cantante para mi vida

3/4 oz Pernod Absinthe
3/4 oz Strawberry Simple Syrup
1/2 oz Lemon Juice
1/2 oz Del Maguey Mezcal Vida
1 barspoon Orgeat
~1/2 oz Egg White (1/3 Egg White)

Shake once without ice and once with. Strain into a glass and add a straw. Top with club soda.

The second Pernod Absinthe drink that bartender California Gold had prepared for us at Drink was her take on the recipe that Charles H. Baker, Jr. helped to make famous, Tequila Por Mi Amante. While Tequila Por Mi Amante is a strawberry-infused tequila, the Cantante Para Mi Vida paired a strawberry syrup with one of Del Maguey's mezcals. Here, the Pernod Absinthe paired rather well with the fresh strawberry flavor. The drink started with a sweet citrus element tempered with berry notes. This fruit sip was followed by a strong smokey mezcal signature and absinthe complexity at the end of the swallow.

After the Cantante Para Mi Vida, head bartender John Gertsen ended the event with a stunning absinthe punch. John had carved an ice boat that he floated in the center of the punch bowl, and he filled the boat with overproof spirits (perhaps the absinthe?) that he lit on fire. While I do remember enjoying this punch, I was too busy speaking with Adam Gold from Pernod-Ricard about the tequila that they were launching soon to take good tasting notes about Gertsen's recipe. And perhaps, my pen and notepad had been drinking.

Postnote: I wrote Cali and got some more information about the punch. "John's punch was one big Appetizer a l'Italienne. He probably upped the absinthe on it for the event."