Mad Hatter

Difford’s Guide

Glass:

Serve in a Coupe glass

Ingredients:
1 23 fl oz Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
12 fl oz Lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
14 fl oz Lime juice (freshly squeezed)
12 fl oz Sugar syrup 'rich' (2 sugar to 1 water, 65.0°Brix)
1 dash La Fée Parisienne absinthe
× 1 1 serving
Read about cocktail measures and measuring

Prepare:

  1. Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of lemon zest twist and absinthe (to dash over cocktail in addition to the absinthe shaken with other ingredients).

How to make:

  1. SHAKE all ingredients with ice.
  2. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish:

  1. EXPRESS lemon zest twist over the cocktail and discard.
  2. FLOAT dash of absinthe.

Strength & taste guide:

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 8/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 8/10
Cocktail of the day:

6th October 2026 is Mad Hatter Day

Review:

A rye-laced sour set apart by anis and liquorice notes from absinthe, shaken with the other ingredients and floated on the cocktail.

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History:

Adapted from a recipe in Ted Saucier's 1951 book Bottoms Up.

MAD HATTER
Juice ¼ lemon
Juice ¼ lime
1 teaspoon powdered sugar
1 jigger Schenley Reserve whisky
Ice
Shake. Strain into chilled glass. Add dash absinthe.

Ted Saucier, Bottoms Up, 1951

Nutrition:

One serving of Mad Hatter contains 164 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.4 standard drinks
  • 21.15% alc./vol. (42.3° proof)
  • 19.9 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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