Rinse
Definition
Coating the inside of a glass with a small amount of spirit (typically absinthe or peaty whisky) to add aromatic complexity. Pour in the spirit, swirl to coat, then discard the excess.
The glass rinse is most closely associated with the Sazerac, one of the oldest surviving American cocktails, which originated at the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans in the mid-1800s. The absinthe rinse — credited to bartender Leon Lamothe, who experimented with it around 1858 to 1870 — was not about adding a full measure of the spirit, but about leaving a fragrant aromatic film on the inside of the glass. As bar director William Elliott of Brooklyn absinthe bar Maison Premiere explained, the residue from an absinthe rinse adds a botanical bouquet and a layer of slight bitterness that anchors the spice-forward notes of the rye whiskey. When absinthe was banned in the United States in 1912, bartenders substituted Herbsaint, a local New Orleans anise liqueur, to preserve the technique. The Sazerac became the official cocktail of New Orleans by city ordinance in 2008. Beyond absinthe, the rinse technique applies broadly: peated Scotch, mezcal, Fernet-Branca, and other aromatic spirits can all be used to season a glass before pouring.