Harry “The Dean” Johnson is one of the most influential barkeepers of our times. Little Harry was born in 1845 in Germany but immigrated to the United States soon after in 1852. Like many thousands of Germans, his parents and his sister Martha sought a better life in the new world. In the USA his career as a bartender started, and guess what, he also started mixing Absinthe!
Mixing Absinthe with Harry Johnson
In the age of 15 Harry was already mixing drinks at the Union Hotel in San Francisco. Blessed by a great talent he impressed people with creative drinks and decided to publish a “bar manual”, the first of its arts: “The drinks I invented and the way I mixed them attracted many patrons to the bar, and I had so many requests from other bartenders to how I made this or that drink that I wrote a little book which I called the ‘Bartenders’ Manual’.” The first edition of Harry Johnson’s Bartenders’ Manual was published in 1882, but this iconic book is still being reprinted to this day. Especially significant about Harry’s book is, that it is not limited to cocktail recipes. He also articulates how to be a bartender (not just what to make). Of course, some recommendations have the signature of the 19th century, but many wisdoms still apply today.
On page 176 of his book, Harry writes about the way, Americans like to mix/drink their Absinthe. Therefore, his book is a very good historical evidence about the Absinthe culture in the USA before Prohibition. In general, he writes “The Americans are not in the habit of drinking absinthe like the French are, but a drink of it occasionally will hurt nobody.” Below you find a picture of the cited page describing the creation of a “Frozen Absinthe”. We tried this American way of mixing Absinthe ourselves and choose Absinthe Moulin Vert as a mixer. Important for a frozen Absinthe is, that you use enough sugar. In the recipe, Harry mentions “6 or 7 dashes of gum syrup”. This was a sugar syrup used at this time. At ALANDIA you can buy this historical gum syrup as well.
Mixing a Frozen Absinthe: The recipe
A Frozen Absinthe is best served in a wider glass, we recommend a tumbler glass. This is what you need to mix the drink:
- 3/4 glass full of fine ice
- 6 or 7 dashes of gum syrup (sugar syrup)
- 1 pony-glass of Absinthe (1 shot glass)
- 2 wine glasses of water (we used a bit less)
Shake all the ingredients, until the outside of the shaker is covered with ice; strain it into the tumbler glass and serve. Think of Harry and enjoy, cheers!
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