likely to wins fans on both sides of the beer/cocktail divide.

The Chrysanthemum can be found calling for varying proportions of ingredients in different recipe books—the brands of absinthe and vermouth chosen will greatly influence the drink's flavor profile.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. This is basically an easy way to transform the well-known Absinthe Drip into an iced drink. To make the basic Drip, simply add an ounce of absinthe to a glass, set a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip icy-cold water over the cube until it dissolves. Those absinthe fountains that you see in old pictures are full of cold water, not absinthe, and allow boozers to dilute the drink to their preferred level. The absinthe in the glass will "louche," or turn cloudy. Add three to five times as much water as absinthe, to taste.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. In this case, because absinthe has a very strong flavor, the recipe doesn't call for much. In fact, a large number of cocktails including the Sazerac, Corpse Reviver #2, and even some tiki drinks call for just a rinse of absinthe. It is always poured into the glass, swirled, and then discarded. But still, it adds a layer of complexity to the final cocktail.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. Here, absinthe is paired with orgeat, an almond-flavored syrup. The egg white and cream give the drink a frothy, milkshake-like texture. (If salmonella is a problem in your area, omit the egg white or substitute pasteurized liquid egg whites.) In New Orleans, many people consider this a breakfast drink.

Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, developed this adaptation of a classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe, but Ernest Hemingway gets credit for the recipe. His advice, circa 1935: "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." We recommend drinking fewer than five. You may also try pouring the absinthe on top instead—some brands of absinthe will float for a time on the Champagne, and this makes for a nifty visual effect.