The Sazerac's origins date back to the 1830s, when a Creole apothecary named Antoine Peychaud concocted a potent recipe at his pharmacy in the French Quarter. Peychaud combined his family's secret recipe for bitters with cognac and began serving the drink to friends. It is purported to be the first ever cocktail served in the US.
In the early days, the Sazerac cocktail was made with cognac or brandy, but as American tastes changed, rye whiskey was substituted. This unique cocktail derived it anise scent from absinthe. Beginning in 1912, absinthe was banned in the United States because of its habit-forming quality. Pernod, Herbsaint, or Ricard was substituted in place of absinthe.
1 cube sugar
1 1/2 ounces (35ml) Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 teaspoon Herbsaint
3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
Lemon peel
1. Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice.
2. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud's bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the Rye Whiskey or Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar. Muddle a bit to make sure the sugar dissolves.
3. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel.
The Sazerac cocktail is now associated with the Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, and the hotel pays an annual fee to the Sazerac Company for the use of the name. They say when visiting the Sazerac Bar, if you don't want to be labeled as a tourist, be sure not to ask for Sazerac on the rocks, that this drink should never be served with ice. Well.....pssssst......I like my with ice cubes...and I lived in New Orleans!!
In the early days, the Sazerac cocktail was made with cognac or brandy, but as American tastes changed, rye whiskey was substituted. This unique cocktail derived it anise scent from absinthe. Beginning in 1912, absinthe was banned in the United States because of its habit-forming quality. Pernod, Herbsaint, or Ricard was substituted in place of absinthe.
1 cube sugar
1 1/2 ounces (35ml) Rye Whiskey or Bourbon
1 teaspoon Herbsaint
3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
Lemon peel
1. Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice.
2. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place the sugar cube and add the Peychaud's bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the Rye Whiskey or Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar. Muddle a bit to make sure the sugar dissolves.
3. Empty the ice from the first glass and coat the glass with the Herbsaint, then discard the remaining Herbsaint. Empty the whiskey/bitters/sugar mixture from the second glass into the first glass and garnish with lemon peel.
The Sazerac cocktail is now associated with the Sazerac Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in New Orleans, and the hotel pays an annual fee to the Sazerac Company for the use of the name. They say when visiting the Sazerac Bar, if you don't want to be labeled as a tourist, be sure not to ask for Sazerac on the rocks, that this drink should never be served with ice. Well.....pssssst......I like my with ice cubes...and I lived in New Orleans!!