Camper English, a San Francisco–based writer, adapted this classic drink recipe to showcase the use of absinthe. This is basically an easy way to transform the well-known Absinthe Drip into an iced drink. To make the basic Drip, simply add an ounce of absinthe to a glass, set a sugar cube atop a slotted spoon over the glass, and slowly drip icy-cold water over the cube until it dissolves. Those absinthe fountains that you see in old pictures are full of cold water, not absinthe, and allow boozers to dilute the drink to their preferred level. The absinthe in the glass will "louche," or turn cloudy. Add three to five times as much water as absinthe, to taste.

Ingredients

　　1 cup crushed or cracked ice

　　3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) absinthe

　　1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) simple syrup

　　2 to 4 tablespoons (1 to 2 ounces) club soda (optional)

　　In an old-fashioned glass, combine crushed or cracked ice, absinthe, and simple syrup. Stir until most of the ice melts. For a lighter cocktail, add 2 to 4 tablespoons club soda.