Sazerac

David Thornton November 20, 2025 6 views

Medium Rocks glass Serves 1

Ingredients

60ml rye whiskey
1 sugar cube (or 10ml simple syrup)
3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
Absinthe or Herbsaint for rinse
Lemon peel

Method

1. Chill a rocks glass (fill with ice while you prepare the drink).
2. In a mixing glass, muddle sugar cube with both bitters.
3. Add rye whiskey and ice, stir for 30 seconds.
4. Discard ice from the chilled rocks glass.
5. Rinse the glass with absinthe — pour in, swirl to coat, pour out excess.
6. Strain the whiskey mixture into the absinthe-rinsed glass (no ice).
7. Express lemon peel over the drink, then discard (do not drop in).

The Sazerac is America's oldest known cocktail, born in 1850s New Orleans. It's a close cousin of the Old Fashioned but with a distinctly Creole personality — the Peychaud's bitters give it a cherry-anise character, and the absinthe rinse adds an herbal, ethereal quality.

The Absinthe Rinse

This is what makes a Sazerac a Sazerac. You coat a chilled glass with a small amount of absinthe (or Herbsaint), discarding the excess. It leaves a subtle anise perfume that transforms every sip.

Whiskey Choice

Rye is traditional and preferred. The original recipe used Cognac before the phylloxera epidemic destroyed French vineyards. Some modern recipes use a split base of rye and Cognac.

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