The Sazerac: The official cocktail of New Orleans and its infamous party scene. The Sazerac earned its official status in 2008, but this daring drink has been the queen of New Orleans’ cocktails since 1838. Back then, the French influence around town was prominent in fashion, architecture, food, and most importantly cocktails. Classic drinks like the Milk Punch, Vieux Carré, and A La Louisiane are all perfect examples of the French influence of the New Orleans cocktail scene. But the original Sazerac was really following all the French trends with brandy, bitters, and absinthe.
At the time, especially in New Orleans, brandy was an increasingly popular spirit because it was tasty, posh, and well, available. Distilled from grapes, brandy was a fun and fruity spirit to drink on a night out and served as an upscale contrast to the unregulated whiskey of the time. In addition to brandy, the first few Sazeracs also debuted a new ingredient – Peychaud’s bitters. Invented by a local French, New Orleans man named Antoine Peychaud, bitters were a fashionable trend and a downright delicious addition.
But why stop with just sugar, bitters, and brandy when you can add the most dangerously alluring ingredient of the time – absinthe. Throughout the 19th century, particularly in France, absinthe was the chicest way to get super messed up. Some of the most famous artists of the time including Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Pablo Picasso, Vincent van Gogh, Oscar Wilde, and Lord Byron all partied hard in Paris to this mysterious, green liquor. Absinthe was alleged to cause some crazy hallucinations, which made it more appealing to partiers, instead of disgusting. So for the serious partiers of New Orleans, absinthe seemed like just the thing.
And so, the Sazerac hit the Bourbon Street scene and was officially trademarked in 1900 by the Sazerac Company. Since then, its popularity across the country has grown and the drink continues to find its way onto modern cocktail menus. However, the Sazerac we know today has undergone a bit of a makeover. The French brandy has been replaced by rye whiskey and the absinthe won’t make you see little green fairies. But this cocktail is still pretty damn fun and deserves its place in Crescent City history.
Sazerac
Equipment
- 1 Mixing Glass
- 1 Bar Spoon
- 1 Rocks Glass
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Rye Whiskey
- 1 cube Sugar
- 4 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
- ¼ ounce Absinthe (to rinse)
Instructions
- Fill a rocks glass with ice and place in the freezer to chill.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing glass, soak one sugar cube in 4 dashes of Angostura Bitters.
- Add 2 ounces of Rye whiskey to the mixing glass and stir to combine.
- Remove the glass from the freezer and discard the chilled ice.
- Fill the chilled glass with ¼ ounces of Absinthe and slowly roll it around the glass before discarding.
- Pour the Rye, bitters, and sugar mixture into the Absinthe-rinsed glass.
- Garnish with a twist of lemon.
Notes
- Use 1/2 ounces of simple syrup in place of a sugar cube, if preferred.
