Frappé and she knows it: the new book by Marielle Songy
The Absinthe Frappé
by Marielle Songy
Local writer and cocktail enthusiast Marielle Songy has a new book out, celebrating a very New Orleans drink, the absinthe frappé. We caught up with Marielle to find out more.
You’re a New Orleans local, born and bred, and a cocktail enthusiast/appreciator. What are your first memories of cocktails growing up? What did you see people drinking? What were your early cocktail experiences? Did you have a go-to when you started drinking them?
Well, like most young people, or maybe this was just a 'me' thing, my first cocktails were the basic ones where the ingredients are in the name- Rum and Coke, Vodka and Soda, Malibu and Pineapple. Of course, I had to partake in the "known" signature "Neon Sign" New Orleans cocktails like the Hurricane at Pat O's and the famed Hand Grenade at Tropical Isle. There are some lessons you have to learn the hard way. However, it was actually when Cure, a high-end cocktail bar, opened on Freret that I started experimenting with what I like and drinking cocktails to enjoy their flavor balance. While I lean more toward cocktails made with clear alcohol like Gin and some White Tequilas and Vodka, I have come to enjoy a Sazerac now and then and even Old Fashioneds. My tastes have certainly changed as I've become more in touch with I enjoy, flavor-wise. That's where absinthe comes in. There are so many options with absinthe, and it mixes with other spirits beautifully. Even if you're not a fan of anise-forward cocktails, there are other options when mixing up an absinthe cocktail so you get a hint of flavor without a big punch.
Why do you think absinthe has such a mystique about it?
A lot of it has to do with the propaganda that was spun in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century about how it can drive you to madness and act more like a drug than an alcoholic spirit. Of course, that's all fables. Absinthe was enjoyed by artists and writers and kind of these "edge of society" types when it was first introduced. It was a while before it became mainstream in European society. Then it was connected to crime and alcoholism and eventually, it was banned. The ban added this "forbidden" layer to it- if something is banned it has to be bad, right? It was all a bunch of foolishness that was put out by French winemakers who were worried that the popularity of absinthe would cut into their wine profits. Not to mention the temperance movement was gaining steam, and absinthe was the perfect scapegoat to push the agenda that alcohol is bad and destroying society.
Tell us why 2007 was such a landmark year for absinthe enthusiasts.
In March 2007, Lucid Absinthe Superieure became the first absinthe since 1912 to be legally sold in the United States. There was a ban on absinthe in France and Switzerland and that carried over to the United States in the early twentieth century. Absinthe being banned in the U.S. wasn't a big newsmaker like it was in Europe, where absinthe was the way of life for many rather than a casual enjoyment. Ted Breaux, a New Orleanian and scientist, got his hands on pre-ban absinthe and tested it to figure out what made it so bad. Well, the propaganda that had been fed to the public, that a chemical called thujone found in the wormwood in absinthe, could lead to madness, was nonsense. Breaux discovered that there is such a small amount of thujone in absinthe that it's not worth worrying about and certainly not ban-worthy. To tie the story together nicely, Breaux owns Lucid Absinthe Superieure, and he also owns Jade Liquors, which is considered by many to be the finest absinthe on the market.
Why is the book about the frappe and not another Absinthe cocktail?
LSU Press approached me with a list of New Orleans-created cocktails to contribute a book to their Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series. There were some amazing cocktails on the list, but the absinthe frappé caught my eye. The Absinthe Frappé was invented here in New Orleans at The Old Absinthe House, and I knew that the creation of the cocktail and the history of absinthe would be a story worth telling.
Do we know much about Cayetano Ferrer, the creator of the drink?
We don't know too much. He was from Barcelona and emigrated to New Orleans. He was a bartender at the New Orleans Opera House when the owners of what is now Old Absinthe House hired him to work for them. In a short period, he owned the place. He noticed the French's fascination with their French culture- although they were living in the U.S., the French maintained a loyalty to their home country. Everything that was popular in France eventually became popular in New Orleans. Of course, this included absinthe, and quickly enough New Orleans became the absinthe epicenter in the U.S. Cayetano decided to build his bar around Spanish wine and absinthe. He invented the frappé, which is a twist on traditional absinthe and made with absinthe, sugar, soda water, shaken until very cold, and served over ice. It immediately became hugely popular, especially during the hot season in New Orleans.
What’s your favourite way to drink absinthe beside the Frappe?
A classic way is Death in the Afternoon, invented by Ernest Hemingway. It's really easy- just champagne and absinthe. Of course, there's the signature New Orleans cocktail The Sazerac, which uses a rinse of absinthe that adds just enough of the absinthe flavor without overwhelming the drink. Finally, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 made with Gin, Lillet Blanc, orange liqueur, and a splash of absinthe.
Where are your favourite places to drink one in New Orleans?
Neal Bodenheimer makes what I call a classic frappé at his bars, Cure and Peychaud's. They are served very cold with plenty of ice. If you're looking for a frappé with a more modern angle, Chris Hannah does a great one at Jewel of the South that's served neat.
