sazerac
The Sazerac: New Orleans in a Glass
The Sazerac's history is complicated and debated, but what's certain is that it emerged in New Orleans in the mid-1800s. The drink was originally made with cognac and named after Sazerac de Forge et Fils, a French cognac brand. Around 1870, the base spirit switched from cognac to rye whiskey, likely because the phylloxera epidemic in Europe devastated French vineyards and cognac became scarce.
The drink became associated with the Sazerac Coffee House, which opened in 1859. When proprietor Thomas Handy ran the establishment, he recorded the recipe before his death in 1889. The first printed recipe appeared in William T. Boothby's 1908 book "The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them."
In 2008, the Louisiana Legislature proclaimed the Sazerac as New Orleans' official cocktail, cementing its place in the city's cultural identity.
The classic recipe calls for rye whiskey, a sugar cube, Peychaud's Bitters, and an absinthe rinse, garnished with a lemon twist. Some modern versions include Angostura bitters alongside Peychaud's, though the original used only Peychaud's.
Making it requires two glasses. Chill one glass with ice while you work. In a mixing glass, muddle a sugar cube with Peychaud's Bitters until dissolved. Add two ounces of rye whiskey and ice, then stir for about thirty seconds until cold. Discard the ice from the chilled glass, add a small amount of absinthe or Herbsaint, swirl to coat the inside, and discard the excess. Strain the rye mixture into the absinthe-rinsed glass and garnish with a lemon twist.
The absinthe rinse is what makes this drink unique. After absinthe was banned in the United States in 1912, bartenders used Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur created in New Orleans in 1934 as an absinthe substitute.
The Sazerac is bold, spirit-forward, and unapologetically strong. It's not a cocktail you order casually - it demands attention and respect. The combination of spicy rye, herbal Peychaud's, and that subtle anise note from the absinthe creates something uniquely New Orleans.
RECIPE:
2 oz Rye
¼ oz simple syrup
2–3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
Absinthe rinse
Lemon peel
Method:
Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, discard excess.
Stir rye, simple syrup, cold water, and bitters with ice until chilled.
Strain into the absinthe-rinsed glass, neat (no ice).
Express a lemon peel over the surface and drop it in.