Marian Beke of Nightjar creates an "Absinthe Orgy" for La Maison Fontaine.

Apologies for the bad photography but hey, Nightjar is discreet and uber cool, glaring lights would just not work. This has been a favourite bar of mine for quite a while now and I'm not alone, every review I've read has been positively glowing!

I recently asked Marian to come up with a La Maison Fontaine cocktail which he kindly obliged, the deal was - he'd come up with the drink, and I had to come up with the name. Now you'll have to forgive me but when looking at the ingredients the first two things were Absinthe and Orgeat, so "Absinthe Orgy" popped into my mind and wouldn't leave.... Marian liked the name, so Absinthe Orgy it became.

Absinthe Orgy by Marian Beke

37.5ml La Maison Fontaine Absinthe

17.5ml Orgeat (homemade at Nightjar

Half Fresh Lime Juice

Dash Orange Bitters

Egg White

Shake all the ingredients hard over ice and strain into glass, garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

The drink is amazingly smooth, complex and very well balanced. We joked with Edmund that there should be a minimum purchase of 4 to be true to the cocktail name!

Another of my favourite Nightjar drinks, thanks to Dan Priseman for putting me onto this one!

Remember the Maine

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
Sweet Vermouth
La Maison Fontaine Absinthe
Cherry Brandy

Stir slowly for good dilution and strain, garnish with cherries.

The drinks name refers to the USS Maine that was sunk off the shores of Havana in 1898, which ultimately sparked the Spanish - American War of the same year. It was however, in 1933 that the global imbiber and author of "The Gentleman's Companion: An Exotic Drinking Book," Charles H. Baker Jr. created the drink off the shores of Cuba during a night of intense bombing. What's interesting and left unexplained is Baker actually specified the drink had to be stirred clockwise....

Next up Marian got creative at the bar with eggs, Wray and Nephew Overproof, sugar and a blow torch... take my word for it, it was delicious!