When contemplating the numerous cocktails you can order at the bar, drinks like the margarita or daiquiri might come to mind. Or when you're craving a you can easily make at home, you may combine leftover spirits and wines with mixers like Coca-Cola or sparkling water for an effortless yet innovative drink. But among the vast history of cocktails, if there's one that raises eyebrows and conjures an air of mystery, it's the infamous Death in the Afternoon.
This evocative drink boasts an unusual origin tied to none other than Ernest Hemingway, one of the 20th century's most iconic literary figures. And he didn't just create the cocktail — he named it too. .
The work captured the essence of life, danger, and art, mirroring the thrill that he found not only in the corrida but in all aspects of his life. Despite its early inception, the timeless drink is still widely known and enjoyed by many, not just for its potent profile and cloudy appearance but for its compelling name, which tells a dark story of its own. How did the cocktail get its name? Ernest Hemingway's two-ingredient cocktail — consisting of absinthe and champagne — was emblematic of the early 1900s.
It was even featured in a 1935 compilation of cocktail recipes created by celebrity writers. In the entry, Hemingway wrote of the drink: "Pour one jigger (equivalent to 1 and 1/2 ounce) absinthe into a Champagne glass. Add iced Champagne until it attains the proper opalescent milkiness.
Drink three to five of these s.