The Sazerac Cocktail

If there is any place in this country that deserves the title “cocktail capitol” it is New Orleans. It is rich in cocktail history that includes many of our famous classic cocktails created over the years. There is a tradition of drinks created by the best bartenders in many of the city’s bars and lounges. New Orleans is also home to the Museum of the American Cocktail.

In 1838, Antoine Amedie Peychaud, owner of a New Orleans apothecary, treated his friends to toddies of his own recipe, including cognac and his "Peychaud's Bitters," made from a secret family recipe. The toddies were made using a double-ended egg cup as a measuring cup or jigger, then known as a "coquetier" (pronounced "ko-k-tay"), one of the theories of where the word "cocktail" was derived. Thus, some believe, the world's first cocktail was born! (See my previous entry, which dates the cocktail back to 1803).

Since its creation, many different recipes have evolved for the drink, usually involving some combination of Cognac, rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint and Peychaud's Bitters. The Sazerac cocktail was named by John Schiller in 1859 upon the opening of his Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans. Both most likely derive their name from a popular brand of Cognac, Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils.

In March 2008, Louisiana state senator Edwin Murray (D-New Orleans) filed Senate Bill 6 designating the Sazerac as Louisiana's official state cocktail. On June 23, 2008 the House proclaimed the Sazerac as New Orleans' official cocktail.


The Official Sazerac Cocktail


1 cube sugar

1½ ounces (35ml) Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon

¼ ounce Herbsaint

3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Lemon peel


Preparation:

Pack an old-fashioned glass with ice

In a second old-fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud's Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube

Add the Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar

Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint

Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel

This is an absolutely wonderful cocktail. As you sip it, you come across layer after layer of flavor. You can taste the warmth and glowing burn of the rye, infused with the flavors of spice, the bite of the bitters balanced with the sweetness of the sugar, and the flavor of the anise underneath. This is a drink that warms up well, revealing even more flavors. Sip it very slowly. Savor it.



(Herbsaint is a brand name of anise-flavored liquor, originally made in New Orleans, Louisiana.)