I can’t exactly remember the first time I drank Yoo-Hoo, but it’s a safe bet that I took my first sip sometime during the ’90s, the decade of my young adulthood. My mother implemented strict interdictions against sugary foods and drinks, so for me any joyful gulps of this chocolate and milk-whey drink were furtively obtained outside the house.
As an homage to this pivotal decade that featured the unlikely pairing of a New Jersey–based chocolate drink and a French absinthe house, I created the Absinthe-Crag for my latest cocktail book, Saved by the Bellini & Other 90s-Inspired Cocktails. The anise-fennel-and-licorice flavors of absinthe might not seem like the most natural match for Yoo-hoo, but despite the odds, it works.