As the days grow shorter and cooler, I begin to crave drinks with subtle, complex flavors. With its delicately layered and nuanced flavors and aromas, the Sazerac feels like the perfect drink for this time of year.
Although, for some, the Sazerac might be more likely to bring to mind sultry summer weather (it is the official drink of the City of New Orleans, after all), its warming whiskey base and aromatic layers of anise, spice, and citrus make it a lovely choice for toasting the changing colors of fall.
Invented around 1830 by Emile Peychaud, an apothecary who created herbal medicines in French Quarter of New Orleans, the Sazerac is believed to be the very first cocktail ever created. (For more on this story - and on the cocktail's cinematic claim to fame - see our previous posts on James Bond and cocktail bitters.)
As is the case with any cocktail that's been around more than a few decades, the Sazerac has seen more than a few variations on its basic recipe. Some versions call for Cognac as a base spirit, others rye whiskey, and others still, a mixture of both. Some add a dash of Angostura bitters to the Peychaud's. Some get their sweetness from a sugar cube, others from simple syrup. Some are served over ice in a rocks glass, others...well, you get the idea. What follows is my own favorite way to make and serve a Sazerac. I hope you'll enjoy it too.
makes one cocktail
Approximately 1 tsp. absinthe (I used Pernod absinthe, but regular Pernod liqueur, Herbsaint, Ricard, or any other pastis will work as well)
2 ounces rye whiskey (I used Old Overholt)
1/2 ounce simple syrup (for a super-fast, super-easy recipe, see our previous post)
1-2 dashes Peychaud's bitters
lemon peel
"Rinse" a stemmed cocktail glass or Old Fashioned glass with the absinthe or pastis by rolling a small measure of liqueur inside it until it fully coats the inside of the glass. Pour out any excess. Set the glass aside. Now combine the whiskey, simple syrup, and bitters in a cocktail shaker with ice. Stir and strain into the absinthe-coated glass. Cut a thin slice of fresh lemon peel. Keeping the yellow side facing downwards, twist the peel so that the essential oils are released over the surface of the drink. Discard the peel. Sit back and watch the autumn light shift and the leaves slowly turn.
Nora Maynard is a longtime home mixologist and an occasional instructor at NYC's Astor Center. Her culinary writing has appeared in Food Republic, Leite's Culinaria, CHOW, and The Business of Food: Encyclopedia of the Food and Drink Industries. She previously covered food and drink in film at The Kitchn in her weekly column, The Celluloid Pantry.
Related: End of Summer Cocktail: Whiskey Peach Smash
(Images: Nora Maynard)
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This confused me at first because there's a brand of rye whiskey called Sazerac (it's a particularly nice one, too, which at least used to have a really excellent $22 bottle, a rare thing).
Just made this with Bitter End Creole bitters. Perfection.
The history of this drink and exotic ingredients made me overly excited to order it at a hotel bar with a reputation for artisan cocktails, but I just don't love licorice flavor.
Last night we opened a bottle of Ouzo Metaxa and I was surprised to find the taste of licorice.
Sat down to reread the Summer Sage as I have finally assembled all the ingredients. Sometime I'll experiment with the Sazerac, might become an acquired taste.
@mabith
The Sazerac cocktail is made with Sazerac Rye Whiskey.
...at least, it is when it's made at the Roosevelt Hotel's Sazerac Bar.
It's pretty awesome.
@Kate (NC): When a Sazerac is made properly and the Herbsaint does only "rinse" the glass before excess is dumped out, there is no overpowering liquorice flavor. I'm not a fan of liquorice either and a Sazerac is one of my favorite cocktails. Absolutely more then the sum of it's parts.