sazerac_cocktail

Sazerac

Herbal, aromatic and deliciously bittersweet, the Sazerac cocktail is a New Orleans icon that’s crafted using a careful ritual, one that makes it testing but rewarding – perhaps the ultimate vintage cocktail recipe.

About this recipe

Ingredients

Bulleit® Bourbon

Bulleit® Bourbon

A bourbon with heritage, Bulleit Bourbon stays true to its Kentucky roots with spicy, bold flavours that come from ageing the softly amber coloured liquid gently in small batches.

How to make

Fill a short glass with ice cubes.

Pour water into the ice-filled glass and leave to stand: the aim is to chill this glass, while preparing the drink in a second glass.

While the first glass chills, place a sugar cube into a second short glass and add four dashes of Peychaud's Bitters and two dashes of Angostura Bitters.

Using a muddler, press down on the sugar cube to dissolve it in the bitters.

Add two or three ice cubes to the glass.

Using a jigger, measure 60ml Bulleit Bourbon into the glass.

Using a bar spoon, stir the drink thoroughly until the sugar is all dissolved.

Pour away the ice and water from the first glass, leaving it chilled.

Pour a splash of absinthe into the empty glass and roll it around to coat the glass. Discard absinthe, so only a thin coating remains.

Use a cocktail strainer to strain the liquid into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Do not add ice.

Using a sharp knife, pare a thin strip of lemon peel zest. Snap to release the flavouring oils, then drop into the drink.

Grab a bite

Get some grub in before or while you’re drinking – it slows alcohol absorption.

How to Make a Sazerac

For when you're in a New Orleans kind of mood.

Essentially New Orleans' version of the the classic whiskey cocktail (whiskey, water, bitters, sugar), the sazerac has been around since the middle of the 19th century. It is named after a brand of cognac called Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils, which was the original liquor used to make the drink. The modern version, which uses rye whisky instead of cognac, is the classic sort of cocktail that conjures a bunch of hardened newspaper men talking horse racing results in a smoke-filled pool hall. That is to say, it's not a drink for the faint of heart. But if you love a good whisky cocktail, especially one that's topped off with a splash of absinthe, then the sazerac is tough to beat.

1. In an Old-Fashioned glass (not a mixing glass; it's part of the ritual), muddle a sugar cube with a few drops of water.
2. Add several small ice cubes and the rye whiskey,* the Peychaud's bitters, and the Angostura bitters.**
3. Stir well and strain into a second, chilled, Old-Fashioned glass in which you have rolled around a few drops of absinthe (no substitute really works, but you can try either a mix of Pernod and green Chartreuse, or Absente) until its inside is thoroughly coated, pouring off the excess.
4. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel (some insist that this be squeezed over the drink and discarded; Handy wasn't so picky).

** Optional. It's not in the original recipe, but it's traditional nonetheless, and it's not bad.

Sazerac cocktail

How the Sazerac Cocktail Came to Be

In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, treated his friends to brandy toddies of his own recipe, including his "Peychaud's Bitters," made from a secret family recipe. The toddies were made using a double-ended egg cup as a measuring cup or jigger, then known as a "coquetier" (pronounced "ko-k-tay"), from which the word "cocktail" was derived. Thus, the world's first cocktail was born!

By 1850, the Sazerac Cocktail, made with Sazerac French brandy and Peychaud's Bitters, was immensely popular, and became the first "branded" cocktail. In 1873, the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail was altered to replace the French brandy with American Rye whiskey, and a dash of absinthe was added.

In 1933, the Sazerac Cocktail was bottled and marketed by the Sazerac Company of New Orleans. That same year, "Herbsaint," a pastis, was made according to a French recipe; "Herbsaint" was so named for the New Orleans term for wormwood - "Herb Sainte."

In 1940, the Official Sazerac Cocktail recipe was modified to use Herbsaint as the absinthe.

Finally, in 2000, the Official Sazerac Cocktail recipe was modified to use Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey.

The Sazerac

America's First Cocktail and a New Orleans Traditional

Is it any surprise that America's first cocktail, the Sazerac, was created in New Orleans, the city that loves to party?

