Sazerac

The Sazerac is THE quintessential New Orleans cocktail. We all know the history of Mr. Peychoud and his world famous bitters. Living in New Orleans, this had to be one of the very first cocktails I ever tried when I set out on my cocktail journey. I first made one with rye whiskey at home but never quite got the mix of bitters to whiskey to agree with my palate. I then tried it with the older cognac recipe rather than rye. Still, I could not quite get it right. I found myself at Sylvain restaurant one Saturday night and casually ordered a Sazerac with rather mediocre expectations. Watching them make it while sitting at the bar was a beautiful sight in and of itself. The taste was fabulous, very much reflecting the quality in preparation. There were levels of tastes I had never experienced before. The Peychaud and Angostura bitters were finally balanced with the rye and the initial absinthe-washed glass was a perfect match. Finally, I could truly enjoy the Sazerac!

Here’s my latest favorite home recipe:

In a chilled glass add some Herbsaint or Absinthe and let it flow over all the interior surfaces of the glass
In a mixing glass, add 2-3 oz of rye whiskey or Cognac (I prefer Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac)
Add about 8 dashes of Peychaud bitters and about half that amount of Angostura bitters (depends on your tastes)
Add ice and stir, then strain into the first glass
I like to add a slice of lemon peel to the cocktail after wiping the rim of the glass with it