In-Seine

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (170 ratings)

Serve in an Old-fashioned glass

Ingredients:
1 oz Rémy Martin V.S.O.P. cognac
1 oz Bourbon whiskey
1 oz Elderflower liqueur
3 dash La Fée Parisienne absinthe
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

How to make:

  1. Select and pre-chill an Old-fashioned glass.
  2. Prepare garnish of skewered white grapes.
  3. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  4. STRAIN into ice-filled glass (preferably over a large cube or chunk of block ice).
  5. Garnish with skewered grapes.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 9/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10

Review:

Elderflower liqueur mellows and boosts the brandy's floral notes, while dashes of absinthe balance sweetness and add aniseed notes.

View readers' comments

History:

Created in 2006 by yours truly at The Cabinet Room, London, England.

The name is a reference to the Parisian district of St-Germain, lying on the left bank of the River Seine, and a nod to the use of absinthe and its pre-war ban in France, partly due to the belief that it induced insanity.

Alcohol content:

  • 1.8 standard drinks
  • 27.83% alc./vol. (27.83° proof)
  • 25.3 grams of pure alcohol

Difford’s Guide remains free-to-use thanks to the support of the brands in green above. Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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18th June at 01:41
I took the elderflower liqueur down to 2/3 oz. and it was perfect.
Mookie’s Avatar Mookie
5th June at 04:26
I used an extra dash of absinthe because a) I like absinthe and b) I was worried about the elderflower dominating the flavor profile, and it did not disappoint
Matheus Martins’ Avatar Matheus Martins
9th October 2024 at 13:17
Would it work to serve it in a snifter glass without ice to enhance the aromas even more?
Simon Difford’s Avatar Simon Difford
10th October 2024 at 07:15
I'm not a fan of snifter glasses. It's a cocktail that benefits from a little dilution from the ice.
G. M. Genovese’s Avatar G. M. Genovese
8th April 2024 at 16:40
While I think the elderflower is a bit too dominant, I also think I'm confusing it a bit with/for the absinthe. My initial impression was that this was a unique drink, and definitely one of the few immediate and rare likes for drinks containing elderflower. Well done.
John CARR’s Avatar John CARR
22nd March 2024 at 11:57
I thought 30ml of st Germain was going to be too much, but the balance was perfect, with no one flavour predominating. Added some extra drops of absinthe over the top for extra aroma. (And I was strangely out of fresh grapes for garnish on this occasion.) Slipped down all too easily! I used Armagnac as it was to hand, but might need to go cognac shopping to try as written…
Quentin Hickam Reed’s Avatar Quentin Hickam Reed
17th February 2024 at 21:51
Rich and intense. This makes a delightful highball when mixed with tonic water.
2nd November 2023 at 08:42
This is a great drink, 2.5ml of Absinthe per drink.
Rick Stark’s Avatar Rick Stark
28th August 2023 at 00:38
Use 4 ml absinthe for two drinks
Jill Ghosh’s Avatar Jill Ghosh
27th May 2022 at 21:33
We really enjoyed this cocktail on a rainy, cool May afternoon. I did reduce the St. Germain to 3/4 oz. and it was the perfect balance for us. The absinthe comes on strong, but it quickly shares the stage with the bourbon, elderflower and cognac for a delicious, smooth, complex finish. This will go into our rotation for sure.
Dominic Dirupo’s Avatar Dominic Dirupo
14th May 2022 at 10:26
Invested in a bottle of elderflower since it features in so many interesting cocktails. This one is great. Upped the absinthe to 5ml and still very palatable