Back in 1838, Antoine Peychaud created the drink in a French Quarter bar and named it for his favorite French brandy, Sazerac-de-Forge et fils. In 1873, the drink was changed when American Rye whiskey was substituted for cognac, and a dash of absinthe was added by bartender Leon Lamothe, and today he is now regarded as the Father of the Sazerac. In 1912, absinthe was banned, so Peychaud substituted his special bitters in its place.

In 1893 the Roosevelt Hotel (called the Grunewald Hotel at the time), was built in the city, and one year later the hotel trademarked the Ramos Gin Fizz. In 1938, the hotel opened the Main Bar, now famously known at the Sazerac Bar. After changing ownership several times, the hotel was restored bringing back much of it's original grandeur and reopend in 2009 as The Roosevelt.

Today, the Sazerac is best enjoyed in many of New Orleans' finest restaurants and bars, most notably the Sazerac Bar in the The Roosevelt, where celebrities, locals, and tourists enjoy the drink.

Sazerac Recipe:

• 1 cube sugar
• 1Ѕ ounces (35ml) Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon
• ј ounce Herbsaint
• 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
• Lemon peel

Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud's Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel.

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The Sazerac Cocktail

This is the quintessential New Orleans cocktail, and as of 2008 it is the Official Cocktail of the City of New Orleans (thank you, state legislature). There are those who say this is the first cocktail, period. Alas, this is sadly untrue.

That's all it is, too -- legend, and a good yarn that locals like to spin. Nowadays we know for a fact that the word "cocktail" predated this by decades, first appearing in print in 1803 and first defined in print in 1806 as "a mixture of spirits of any kind, water, sugar and bitters, vulgarly called a bittered sling." Research has also shown that brandy-based cocktails were being served in New Orleans before M. Peychaud began dispensing his concoction, and were most probably spiked with Stoughton's Bitters, a medicinal stomach bitters which didn't survivethe 19th Century. This is, of course, not to say that M. Peychaud's cocktail wasn't popular locally -- it was, and became much more so as its fame spread.

Before long, the demand for this drink led to its being served in bars throughout the city (euphemistically called "coffee houses" in those days). One of these, a large bar on Exchange Alley owned by a gentleman named Sewell Taylor, was named the Merchants Exchange Coffeehouse. Not long after, Mr. Taylor started a new business as a liquor importer, with one of his most popular products being a particular brand of Cognac called Sazerac-du-Forge et fils for which Mr. Taylor was the sole importer. Someone else took over the bar, changed its name to the Sazerac Coffee House, and history was made. Apparently the bar was big enough to accommodate 12 bartenders, all mixing "Sazeracs" for their patrons, and people began to refer to the drink with the name of the coffeehouse where it was most popular.

Around 1870, a gentleman by the name of Thomas Handy took over as proprietor of the Sazerac House, and the primary ingredient was changed from cognac to rye whiskey due to popular American tastes as well as to the difficulty of obtaining cognac at the time -- the phyloxxera epidemic in Europe had devastated France's wine grape crops, which would take years to recover. Somewhere along the line a dash of absinthe was added, usually used to coat the glass with the excess discarded. Eventually absinthe was banned and was replaced by the locally-produced pastis called Herbsaint, which is ideal in a Sazerac and with which you'll find them made in New Orleans most often.

The bar moved to the Roosevelt Hotel in 1949, where the Sazerac Bar and Restaurant still stands. The Roosevelt became the Fairmont, and as of summer 2009 it'll be renovated and reopened as the Roosevelt once again, featuring a spectacularly redone Sazerac Bar that'll hearked back to the bar's glory days. Since those days the hotel paid an annual fee to the Sazerac Company for the use of the name. The company, which produces, imports and distributes many different liquors, was founded in 1870 by the gentleman who bought the Sazerac Coffeehouse and the Peychaud family's secret recipe for the bitters.