The Absinthe Frappé by Marielle Songy is out now, published by LSU Press as part of their Iconic New Orleans Cocktails series. More info here.
by Marielle Songy
Local writer and cocktail enthusiast Marielle Songy has a new book out, celebrating a very New Orleans drink, the absinthe frappé. We caught up with Marielle to find out more.
You’re a New Orleans local, born and bred, and a cocktail enthusiast/appreciator. What are your first memories of cocktails growing up? What did you see people drinking? What were your early cocktail experiences? Did you have a go-to when you started drinking them?
Well, like most young people, or maybe this was just a 'me' thing, my first cocktails were the basic ones where the ingredients are in the name- Rum and Coke, Vodka and Soda, Malibu and Pineapple. Of course, I had to partake in the "known" signature "Neon Sign" New Orleans cocktails like the Hurricane at Pat O's and the famed Hand Grenade at Tropical Isle. There are some lessons you have to learn the hard way. However, it was actually when Cure, a high-end cocktail bar, opened on Freret that I started experimenting with what I like and drinking cocktails to enjoy their flavor balance. While I lean more toward cocktails made with clear alcohol like Gin and some White Tequilas and Vodka, I have come to enjoy a Sazerac now and then and even Old Fashioneds. My tastes have certainly changed as I've become more in touch with I enjoy, flavor-wise. That's where absinthe comes in. There are so many options with absinthe, and it mixes with other spirits beautifully. Even if you're not a fan of anise-forward cocktails, there are other options when mixing up an absinthe cocktail so you get a hint of flavor without a big punch.
Why do you think absinthe has such a mystique about it?
A lot of it has to do with the propaganda that was spun in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century about how it can drive you to madness and act more like a drug than an alcoholic spirit. Of course, that's all fables. Absinthe was enjoyed by artists and writers and kind of these "edge of society" types when it was first introduced. It was a while before it became mainstream in European society. Then it was connected to crime and alcoholism and eventually, it was banned. The ban added this "forbidden" layer to it- if something is banned it has to be bad, right? It was all a bunch of foolishness that was put out by French winemakers who were worried that the popularity of absinthe would cut into their wine profits. Not to mention the temperance movement was gaining steam, and absinthe was the perfect scapegoat to push the agenda that alcohol is bad and destroying society.
Tell us why 2007 was such a landmark year for absinthe enthusiasts.
In March 2007, Lucid Absinthe Superieure became the first absinthe since 1912 to be legally sold in the United States. There was a ban on absinthe in France and Switzerland and that carried over to the United States in the early twentieth century. Absinthe being banned in the U.S. wasn't a big newsmaker like it was in Europe, where absinthe was the way of life for many rather than a casual enjoyment. Ted Breaux, a New Orleanian and scientist, got his hands on pre-ban absinthe and tested it to figure out what made it so bad. Well, the propaganda that had been fed to the public, that a chemical called thujone found in the wormwood in absinthe, could lead to madness, was nonsense. Breaux discovered that there is such a small amount of thujone in absinthe that it's not worth worrying about and certainly not ban-worthy. To tie the story together nicely, Breaux owns Lucid Absinthe Superieure, and he also owns Jade Liquors, which is considered by many to be the finest absinthe on the market.
Why is the book about the frappe and not another Absinthe cocktail?
LSU Press approached me with a list of New Orleans-created cocktails to contribute a book to their Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series. There were some amazing cocktails on the list, but the absinthe frappé caught my eye. The Absinthe Frappé was invented here in New Orleans at The Old Absinthe House, and I knew that the creation of the cocktail and the history of absinthe would be a story worth telling.
Do we know much about Cayetano Ferrer, the creator of the drink?
We don't know too much. He was from Barcelona and emigrated to New Orleans. He was a bartender at the New Orleans Opera House when the owners of what is now Old Absinthe House hired him to work for them. In a short period, he owned the place. He noticed the French's fascination with their French culture- although they were living in the U.S., the French maintained a loyalty to their home country. Everything that was popular in France eventually became popular in New Orleans. Of course, this included absinthe, and quickly enough New Orleans became the absinthe epicenter in the U.S. Cayetano decided to build his bar around Spanish wine and absinthe. He invented the frappé, which is a twist on traditional absinthe and made with absinthe, sugar, soda water, shaken until very cold, and served over ice. It immediately became hugely popular, especially during the hot season in New Orleans.
What’s your favourite way to drink absinthe beside the Frappe?
A classic way is Death in the Afternoon, invented by Ernest Hemingway. It's really easy- just champagne and absinthe. Of course, there's the signature New Orleans cocktail The Sazerac, which uses a rinse of absinthe that adds just enough of the absinthe flavor without overwhelming the drink. Finally, the Corpse Reviver No. 2 made with Gin, Lillet Blanc, orange liqueur, and a splash of absinthe.
Where are your favourite places to drink one in New Orleans?
Neal Bodenheimer makes what I call a classic frappé at his bars, Cure and Peychaud's. They are served very cold with plenty of ice. If you're looking for a frappé with a more modern angle, Chris Hannah does a great one at Jewel of the South that's served neat.
The Absinthe Frappé by Marielle Songy is out now, published by LSU Press as part of their Iconic New Orleans Cocktails series. More info here.