Sazerac

Sazerac

• Type
  Cocktail
• Primary alcohol by volume
  Cognac
• Served
  Straight up
• Standard garnish
  Lemon peel
• Standard drinkware
  Old fashioned glass
• IBA specified ingredients
  5 cl cognac
  1 cl absinthe
  One sugar cube
  Two dashes peychaud’s bitters
• Preparation
  Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice, and set it aside.
  Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and set it aside.
  Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass.
  Add the lemon peel for garnish.
• Timing
  After dinner
• Notes
  The original recipe changed in the latter part of the 19th century.
  Rye whiskey was substituted when cognac became difficult to obtain.

The sazerac is a local variation of a cognac or whiskey cocktail originally from New Orleans, named for the sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac brandy that served as its original main ingredient.

The drink is most traditionally a combination of cognac or rye whiskey, absinthe, Peychaud’s Bitters, and sugar, although bourbon whiskey is sometimes substituted for the rye and herbsaint is sometimes substituted for the absinthe.

References