Absinthe-ini? Absinthe-itan? Absinthe-ito?
Virgin Air wants to be the first to “put absinthe in the air.”
To do that, the airline wants to serve a cocktail made from the mythic, 19th century liqueur that brings to mind Parisian café society, bohemians, artists, and English decadents like Oscar Wilde, a fan.
Like the ritual pouring of Moroccan mint tea — in a long, slim, stream by a practiced hand — absinthe is served in an alluring way.
To sweeten the liqueur’s herby bitterness, a sugar cube is place on a special, usually ornate and perforated spoon, which allows the liqueur to flow into, over and through the sugar cube, and dribble sweetly into the glass.
Watch all that romantic imagery circle the bowl as Virgin’s marketers reveal their concoction, “The Mile High,” made with absinthe, Sprite and a wedge of lemon.
Now that’s just sad.
If anything screams for a sexy new martini or a cosmo or mohito knock-off, it’s absinthe.
Understandably, convenience has to be factored in. Flight attendants have to serve this drink through turbulence from those clackity aisle carts.
Still, in the dubious age of the bar chef, Virgin marketers could have done a lot better, with simple syrup as a mix, say. Dead easy. And elegant.
That’s what they’re going for, right?
