Sazerac - A Sip of New Orleans' History, Resilience, and Good Life
I have never met a drink that embodies so much of the place it came from than the Sazerac. Although it wasn’t proclaimed the official cocktail of New Orleans until 2008, the Sazerac has been as much a part of New Orlean’s history since the 1800s. It was originally made with French cognac brandy, Sazerac de Forge et Fils, as its base ingredient and the mystical and often misunderstood Absinthe, also known as La Fee Verte or The Green Lady.
Even before the Prohibition in 1919, Absinthe was banned as early as 1912 because it was believed to be hallucinogenic. After Prohibition ended in 1933, the ban on Absinthe remained. It wasn’t until 2007, 95 years later, that Absinthe was authorized for sale in the U.S., but not without some conditions.
““After the first glass of absinthe you see things as you wish they were. After the second you see them as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.””
In later times, bartenders moved from cognac to the more available rye whiskey, and to Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur that was used as an absinthe substitute since 1934. A well-made Sazerac is sweet, bold, flavored with spice, and smooth going down. It is meant to be slowly savored, because it is potent to the senses, much like your first experience of New Orleans.
Here’s how you can enjoy a Sazerac even before you plan a trip to The Big Easy.
À votre santé!
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 or 4 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
- a few drops water
- 2 ounces rye whiskey (such as Sazerac Rye)
- 1 teaspoon Herbsaint, pastis, or absinthe
- lemon peel
Directions
- Chill a glass in your freezer.
- In a mixing glass, combine sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters, and a few drops of water. Mix until sugar is dissolved, and add rye. Add plenty of ice, and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Pour Herbsaint, pastis, or absinthe into your chilled glass, and rotate glass until the inside is well coated; discard the excess. Strain the liquid from your mixing glass into the serving glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink. Indulge. (Recipe courtesy of Liqour.com)
