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By now, you've heard all the brouhaha over the legalization of absinthe and probably read a few stories about the traditional way it's served and all the famous Belle Epoque artists who once drank it. We love to knock back a glass of absinthe and water, and we can't find much to complain about in Paris, but the "Absinthe Is Back" stories missed the point.

The point is not that absinthe is fashionably naughty again. The point is that one of the world's great liquors-with the virtuosity of wine and the punch of a good whiskey-has taken its rightful place on the modern bar and opened up a cocktail gold rush. It's like someone just discovered an eighth continent and mailed us all flagpoles.

We got so overwhelmed by the possibilities that we started writing them down and ultimately made them into a book: The Little Green Book of Absinthe. Here we offer a favorite recipe not included in the book:

The Deep End

3 oz. Le Tourment Vert absinthe
3 oz. fresh mango juice
1½ oz. agave water blend

Add ice, then ingredients, into a blender. Blend for 7 to 8 seconds. Pour into a 16-oz. glass and garnish with a slice of lime and two slices of mango. Paul Owens serves this cocktail at his San Francisco restaurant, Tortilla Heights.