Cocktails with Absinthe
Absinthe is a high-proof distilled spirit flavoured principally with grande wormwood, green anise and florence fennel — the botanicals known as "the holy trinity".
ABV45–74%
Taste profile
Intense anise and licorice dominate the aroma, backed by a dry, bitter herbal edge from the wormwood; the palate stays unsweetened and pungent through a long, drying finish.
How it's used
A few drops or a glass coating serve as an aromatic rinse or accent, while a full base measure carries the drink's identity outright. It louches — turning milky and opaque when diluted with cold water — which is the traditional way of serving it and sharply lowers the drinking strength.
Substitutes for Absinthe
As a full base measure it is essentially not substitutable without changing the drink; as a rinse or small accent, another high-proof anise spirit preserves the anise aroma and louche, though sweetened anise liqueurs replace the dry wormwood bitterness with sugar and lose that dry, bitter backbone.
Often confused with
Pastis is a sweetened French anise liqueur, typically around 40–45% ABV, flavoured with anise and licorice and generally made by maceration or blending rather than requiring wormwood. Absinthe is a higher-proof, unsweetened distilled spirit built on the wormwood-anise-fennel trinity; both are anise-forward and louche with water.
