Death in the Afternoon
A Hemingway original pairing a dash of absinthe with chilled champagne for a herbal, potent fizz.

Base
champagne
Glassware
Champagne flute
Flavor Profile
strongherbal
Ingredients
- 1 oz absinthe
- 4-5 oz champagne
Instructions
- 1Pour absinthe into a champagne flute.
- 2Slowly top with well-chilled champagne.
- 3Serve immediately without stirring.
Origin & Story
Paris, 1935
Ernest Hemingway is credited with contributing this absinthe-and-champagne recipe to a celebrity cocktail book, naming it after his own bullfighting book and reportedly favoring it despite its potency.
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