Absinthe must be going mainstream when it can get lampooned in a newspaper cartoon, even if it is an admittedly alternative one here in the Boston area. The Boston Phoenix web site has this cartoon:

We tried the Absinthe Cocktail and thought it worked out pretty well. We used Lucid as the absinthe, because we don't find it a particular standout amongst the other absinthes we have handy, making it good for a mixer. Given the cost of a bottle of the green gold, we are usually loathe to do anything but enjoy it normally, but we don't mind abusing Lucid, which still has enough character to contribute in a cocktail. You can find the Absinthe Cocktail recipe here on the How2Heroes web site.

We put a touch too much ice water in it to start with. The recipe calls for ice, but the accompanying video shows ice water, so we went with that and probably should have cut it down, as we ended up with about a 3:2 water:absinthe ratio, which is too weak. And we were able to purchase a bottle of Ting, the Jamaican Grapefruit soda, as mentioned at the bottom of the recipe, at our local supermarket, which was nice. We would also probably cut back a bit on the simple syrup. And don't forget the limes! We did for our first sip, but the fresh limes really added a necessary tartness to the drink.

But in the end, it was a very nice drink and one with great potential. As mentioned, a little less ice water and simple syrup, and a touch more lime juice would make it a very refreshing summer drink. Absinthe Cocktail, For The Win!