Erected in 1798
Absinthe
(Dripped)Chill a tumbler, then fill one-third with finely cracked (not crushed) ice. Drip one ounce of absinthe from absinthe dripper or from a spoon, stirring rapidly. When the absinthe and melting ice have produced a heavily clouded mixture, remove spoon and serve; or the absinthe may be strained off into a chilled cocktail glass.
The Absinthe House, 238 Bourbon Street. Few buildings in the French Quarter have become better known than this structure to which, for sixty years, adventurers, traders, and Creole gentlemen flocked to sip absinthe.
The building was erected by Pedro Font and Francisco Juncadella as a combination residence and business establishment, and despite numerous offers to purchase it, the property is still in the possession of the descendants of the original owners. Cayetano Ferrer, a native of Barcelona, who had won recognition while at the basement bar of the old French Opera House, was chief bartender here. Later he took a lease on the establishment, and it became known as the Absinthe Room. There is a legend that General Andrew Jackson and Jean Lafitte, the Baratarian smuggler, planned the defense of New Orleans here in a secret chamber on the second floor. The original stair case, erected with wooden pegs instead of nails, is still in use. The marble- topped bar, the old water dripper, the cash register, and the paintings that once adorned the walls are to be found at 400 Bourbon St.