Now that absinthe is legal in the United States again, use that if at all possible for an extra bit of historical authenticity. Lucid and Kübler are readily available now, as is St. George from San Francisco, Marteau and Pacifique from the Pacific Northwest, Leopold Bros. from Colorado and all of Ted Breaux's absinthes from Jade Liqueurs to name but a few. However, if you do use absinthe instead of Herbsaint in your Sazerac, avoid brands from the Czech Republic, as they taste nothing like the type of absinthe that was historically drunk in New Orleans and used in early Sazeracs). The drink has been enjoyed this way for over 130 years, and over 150 if you include the original version made with Cognac.

There are recipes that call for Angostura bitters as well as Peychaud's bitters for this cocktail. For the longest time I was against this, primarly due to watching too many bartenders grab both bottles of bitters and shake equal amounts into the drink, which is just wrong. I decided to be a traditionalst, saying that it wasn't invented that way -- M. Peychaud didn't make it that way. However, Thomas Handy's bartenders at the Sazerac Coffeehouse are the ones who added the absinthe, now an integral component of the drink, and they're the ones who started using a bit of Angostura as well. I love the flavor of Peychaud's bitters -- the Sazerac is a showcase for that unique flavor, and always should be. However, Jeff Morgenthaler recenttly pointed out that a single drop of Angostura will leave you "surprised [at] how much it opens up the flavors." Make it a small dash, and make it optional if you want to be a staunch purist . but 130 years is still long enough for something to be a tradition! As Jeff advises, "While it may enrage some purists, you can always counter with, 'If it was good enough for Thomas Handy, it's good enough for me.'"

I go both ways on this. I still love an all-Peychaud's Sazerac, but try a little drop of Angostura and see what you think. If it's not to your taste, by all means leave it out. But for God's sake, don't make the mistake that, sadly, so many New Orleans bartenders make -- grabbing each bottle by the neck and putting four or five dashes of each. This is a Sazerac, not a Seelbach, dammit!

Although I love a Sazerac made with rye whiskey, you can also make a truly wonderful drink by substituting a fine Cognac for the rye, making the drink as it first was in the old days, or with a mixture of the two. If you have real absinthe, use that to coat the glass, too.

And speaking of rye . get rye whiskey for this drink. Do not use Bourbon. Don't get me wrong, I love Bourbon. It's simply wrong for this drink -- too much sweetness, not enough spice. It has never been made this way traditionally, and until recently would never be made this way in New Orleans, and that's enough. I believe that if you've got something that's wonderful, that's real, and right, and true . you leave it alone.

As Stanley Clisby Arthur, author of Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em, in print since 1937, said in his classic tome, "While Bourbon may do for a julep it just won't do for a real Sazerac. This comes directly from a bartender who used to mix Sazeracs for Tom Handy, so it bears some authority." Try them both ways yourself, and you'll immediately realize that the sweetness of Bourbon is completely wrong for this drink, and only the spiciness of rye (or Cognac, or a mix of both) will do.

The typical rye whiskey used for Sazeracs in New Orleans is Old Overholt, a 4-year-old rye that's got a crisp, complex flavor . spicy with a touch of honey. It's an 86-proof whiskey, which is eminently sippable. However, if you like a drink with a bit more of a kick to it, Rittenhouse Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey at 100 proof makes a truly outstanding drink that'll give you a boot in the butt as well. In an ideal world, my whiskey of choice for this drink is the magnificent Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, one of America's great whiskeys produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, owned by the Sazerac Company. If you can find it, grab it -- it's a limited edition release, and as supplies dwindle the price is shooting up. (As of January 2004 it had already gone up from $34.95 a bottle to $42.95 at Martin Wine Cellar, and the extremely limited, once-a-year releases are now seen at $80-100 a bottle). There's some new Sazerac 18-Year Rye in the works apparently, but it'll take a while to make. Fortunately, there's also a 6-Year-Old Sazerac Rye, which is quite delicious, much more readily available and very reasonably priced at about $22-24 per bottle.

Other ryes I favor for Sazeracs are Wild Turkey Rye (really good and potent stuff, if you want a Sazerac that'll also give you a little kick in the pants) and Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 13-Year-Old Rye at 95.6 proof. This one makes a spectacular drink as well.

