The Phoebe Snow is named after a fictional character from a railroad advertising campaign. Her dress remained white as snow because her train ran on anthracite instead of coal. This cocktail recipe dates back to at least 1941, but don’t expect your average bartender in a chain restaurant to have heard of it. Phoebe Snow is a bit of a lost classic.
Valentine’s Day seems like a perfect time to revive this one.
The Phoebe Snow is sophisticated and unique, with flavors of anise and herbal spice shaking up the smoothness of the cognac. The recipe calls for absinthe, which is probably why it declined in popularity – at least here in the United States, where absinthe was banned for many years because of exaggerated reports of hallucinations and other trippy effects. (It is high-proof, but other than that it’s no more dangerous than any other spirit.)
The Phoebe Snow
- 1.5 ounces cognac
- 1.5 ounces Dubonnet Rouge
- 1 dash absinthe (or 2 dashes Pernod Pastis, if absinthe isn’t available)
Shake the ingredients with plenty of ice and strain into a frosted red wine or martini glass.
The Phoebe Snow’s flavor is on the challenging, so serve it with mellow dishes that hit just one note on the palate. Cheesecake, lobster or crab with drawn butter, or a selection of cheese and crackers for party guests.
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Updated: November 26, 2010
Copyright: February 12, 2010
