Mr Rathbone once had a party in his flat, and someone bought him a bottle of absinthe as a gift. But then some big boys in the kitchen drank it all and ran away.  Because of this and because it is in a Jimmy Durante cocktail I want to try, I bought him a bottle for Christmas.

It has a fancy absinthe spoon which is very dinky,

and naturally, now I know there is such a thing as an absinthe fountain, I really want one.

Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon comprises just absinthe and Champagne, and it is BRUTAL!

From the first sip, my head went a bit berserk. I very much enjoyed the sensation though.

Hemingway’s concoction featured in a 1935 cocktail book with the brilliant title of  So Red the Nose. 

Although Hemingway wasn’t an actor, I think he deserves a spot here at Silver Screen Suppers because of his many screenplays and multiple adaptations of his books.  When we decided to have a whole Hemingway afternoon, guzzling his cocktails and eating his legendary burgers, Mr R suggested we watch The Killers to round off the night. Brilliant.

Here’s how our burgers turned out, made exactly to Hemingway’s recipe, typed out by his own fair hand.  First version…

Mine with tomatoes…

Mr R said it was the best burger he’d ever eaten.  How about that?!

Here’s the recipe, it’s well worth the effort I reckon.  I even made my own Beau Monde seasoning and Mei Yen mixtures from recipes I found on the internet.  SCRUMPTIOUS!

The Killers was GREAT.

 Hemingway’s salary for the version of The Killers made in1946 was $36,700 

I don’t know what that would account to in today’s money, but I’m guessing A LOT.  Mr R purchased a DVD that had this version AND the 1964 version. We went for the latter because, well, John Cassavetes and Angie Dickinson… FABULOUS.

The burgers were also fabulous, and we might make them again when we watch the original.  That stars Ava Gardner so maybe I’ll make some of Ava’s Southern Coleslaw to go alongside…

An Ernest Hemingway Day with his burgers and cocktail is heartily recommended.  I am not responsible for what might happen if, as Hemingway suggested, you drink 3 to 5 of these!

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