After writing in Looka! about my 2000 trip home for Jazzfest and my rediscovery of the Sazerac as being my favorite cocktail of all time, a gentleman wrote in to ask why I didn't talk about having any Hurricanes during my visit home.

I replied, "Hurricanes are for tourists. Sazeracs are for natives." That said, we want every visitor to the city (and everybody else, around the world, at their local bar or at home) to join us. Here's how you make one.

1/2 teaspoon absinthe, or Herbsaint (a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur)

1 teaspoon of simple syrup (2:1 sugar to water), or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar

1 small dash, a scant drop, of Angostura bitters (extremely optional; some feel it helps open the flavors, but traditionalists may leave it out).

2 ounces rye whiskey.

Strip of lemon peel

The traditional method: Pack a 3-1/2 ounce Old Fashioned (rocks) glass with ice. In another Old Fashioned glass, moisten the sugar cube with just enough water to saturate it, then crush. Blend with the whiskey and bitters. Add a few cubes of ice and stir to chill. Discard the ice from the first glass and pour in the Herbsaint. Coat the inside of the entire glass, pouring out the excess. Strain the whiskey into the Herbsaint coated glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass so that the lemon oil cascades into the drink, then rub the peel over the rim of the glass; do not put the twist in the drink. Or, as Stanley Clisby Arthur says, "Do not commit the sacrilege of dropping the peel into the drink."

My preferred method: Always use a nice big rocks or Old-Fashioned glass for this drink. Wes and I have managed to slowly and painstakingly acquire a set of eight heavy-bottomed Old Fashioned glasses from the old Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, emblazoned with the hotel's name and the word "SAZERAC" in large letters. We've become very fond of these glasses, as you can imagine!

I also recommend the use of a prepared simple syrup (1-1/2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for this and most other cocktails involving sugar that don't involve muddling. I don't like adding granulated or lump sugar to a drink unless I'm muddling, because it never quite dissolves completely. In simple syrup the sugar is already dissolved, so there's no chance of serving a gritty drink to your guests. As Herbsaint may be difficult to find in your area, you may substitute another pastis for the Herbsaint; however, I find that the flavor of Herbsaint is far superior to that of Pernod (the usual Herbsaint substitute), so it's worth your while to seek it out. Actually, it's worth your while to get a bottle of good absinthe, as it's easy enough nowadays.

Add the absinthe or Herbsaint to the glass, then swirl it around to coat the entire sides and bottom of the glass. Discard the excess, although if you enjoy a bit more of the flavor of the absinthe or Herbsaint you may wish to leave a small amount of it in the bottom. Remember that the flavor of the absinthe should be there, but in the background -- it should not dominate. In a cocktail shaker (I use the glass portion of my Boston shaker), add the sugar syrup, whiskey and bitters. Add ice and tir gently for about 30 seconds (and for God's sake don't shake it -- you don't want a frothy Sazerac) or until the drink is cold, then strain into the Herbsaint-coated glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink, and try to watch carefully to make sure a cascade of tiny lemon oil droplets actually strike the surface of the drink; this is one of my favorite parts of the preparation ritual. Rub the twist over the rim of the glass, then add as garnish. (No, I'm not a slavish adherent to S. C. Arthur's admonitions; I'll do this drink in a very acceptably traditional manner, with my own tastes taken into account. Leave the peel out if you wish.)

Sit back, relax and enjoy the greatest cocktail in the world. (Sorry, Martini.)

To take a trip back in time with the original, really lovely version of the Sazerac, substitute a fine Cognac for the rye. Better yet, use a mixture of rye and Cognac, as is the preferred technique of Dale Degroff, LeNell Smothers and Jamie Boudreau among many other mixologists; proportions vary from equal parts to 1-1/2 Cognac and 1/2 rye, so play around and see what you like. Also try it with real absinthe if it's available near you; it's like hopping into the Wayback Machine! Just a reminder -- while most bars in New Orleans still make Overholt Sazeracs, think outside the box. Sazerac 6 Year rye is wonderful, Rittenhouse is fantastic, and if you're feeling extravagant the limited edition Sazerac 18-Year-Old Straight Kentucky Rye Whiskey might just make the best Sazerac in the world. It's truly marvelous, if you can find it -- and it's hard to find..

