Boho Chic
Absinthe stages yet another comeback By Stéphanie Verge
Image credit: Shane Harrison
Oscar Wilde waxed poetic about it, Picasso committed it to canvas and Toulouse-Lautrec schlepped it around in a hollowed-out cane. Our fascination with Bohemia’s favourite drink, absinthe—a.k.a. the Green Fairy—endures, even though its hallucinogenic properties were greatly exaggerated. (As it turns out, the much-feared absinthism was really just alcoholism.) Its latest renaissance comes courtesy of 007; taking a twirl with the emerald imp in Quantum of Solace, Mr. Bond favours the absinthe-laced sazerac. Here, we rank the potency of Toronto’s spirited takes on a scale of one to five fairies.
Sazerac, $12
The Black Hoof, 928 Dundas St. W., 416-551-8854
Co-owner Jen Agg’s creation packs a serious wallop. The ice-cold concoction contains only a quarter ounce of Pernod absinthe, but it mixes in two ounces of 12-year-old rye, some simple syrup and a dash of house-made bitters. Like 007, it’s sleek, sexy and deadly.
Absinthe Ceremony, $10.95
Michelle’s Brasserie, 162 Cumberland St., 416-944-1504
In this modern take, a sugar cube is doused in Pernod absinthe and set on fire, allowing it to caramelize before the cold water is poured over it. The method owes more of a debt to Moulin Rouge than it does to the belle époque, but
it’s a crowd-pleaser.
The Bohemian, $17
Nota Bene, 180 Queen St. W., 416-977-6400
A lip-smacking blend of Hill’s absinthe, vodka, pear purée and star anise. The ounce of Hill’s—a Czech brand often
dismissed as unsophisticated—is lit before it’s poured into the shaker, which rids the spirit of its chemical flavour,
leaving just smoothness.
The Absent-Minded Martini, $12
Czehoski, 678 Queen St. W., 416-366-6787
Experts believe absinthe’s boozy but clear-headed buzz is caused by its blend of herbs, some of which act as stimulants, others as sedatives. This heady mix of hemp vodka and Pernod absinthe, with
a Grand Marnier float, is the perfect way to test that theory.
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