Welcome to Day 10 of the Advent of Cocktails 2025! Today's cocktail is...

Obituary

___

History

The Obituary cocktail is a potent, absinthe-laced twist on a Martini, born in 1940s New Orleans at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop's Cafe Lafitte, a haven for literary figures like Tennessee Williams, making it a signature drink of the city's vibrant, bohemian café scene before fading and now experiencing a resurgence thanks to books like Sue Strachan's "The Obituary Cocktail".

In a city known for celebrating in the face of death, it’s no surprise that the funerary tradition is honored by a drink. The Obituary Cocktail is a spirited dive into New Orleans’s bohemian past, chronicling how this cocktail―made with gin, vermouth, and absinthe―became central to mid-twentieth-century café society before fading temporarily into obscurity.

The Obituary Cocktail by Sue Strachan, 2025, book description

The drink is essentially a dry martini with a splash of absinthe, showcasing the latter's revival and embedding it in cocktail history. Absinthe, once banned in the U.S. and much of Europe, added an aura of mystery and rebellion to drinks incorporating it post-ban, such as the Sazerac and the Death in the Afternoon. The Obituary Cocktail, with its somber name and slightly macabre allure, reflects New Orleans' penchant for quirky, atmospheric beverages, intertwining the elegance of a martini with the intriguing complexity of absinthe.

___

Obituary (seriouseats.com)

• 2 oz (60 ml) gin
• 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) dry vermouth
• 1/4 oz (7.5 ml) absinthe or pastis

Combine ingredients with ice and stir until well-chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Obituary (gardenandgun.com)

• 2 oz (60 ml) gin
• ¾ oz (22.5 ml) dry vermouth
• 1 barspoon absinthe
• 1 barspoon Herbsaint (or Pernod)

Stir ingredients in a mixing glass with ice until chilled. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Obituary (punchdrink.com)

• 2 3/4 oz (82.5 ml) gin, such as Hayman’s London dry or Thomas Dakin Red Cole
• 1/2 (15 ml) ounce dry vermouth, such as Bordiga Extra Dry
• 6 dashes absinthe, such as La Muse Verte
• Garnish: lemon twist, expressed and discarded

1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass.
2. Add ice and stir to chill.
3. Strain into a chilled Martini glass.
4. Express and discard the lemon twist.

Obituary (diffordsguide.com)

• 2 oz (60 ml) Hayman's Old Tom Gin
• 1/3 oz (10 ml) Strucchi Bianco Vermouth (Simon Difford prefers bianco over dry vermouth in this one)
• 1/6 oz (5 ml) Le Fée Parisienne absinthe
• 1/6 oz (5 ml) Chilled water

1. Select and pre-chill a coupe glass
2. Prepare green olive for garnish
3. Stir all ingredients with ice
4. Fine strain into chilled glass

Obituary (cooking.nytimes.com)

• 2 oz (60 ml) dry gin
• ¾ oz (22.5 ml) dry vermouth
• Scant ¼ oz (7.5 ml) absinthe
• 1 lemon peel, for serving

1. Freeze a martini or Nick and Nora glass for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour. (You can also fill the glass with ice and water, stir for 30 seconds, pour out the ice and water, and pour the finished drink into the now-chilled glass.)
2. In a cocktail shaker or mixing glass filled with ice, combine the gin, vermouth and absinthe. Stir until very cold, about 30 seconds, then strain into the chilled glass. Hold the lemon peel by its long edges, skin facing down into the glass, pinch the peel to release the citrus oils then discard the lemon peel.

___

Variations

Variations of the Obituary Cocktail often play with the proportions of gin, vermouth, and absinthe to suit personal tastes, as you can see from the many examples above. Some modern takes suggest using a touch of bitters for added depth or substituting the gin with a different spirit like vodka for a smoother profile. The inclusion of a dash of orange or Peychaud's bitters can also provide a twist, accentuating the herbal notes of the absinthe.

___

Previous December 10 cocktails

• AoC 2020: Manhattan
• AoC 2021: Mai Tai
• AoC 2022: Port of Spain
• AoC 2023: Planter's Punch
• AoC 2024: Black Magic No. 2

___

Ingredient heads-up: Grenadine and Créme de cassis will be called for tomorrow

NB! Variations and your own riffs are encouraged, please share the result and recipe!

Are you liking Advent of Cocktails? Want to support it or simply get me the equivalent of a beer or cocktail for the work?