Absinthe and Tonic. The ANT? I’m not sure if The ANT cocktail is a thing, but it should be. Absinthe, sweetened with a little maraschino cherry syrup, sour with a whisper of lime juice, and bitter with sparkling tonic water. It’s a great combination and continues my experiments with tonic water cocktails this summer.
I’ve always liked the combination of absinthe and lime juice, the two just work together beautifully. I love how the absinthe turns a sinister cloudy white when the two combine. The maraschino cherry syrup has just enough sweetness to take a little of the edge off, while at the same time giving the drink a gorgeous pink bottom. Top it off with the bubble bitter tonic water and you have a summer thirst quencher that’s unlike any other.
Absinthe and Tonic Ingredients
- Absinthe: Originating in the canton of Neuchâtel, Switzerland in the late 18th century. A favorite drink of Bohemians. For decades, it was banned in several countries, and its production and distribution outlawed. Luckily, in the 1990s the laws were lifted and we modern Bohemians are able to once again enjoy Absinthe. It has a high ABV and is distilled from green anise, wormwood, and fennel.
- Tonic Water: This is the bitter element of this Absinthe cocktail. Tonic water gets its bitter flavor from Quinine, a medicine used to prevent Malaria. In the 1800s in order to make the quinine more palatable the British military stationed in India, mixed the extremely bitter medicine with seltzer and lemon, thus the birth of ‘Tonic Water’. Today tonic water doesn’t actually have enough quinine in it to be medicinal, it’s just there for the slightly bitter flavor it gives this mixer.
- Lime Juice: Just a whisper of lime is all you need. Lime juice is the sour component in the Absinthe and Tonic.
- Maraschino Cherry Syrup: Sweet and syrupy, it’s a great sweetener for the cocktail and gives the Absinthe and Tonic a blushing pink glow in the cloudy cocktail.
Experiment with the Sugar Content
I like the Absinthe and Tonic a little less sweet. However, I love the pink glow at the bottom of this Absinthe cocktail from the maraschino cherry syrup. And no more than half a lime, at the most for the sour bit. Combine the cocktails ingredients in the glass on the rocks, and invite your guests to stir it themselves to combine.
Here is my recipe for the Absinthe and Tonic | The Ant Cocktail
Absinthe and Tonic
Ingredients
- 2 Ounces Absinthe
- 1/2 Lime Juice Only
- 1/2 Ounce Maraschino Cherry Syrup
- 3 Ounces Tonic Water
Garnish
- Maraschino Cherry
Instructions
- Fill a high ball glass with ice, add the maraschino cherry syrup, absinthe, lime juice, and top it off with tonic water. Garnish with a maraschino cherry
