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Cocktail History
The Weeper’s Joy is a vintage cocktail that was created by William Schmidt and was first published in his book The Flowing Bowl: When & What To Drink. Although many variations of the recipe exist in the modern day, it’s traditionally made with absinthe, vermouth, kümmel, simple syrup, and citrus, resulting in an extremely dry recipe that mostly only appeals to those with more developed palates.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Absinthe: This is a spirit made with anise, wormwood, fennel, botanicals, and alcohol. We used Great Lakes Distillery Amerique 1912 Absinthe Verte because it’s flavorful and made locally to us. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Absinthe in place of the absinthe.
Kümmel: This is a liqueur made with cumin, fennel, caraway seeds, sugar, and alcohol. For a mocktail version of this drink, try cumin, fennel, and caraway seed syrup in place of the Kümmel.
Sweet Vermouth: This is a fortified wine made with grapes, sugar, botanicals, herbs, sugar, and alcohol. We used Carpano Antica Formula Vermouth because it’s a high quality vermouth with dark notes of herbs, figs, licorice, cinnamon, and cocoa. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Orange Curaçao: This is a liqueur made with oranges, sugar, and brandy or rum. We used Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge because it has a rich Cognac base with notes of bitter orange, hazelnut, and toffee. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Mixing Glass: This is used to hold the ingredients while they’re being stirred. We used the Viski 17 oz Cocktail Mixing Glass.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Julep Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is stirred. We used the A Bar Above Julep Strainer.
Tasting Notes
The Weeper’s Joy features strong aromas of anise and caraway as well as a sharp and dry spirit-forward taste with strong absinthe flavor, a bit of vanilla, and only a touch of orange sweetness, all of which finishes with a complex aftertaste that leaves anise and other herbal notes on the tongue and throat.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Because this drink is so aggressively herbal and dry, Kendall couldn’t even finish her first sip, to be honest. Meanwhile, Alex, who is a casual enjoyer of these kinds of cocktail oddities, found the Weeper’s Joy palatable but definitely had to finish it very, very slowly.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐
“The book claims that this drink will cause those with ‘bold palates’ to weep with joy upon drinking it, and I agree whole-heartedly with that. This drink is aggressive and not for the faint of heart. Apart from being pretty high in alcohol content, it offers little respite in the way of sweetness and instead batters the tastebuds with herbs, especially anise and fennel. And that taste sticks in the mouth the whole way through. I personally enjoyed the drink since I like recipes that are almost too weird to actually enjoy, but I agree that it definitely needs to be consumed in moderation. I don’t believe absinthe makes you hallucinate, but too many of these would probably have most drinkers starting to question their surroundings with the bold aromas, flavors, and ABV they contain.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐
“Yikes, this is one serious drink! I’m not a fan of absinthe’s licorice taste, so I knew going into the tasting I likely wouldn’t care for this recipe. That was, in fact, the case; I actually couldn’t make it past one sip. I can see how those who enjoy absinthe’s distinct flavor like Alex would really like this, but ultimately, I wouldn’t make it again.”
Recipe
This cocktail recipe was adapted from The Art of Vintage Cocktails by Stephanie Rosenbaum.
Add absinthe, sweet vermouth, kümmel, simple syrup, orange curaçao, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Ingredients
Directions
Add absinthe, sweet vermouth, kümmel, simple syrup, orange curaçao, and cubed ice to a mixing glass.
Stir for 30-45 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Absinthe in place of the absinthe, cumin, fennel, and caraway seed syrup in place of the Kümmel, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Apéritif Rosso in place of the sweet vermouth, and Monin Premium Triple Sec Syrup in place of the orange liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Absinthe Cocktails
If you like this absinthe-based cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
De La Louisiane: A whiskey cocktail made with Bénédictine, sweet vermouth, absinthe, Peychaud’s Creole bitters, and a cherry
Tuxedo No. 2: A gin cocktail made with dry vermouth, cherry liqueur, absinthe, orange bitters, and a lemon twist
Brain Duster: A whiskey and absinthe cocktail made with sweet vermouth, Angostura aromatic bitters, and a lemon twist
Sazerac: A rye cocktail made with simple syrup, Peychaud’s Creole bitters, absinthe, and a lemon twist
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