If you have picked up the recent issue of Edible Austin magazine, you may have noticed my article on Absinthe. If you know anything about absinthe, you may have noticed that I refer to Absinthe's meteoric rise in the 18th century. By 18th century, I meant 1800s. Give or take a century, you know, no big deal. There is an excellent recipe at the end for a Corpse Reviver variation that I am really excited about because it uses absinthe as a co-base spirit, instead of the usual drops and rinses, and is palatable to absinthe fans and foes alike. Tenneyson is the brand called for, and for transparency's sake I should disclose that I do work for Tenneyson, and this will not be the last time you see me advocate on its behalf.)

CORPSE REVIVER 2011
¾ oz. Tenneyson absinthe
¾ oz. St–Germain
¾ oz. fresh-squeezed lemon juice
¾ oz. Paula’s Texas Orange
Shake the ingredients with ice to chill. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Photo by Jenna Noel for Edible Austin. Please, no smack-talking about why the sugar cube would be atop an already-louched absinthe. Artistic liberties were taken here.

In other news, absinthe's name is still getting dragged through the mud. Though modern science has refuted the junk research and bogus claims that originally led to absinthe's Prohibition, some people, even some in the absinthe industry, continue to roll out the same tired tropes--that absinthe is dangerous, that it makes you hallucinate, etc. Consider the case of Four Loko, the carbonated wonder that reportedly had as much caffeine as a cup of coffee and as much alcohol as three beers, which was taken off shelves last year for being a so-called "blackout in a can", and for appealing to underage drinkers. (Newsflash--all booze appeals to underage drinkers, some just more so than others. It's booze, whether it's high-end scotch, Four Loko, or communion wine. I had a roommate in my immediate post-high school years who got nasty drunk on a bottle of cooking Marsala one night and went rolling around the floor naked in the "satellite dish" portion of a papasan chair)

Now there is a lawsuit pending in southern California alleging that, among other things, Four Loko contained wormwood, "the main ingredient in absinthe." First of all, I don't think the complainants meant to imply that like absinthe, Four Loko is a classic artisanal spirit, rooted in Europe's early herbal medicine traditions and enjoyed by legendary members of Belle Epoque society. I think they mean to imply that it will make you go cray-cray and rip off your ear like Van Gogh. Secondly, wormwood is not the "main ingredient" in absinthe--were that the case, absinthe would have the consistency of a pemican bar. The main ingredient is alcohol/water, not that it matters to the louchebags who are trying to disparage Four Loko.

I'm going to form an organization to defend Absinthe's good name. It will be called E.A.R. (End Absinthe Rebuke)

Last week I traveled to New York for the national final for the Cocktail World Cup, which takes place next week in New Zealand. The bad news is I didn't make the winning team. The good news is one of my fellow Austin boys, Nate Wales, did. And I had a great time, got a free trip to New York, and all I had to do was make a cocktail.

Here are the highlights of my brief bid for the national team:

In January, Austin hosted the regional quarterfinal for the Cocktail World Cup on the back patio of Lustre Pearl. I made a sensual drink called the Showgirl, and mine won along with the crazy ass bubble tea-inspired cocktail of Nate Wales (La Condesa/Malverde).

The Showgirl
1.5 oz 42 Below Passion
1 oz Fresh-squeezed Grapefruit Juice
.75 oz Housemade Orgeat Syrup
.25 oz Fresh-squeezed Lime Juice
Barspoon St. Elizabeth's Allspice Dram
2 Dashes Bitter Truth Jerry Thomas's Own Decanter Bitters
Nutmeg, garnish
Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass and shake vigorously with ice to chill. Strain onto crushed ice and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg, straws, and citrus/herb "headdress". Luscious, ripe, and festive!

Last week we flew to NYC for the big shindig. 42 Below put us up at the Ace Hotel, a groovy SOHO boutiquey hotel that seems to have wedded the aesthetic of a faded glory eastern bloc palatial hotel with that of a very well appointed dorm room.

Bathroom view from the Ace

42 Below is a class act when it comes to putting on events. The food at the Ace is some of the best event food ever--artisan meat & cheese boards and a never ending parade of treats including handmade corn dogs, poppycock, doughnuts, etc. Open bar goes without saying. But the real highlight, besides the bartenders, was the entertainment. Contortionists and burlesque girls have become somewhat commonplace if you go to as many cocktail events as I do. I was particularly taken with the performer who brought an oversized Champagne flute on the stage and proceeded to bathe herself with its contents (and bathe anyone on the first few rows).

Without question, the showstopper for this event was the LP Michael Jackson. After being lifted on to the bar, he rocked out a perfect miniature impersonation of the King of Pop that brought down the house. I apologize for the shitty iphone pics that scarcely do this artist justice.

After the contest I went up to my room with some friends and made cocktails while they watched the end of the Oscars. Thanks to my friend Michael's ingenuity, he squirreled away a buffet's worth of snacks from the event downstairs, and we were able to avoid the cost of dining out or partaking of the minibar. Eventually the show was over and I was snoring in my seat, so my guests left and I missed the obligatory post-contest celebration with the group downstairs, which usually lasts until the wee hours or dawn, and on some occasions (such as the Bacardi Legacy event in Dallas) results in contestants missing their flights home the next morning.

Cups 3 and 4 of 5 cups I would have at the Stumptown location at the Ace

This time I woke up the morning after the contest with a clear head. I made my way downstairs for the coffee drinker's Valhalla experience, partaking of a cup at Stumptown Coffee. Or in my case, many cups. I went through the line once and got an espresso and a 12 oz cup of french press. After I finished those, I saw that there was no line, so I went back and got a latte and a 12 oz to-go. I know that drinking Stumptown out of paper is like drinking a Martini from a water bottle, but I have done both and am none less for wear.

I ate lunch twice on Monday, once at Yonah Schimmel's Knishes, and once at Cafe Sabarsky.

Cafe Sabarsky is an elegant Viennese cafe in the Neue Gallery. I had the Käsekrainer mit Sauerkraut & Röstkartoffeln (Smoked Bratwurst w/ Cheddar Cheese). It was awesome and I have fantasized about it since

After lunch I went back to the coffee bar and got another roadie for my ride to JFK. It was really stupid and I don't recommend it. I love extreme caffeination, but felt like a real freak when I was sitting on the plane, still high as a kite from all the Stumptown, but simultaneously drunk from all the beers I drank w/ Nate Wales in the airport lounge. This sequence of events is not recommended. Best of luck to Nate as he travels to New Zealand next week to defend the American title at 42 Below Cocktail World Cup!

Thanks to the hard work of Twin Liquors's Sandra Spalding and Margaret Jabour, we have cleared a final hurdle in moving forward with the third season of Tipsy Tech. Slightly reformulated for regulatory conformity and rebranded Mixology 101 at Twin Liquors, we have preserved the guts of the original Tipsy Tech format.

Course details and registration are at TipsyTech.net.