Rye whiskey and Peychaud’s bitters meet over an Absinthe-rinsed glass to create a bright red, boozy masterpiece: the Sazerac cocktail. A sharp pepperiness from the rye whiskey is delightedly joined by a sweet black licorice-like flavor — perfect for sipping.

The History of the Sazerac Cocktail

Some people claim the Sazerac is the oldest American cocktail, originating in the 1830s. It comes from the smoky bars of New Orleans, where the French influence on the city may have been the inspiration for the absinthe wash that gives a Sazerac its character. It’s the official cocktail of New Orleans, and many have sipped and enjoyed it in the city’s romantic, lively streets. Anthony Bourdain once wrote a scene in his HBO series Treme where a character threw one in the face of food writer Alan Richman over a feud between the two. Bourdain felt Richman’s criticism of New Orleans’ food scene post-Katrina was unfair and in poor taste, hence the cocktail-in-the-face. But Richman agreed to do the scene, saying that the Sazerac “a good choice of weaponry, because it symbolizes the city.” If you can still enjoy the cocktail when someone’s throwing it in your face, you know it’s good.

Sazerac Cocktail

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• Author: Sarah Cascone

Print Recipe

Ingredients

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• 2 ½ oz WhistlePig PiggyBack Rye Whiskey 6-Year-Old
• 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
• Grande Absinthe Rinse
• 1 brown sugar cube
• ½ tsp cold water
• Garnish: Lemon Peel

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Instructions

 

1. Rinse a chilled rocks glass with absinthe, discarding any excess, and set aside the glass.
2. In a cocktail mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube, water, and Peychaud’s bitters. Fill the mixing glass with ice, add the rye whiskey, and stir for 15­–20 seconds, until well-chilled.
3. Strain into the prepared rocks glass. Twist the lemon peel over the drink’s surface to express the peel’s oils, then garnish with the peel.

Recipe by Sarah Cascone
Photography by Dave Bryce

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