Strega Flip

Like the Pernod Flip, this dessert drink proves that you can flip anything. I was surprised that the recipe calls for brandy, but it makes sense. Strega is pretty tart and brandy can smooth it out. Also like the Pernod flip, this drink is especially herbal. There's also a lot of juice for a flip in there. Citrus from the lemon and orange juice and spice notes come through even on the nose from beneath the nutmeg top.

• 2 oz. strega
• 1 oz. brandy
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 1/2 oz. sugar syurp
• 1 whole egg
• grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled highball glass. Grate nutmeg on top. 

Pernod Flip

Whoever came up with this drink was either a genius or insane. Yes, you can flip any spirit, but it's more fun to flip something weird like Pernod with its intense anise flavor. This cuts through the creaminess in the way that old world cookies with anise flavor can me sweet and delicate but also spice-assertive.

This recipe calls of orgeat syrup, which I made special for the drink. With proportions, I felt that there's a chance it can become too creamy, so I cut a half ounce off the half-and-half and upped the orgeat component by equally as much. You get a nuttiness and floral aroma that accompanies the nutmeg and anise.

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 1 1/2 oz. half-and-half (use 1 oz.)
• whole egg
• 1/2 oz. orgeat syrup (use 1 oz.)
• ground nutmeg

Combine all ingredients except nutmeg in a blender with ice. Blend until smooth and pour into a sour glass. Garnish with nutmeg.

Suissesse Cocktail

This cocktail is a nod to Switzerland's love and history of making absinthe. It also uses the French spelling of Switzerland or Swiss to honor Pernod's contribution to dessert absinthe drinks. After drinking Pernod or absinthe by itself, this drink seems very light and spaced out, much more approachable for the after dinner drinker. This is the first egg white cocktail that I've done with Pernod, thought the Pernod Flip is a good example of something even heavier with its whole egg, if you want to move in that direction.

• 2 oz. Pernod
• 1/2 oz. half-and-half
• egg white

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Flying Dutchman

At first look, this drink appears like a halfhearted attempt to make a cocktail. It's really only two ingredients with strong herbal flavors thrown together. No twist, no bitters. Nothing. Then you try it and see that it is indeed harsh and potent (Pernod tops out at 80-proof, but most absinthe is as high as 110!

The thing is, that the Flying Dutchman is really a gin drink with hints of wormwood flavor. It's really like having augmented gin. And for that reason, I chose Bluecoat Barrel Reserve gin for it's sipability on ice. Like I tend to demonstrate again and again, the amount of Pernod the recipe calls for is small enough to get by with a substitution like real Absinthe. If it were a Pernod Flip, I would definitely reconsider. But Absente Refined was perfect. I found myself topping the ice off with more Absente Refined whenever the flavor got too diluted from my giant ice balls.

• 2 oz. gin
• 1/2 oz. Pernod

Combine ingredients in a rocks glass with ice and stir.