the end of something

1 oz Absinthe (Kübler)
1 oz Elderflower Liqueur (St. Germain at work, St. Elder here)
1 oz Grapefruit Juice

Shake with ice, strain into a flute with 2-3 oz dry sparkling wine, and garnish with a grapefruit twist.

At work, the general manager of Menton asked if there was a secret to making the Death in the Afternoon a good drink. I replied that there really was not; basically, either you enjoy the combination or you do not. Then that evening at Drink, a guest asked for an absinthe cocktail. I then recalled how well absinthe paired with pink grapefruit juice via one of the drinks at the Kübler Absinthe release party here in Boston pushed on me by woodland nymph characters circa October 2007. With that, I added elderflower liqueur to take the mix in a Bohemian direction, and cava to circle back to the conversation earlier that afternoon. For a name, I dubbed this one The End of Something after a short story by Ernest Hemingway as a nod to the Death in the Afteroon inspiration.When I got home that night, I decided to make one for myself to truly appreciate the combination past a mere straw taste. The End of Something welcomed the nose with grapefruit, anise, fennel, and sparkling wine aromas. Next, a carbonated grapefruit sip flowed into anise, floral, and grapefruit flavors on the swallow.