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Ingredients
- Absinthe (to coat glass)
- 1sugar cube
- 2dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 2ounces Sazerac rye
- Ice
- Lemon peel
Preparation
- Step 1
Coat chilled rocks glass with absinthe. Muddle sugar cube with bitters in a mixing glass; add rye and ice. Stir. Strain into chilled rocks glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink to release oils, then discard twist.
Private Notes
Comments
I just had a Sazerac with the traditional French Brandy in lieu of the rye, at Bayona in the French Quarter. Had great Sazerak's elsewhere, Angeline's, Ice Box (Hotel Provincial Bar), and Commander's Palace. But at Bayona, with Brandy, was a topper.
After watching the bartender muddle the lemon twist along with the sugar and bitters a few years back, I have been doing that with this recipe.
Necessity trumped orthodoxy a couple years back when I used Buffalo Trace, and never looked back. Less heavy, it let the the Peychaud's, absinthe and lemon oil sail through, and was insanely smooth. A guest who never had a Sazerac before became an instant convert.
For a simple drink, there are different recipes for this. Before making this one, I made a recipe from a cocktail book which didn't call for stirring with ice. It also called for simple syrup instead of muddling a sugar cube. Though I admire the writer of the cocktail book, I prefer my sazaracs stirred with ice, as with this recipe and muddling is good. My whiskey wasn't 100% rye but a blend of rye/bourbon/wheat whiskey from a small distillery in Phoenixville, PA. Excellent.
When in NOLA, I stopped in for an early dinner at K-Paul's (RIP) and the bartender there asked if I wanted an "original" version of the drink. She told me (according to her) a Sazerac was made with French cognac and that after the Louisiana Purchase, everything French was looked down on and they replaced the cognac with rye. I tried it and it was amazing. I do 2 dashes each of Peychaud's and Angostura, 2 healthy shots of cognac, a "bloop" of simple syrup, and of course a splash of Absinthe.
Made expertly at the Napoleon House in New Orleans whose bartender gave the recipe and method to a reporter while being interviewed about this particular drink. While this cocktail is wonderful, the bartender’s warning was even better, “And do only have one. You’re not nearly as attractive as you think are after two.”