Sazerac Cocktail Classic Rye Whiskey Recipe

• 3 mins
• Prep: 3 mins,
• Cook: 0 mins
• Yield: 1 cocktail (1 serving)

The Sazerac is ​a timeless cocktail from New Orleans. It is a simple recipe and you may want to think of it as a nice way to doctor up your favorite rye whiskey.

The recipe for the Sazerac requires just four ingredients: rye whiskey, a sugar cube, Peychaud's Bitters and absinthe. When made properly, it is one of the best examples of a balanced drink that you will find, with the anise, bitters, and sugar perfectly accenting a good rye.

As is the case with many popular drinks, there are varying opinions regarding how to make it. Some drinkers prefer Angostura Bitters, some a specific rye, and many have a preference for the anise liqueur. The recipe below is now considered the 'official' Sazerac recipe (if Herbsaint is used), coming straight from the Sazerac Company.

What You'll Need

• 3 ounces rye whiskey
• 1 sugar cube
• Peychaud's bitters to taste
• 3 drops Absinthe, Herbsaint, or absinthe substitute
• For garnish:
• Lemon twist

How to Make It

1. Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and letting it sit while preparing the rest of the drink.
2. In a mixing glass, soak the sugar cube with Peychaud's Bitters and muddle to crush the cube.
3. Add the rye whiskey and stir.
4. Discard the ice in the chilled glass and rinse it with absinthe by pouring a small amount into the glass, swirling it around and discarding the liquid.
5. Pour the whiskey mixture into the absinthe-rinsed glass.

1. Garnish with a lemon twist.

More Tips for Making a Great Sazerac

The Whiskey. There are some fantastic rye whiskeys available on the market. I encourage you to explore them to find the one that makes your ideal Sazerac.

The Sazerac company recommends either Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon in "The Official Sazerac Cocktail" recipe. Following suit, you may want to experiment with bourbons as well, though this will not be the traditional Sazerac (and Sazerac enthusiasts will likely scoff at it).

The Absinthe. A real absinthe is preferred for the rinse. However, many Sazerac lovers enjoy Herbsaint (and the official recipe uses it). You can also use other absinthe substitutes, though as Jeffrey Morgenthaler points out in The Dos and Don'ts of Sazeracs, Pernod should be avoided because it is sweeter and unnecessary given that there is a full sugar cube in the drink already.

If the flavor of anise is not your thing, you can use another liqueur for the rinse. Of course, it will not be a true Sazerac, but many of these variations are just as interesting. For instance, a Blood Orange Sazerac uses Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur for the rinse, Rittenhouse Rye for the whiskey, and orange bitters. It's a fantastic twist and a more approachable taste.

The Twist. Traditionalists will say that the lemon twist should be squeezed over the drink to release its essences. However, they often agree that the twist should not be dropped into the glass itself.

The History of the Sazerac

It all began for the Sazerac cocktail in 1838 when Antoine Amedie Peychaud, a New Orleans apothecary, mixed cognac with his proprietary Peychaud bitters.

In the 1850s, the drink was the signature drink of the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans where it received its name and became the first "branded" cocktail.

The exact reason for the substitution of rye whiskey for the brandy is unclear, but today it is made with whiskey exclusively. At one point, the Sazerac was even sold as a bottled cocktail, and during the time of absinthe's ban in the U.S., Herbsaint became the anise liqueur of choice.

How Strong is the Sazerac?

Let's stick with the official recipe and use Sazerac Rye and Herbsaint to estimate the Sazerac's alcohol content.

First of all, it's important to note that Sazerac comes in both 6 Year Old and 18-Year-Old bottlings and both are 90-proof (as is Herbsaint). Second, if you read the recipe closely, you will have noted that there is no ice involved in making a Sazerac. These two factors should tell you that this is not a light drink in any way.

Essentially, there is no math needed. Without dilution, the Sazerac remains at the bottling proof of the liquors poured into it. This means that the Sazerac is 45% ABV (90 proof) and is one of the strongest mixed drinks you can make. Stick to one a night and all will be well.