Now that absinthe is legally available in Boston, you may be tempted to try it out. But, like many potent liquids, absinthe should be quaffed with care.

Hanky Panky of LUPEC, the Boston chapter of Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, has a few words of advice for absinthe novices: "As Absinthe is quite high as far as alcohol content is concerned, you most frequently find it being used in very small quantities. It also packs a wallop of flavor, so if you go too heavy it will overpower the other ingredients."

Hanky Panky recommends several absinthe recipes that are already available on Boston LUPEC's website, the Cocktail a la Louisiane and the Obituary Cocktail. Last, but not least, is the simple "Death in the Afternoon," which Hanky Panky describes as "a shot of absinthe topped with Champagne."

Image from Wikimedia Commons.