The Sazerac

Ingredients:

• ~⅛ oz absinthe (just enough for a quick rinse)
• 1 sugar cube
• ¾ oz cognac
• 1¼ oz rye whiskey
• 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
• 2 dashes Angostura bitters
• Lemon twist, for garnish

Build:

1. Add the absinthe to a chilled rocks glass and swirl to coat the interior. Discard the excess, or keep it if you like a little extra absinthe punch, and set glass aside.
2. In a mixing glass, add the sugar cube, cognac, rye whiskey, and both bitters. Stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.
3. Add ice and stir until well chilled.
4. Strain into the prepared rocks glass.
5. Express the oils from a lemon twist over the drink, run it around the rim, and drop it in. Note: Traditionally, a Sazerac is served without ice, but rules are made to be bent. Serve it up, over ice, or on a large cube. It’s your drink after all.
6. Enjoy!

In some circles, the Sazerac is referred to as America’s first cocktail. Its name dates back to the 1850s and a little spot in New Orleans called the Sazerac Coffee House. But the drink itself goes back a bit further, to the 1830s, when Antoine Amédée Peychaud, creator of Peychaud’s Bitters, started serving a mix of cognac, sugar, absinthe, and his bitters out of his pharmacy.

Originally made with cognac, the recipe shifted in the 1870s due to a shortage caused by a pest infestation that wiped out much of France’s grape crop. Rye whiskey stepped in as the base spirit and never really left.

Then in 1912 came the ban on absinthe, fueled by fears of its supposed hallucinogenic effects and a growing wave of temperance sentiment. With absinthe off the table, bartenders subbed in Herbsaint to keep the drink’s bold, aromatic character intact. Thankfully, the ban was lifted in 2007, and the Sazerac could once again be made the way Peychaud intended. Just a year later, Louisiana made it official, naming the Sazerac the official cocktail of New Orleans.

A drink shaped by history, held together by tradition. That’s the kind of story we like to sip on.