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Sazerac

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Herbal, aromatic and deliciously bittersweet, the Sazerac cocktail is a New Orleans icon that’s crafted using a careful ritual, one that makes it testing but rewarding – perhaps the ultimate vintage cocktail recipe.
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About this recipe

The Sazerac sits alongside the Ramos Gin Fizz as one of two iconic drinks that define New Orleans. A truly old-school American cocktail recipe, the Sazerac displays the classic vintage balance of bitter, sweet and herbal flavours, with a blast of absinthe aniseed. Part of the Sazerac's appeal is the complex theatrical ritual. Yet bartenders differ on the precise elements. Some argue that using gomme sugar syrup instead of a sugar cube produces a smoother mouthfeel; others like to serve the drink in a coupe-style cocktail glass, rather than a rocks glass. You can find Peychaud's bitters, a New Orleans classic, in specialist drinks shops, or online – or substitute with Angostura if need be. Claims that the Sazerac is the world's oldest cocktail recipe are far off the mark. Yet the style of the drink –with the only hint of fruit being the aromatic oils from the lemon zest garnish – is in line with the very oldest cocktails. The history of the Sazerac is disputed. Some attribute it to an apothecary named Antoine-Amédée Peychaud, creator of New Orleans' famous Peychaud's Bitters, who mixed up his bitters with the Sazerac brandy during the mid 19th century. Others claim it was developed at the Sazerac Coffee House a little later. Experts, however, believe that the Sazerac didn't settle into its current form – American whiskey with absinthe, sugar and New Orleans bitters – until early last century, when the Sazerac company promoted the drink around America. With Prohibition, the Sazerac cocktail went out of fashion around the world, yet remained a quintessential taste of New Orleans. It reappeared in drinkers' consciousness at the turn of the 21st century, as bartenders turned scholars and began rediscovering long-lost cocktails, and absinthe, which had been banned in many countries, reappeared on the scene. And thankfully we’re now able to enjoy the Sazerac once more in all its carefully prepared glory.

Ingredients for

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60ml.
Bulleit® Bourbon
1cube(s)
Sugar
4dash(es)
Peychaud's Bitters
2dash(es)
Angostura Bitters
5ml.
Absinthe
1piece(s)
Lemon Peel
➤ 2.3 units of alcohol per serve

Equipment

1 x
Bar spoon
1 x
Ice
1 x
Jigger
1 x
Strainer

How to make

Fill a short glass with ice.

Fill a short glass with ice cubes.
Top up with water and leave to chill.

Pour water into the ice-filled glass and leave to stand: the aim is to chill this glass, while preparing the drink in a second glass.
Place a sugar cube in a new glass and add bitters.

While the first glass chills, place a sugar cube into a second short glass and add four dashes of Peychaud's Bitters and two dashes of Angostura Bitters.
Muddle until dissolved.

Using a muddler, press down on the sugar cube to dissolve it in the bitters.
Add two or three ice cubes.

Add two or three ice cubes to the glass.
Pour in Bulleit Bourbon.

Using a jigger, measure 60ml Bulleit Bourbon into the glass.
Stir well.

Using a bar spoon, stir the drink thoroughly until the sugar is all dissolved.
Discard the ice and water from the first glass.

Pour away the ice and water from the first glass, leaving it chilled.
Rinse the glass with absinthe.

Pour a splash of absinthe into the empty glass and roll it around to coat the glass. Discard absinthe, so only a thin coating remains.
Strain the cocktail into the glass. Do not add ice.

Use a cocktail strainer to strain the liquid into the absinthe-rinsed glass. Do not add ice.
Garnish with a strip of lemon peel zest.

Using a sharp knife, pare a thin strip of lemon peel zest. Snap to release the flavouring oils, then drop into the drink.

Water, Water

Don’t snub good old H20. Stay refreshed by drinking water between drinks.
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Bulleit® Bourbon

A bourbon with heritage, Bulleit Bourbon stays true to its Kentucky roots with spicy, bold flavours that come from ageing the softly amber coloured liquid gently in small batches.

Sazerac

About this recipe

Ingredients for

Equipment

How to make

Water, Water

Bulleit® Bourbon

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