Drink Of The Week: Sazerac

The Classic Absinthe Cocktail

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"It’s a kick in the pants that New Orleanians have been known to enjoy with lunch."

A little history with your buzz…

The Sazerac was invented by an apothecary named Antoine Amedee Peychaud in New Orleans in the 1830s as a remedy for a variety of his customers’ ailments. The original formula included a concoction called Peychaud’s Bitters, made mostly of brandy, sugar and water. Over the next two decades, the Sazerac grew in popularity and was officially branded, reportedly becoming the first cocktail invented in America.

The cocktail was named after Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils, the imported cognac originally used for the cocktail. To accommodate American tastes and because of the difficulty of obtaining cognac, the recipe was later altered to replace the French brandy with American rye whisky, and a dash of absinthe was added. Until 2007, absinthe was illegal in the United States, and it’s still hard to find. An anise liqueur like Pernod will do the trick if you can’t find the real thing, but if you want to add polish to your Sazerac, go with the good stuff. Lucid and Kübler are two brands worth noting. A bottle might set you back $50 or $60, but a little goes a long way.

Hair-on-your-chest factor: 70/100

The Sazerac is a sipping beverage to be sure, and although it’s reddish in color (thanks to the bitters), it’s by no means an effeminate drink. It’s a kick in the pants that New Orleanians have been known to enjoy with lunch.

Ingredients:
1 cube sugar
1½ oz rye whiskey
¼ oz absinthe (or anise liqueur)
3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters (available in most liquor stores)
Lemon peel

Instruction
Place the sugar cube in an Old Fashioned glass, add the bitters to it, and crush in the sugar cube. Add the whisky and stir with ice to chill. Pour the absinthe into a second chilled Old Fashioned glass. Let the liquor coat the glass, then discard the remaining absinthe. Strain the whiskey mixture into the absinthe glass and garnish with the lemon peel.