03.08.10 by Shirley

Is That a Psychedelic Absinthe-Spiked Cocktail in Your Hand or Am I Seeing Things?

Spike your sips with two drops of this anise-flavored faux hallucinogenic and you’ll see a whole new side of taste. Think of it like a darker, more mysterious bitters to help round out the experience of your favorite drink recipes.

Sure, you could try to score some magic mushrooms the next time the Phish Tour passes through your home town, but since we prefer the voices in our head to be our own, we recommend stocking the sideboard with a bottle of Lucid and flashback to the ’60s the legal way. Sure, absinthe cocktails are all the rage again, but we’re loving the spirit as a bitters of sorts, a way to trip out an ordinary or old-school cocktail into a mind-bending taste experience. Use just a drop or two — the way you’d use bitters — to add a touch of depth and freshness to your traditional or off-roaded recipes. We started with gin, tequila and rum, but you can put a psychedelic spin on almost any spirit or ingredients list that pairs well with anise flavors. Step 1: Pull out that classic Grateful Dead album. Step 2: Plug in the lava lamp. Step 3: Start mixing. Hallucinations not included.

The Trippy Tequila Sunrise won't necessarily make you hallucinate a psychedelic skyline, but it's high on talk value. And with all that O.J., this baby will mind erase your brunch mimosa.

Happiness Honeysuckle

1 ounce Flor de Caña white rum
1 ounce fresh lime juice
1 ounce honey syrup
2 to 3 dashes absinthe

Shake then strain into a martini glass.

Trippy Tequila Sunrise

2 ounces tequila
4 ounces orange juice
1 ounce pomegranate simple syrup (aka grenadine)
2 to 3 drops absinthe
Round orange slice

Fill a glass with ice, pour in tequila and orange juice. Add pomegranate simple and then garnish with a couple drops of absinthe and an orange round.