Sazerac

SAZERAC

    Coming out of New Orleans, this Cocktail is absolutely one of the most complex and refreshing Cocktails I have had in a long time.  My good friend Ben moved down to Louisiana and had a Sazerac for the first time and it made me want to share this amazing Cocktail with all my friends, so thank you Ben for enjoying great Cocktails and inspiring me to share this Cocktail with everyone.  This Cocktail asks for a specific type of bitters "Peychauds" (comparable to Angostura biters, but with a lighter body, sweeter taste, and more floral aroma).  What makes this Cocktail stand alone from other great Cocktails is in it's preparation, it uses two Old Fashioned glasses, with the first being swirled with a dash of Absinthe, while the other Old Fashioned glass is used to build the Cocktail which is then strained into the Absinthe washed glass.  

   Now, you need to know the ingredients needed to recreate this fantastic Cocktail.  When I make my Sazerac I use Rye Whiskey (in New Orleans you may find Cognac being used in some variations of the Cocktail) typically I choose Old Overholt Rye or Bulliet Rye (Old Overholt Rye is a very tasty under $20 bottle of Rye Whiskey).  Next you NEED Peychauds bitters (this is the only time you will here me say don't change this bitters in your Cocktail, it makes the Cocktail).  Absinthe is used in this Cocktail but sometimes this can be very costly, so there are a few substitutions you can use Pernod or Herbsaint are most common (Herbsaint is most common in New Orleans due to the absence of absinthe in the U.S. between 1912 to 2007).  Always use your homemade Simple Syrup (recipe in earlier Blog).  I use a lemon twist for my garnish for the fresh aromatics it gives off.

     And now you are ready for the recipe for the Sazerac Cocktail

• 1 1/2 oz of your favorite Rye Whiskey

• 1/4 oz Homemade Simple Syrup

• Dash of Absinthe for washing the glass

• 2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters

      In an Old Fashioned Glass wash with Absinthe (this means pour a dash of Absinthe into glass and swirl around a few times). Add ice to glass and set aside.  In second Old Fashioned glass, add ice, Rye Whiskey, Simple Syrup, and Peychauds Bitters.  Dump the ice and Absinthe out of the first Old Fashioned glass, pour prepared Cocktail from second glass into the first chilled glass.  Garnish with Lemon twist.  Finally since we are recreating a New Orleans staple you really need to ENJOY this Cocktail with close friends and family.  Life happens and we as people should never let a day slip away from spending time with people that make our life better and happier.  Love Life Always!!!!