Sazerac

Sold in 1859 in the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, the cocktail’s core flavor besides Absinthe came from a potion–Peychaud’s Aromatic Bitters–created for medicinal purposed by a local apothecary.

If you are a fan of classic cocktails, you should definitely try this.  The cocktail has a nice balance of rye whiskey, lemon and licorice. Since our first tastes, we have made many in the CroBro’s laboratory.  Here’s our formula:

• 2 oz. Sazerac Rye whiskey
• 3-4 dashes Peychaud’s Aromatic Bitters
• 1 tsp. simple syrup or agave nectar
• 1/4 tsp. Herbsaint Liqueur d’Anis (substitutes: Pernod or Absinthe)
• Twist of lemon peel

Chill a 3.5 oz. old fashioned glass.  Add ice to a bar glass and add the whiskey, simple syrup, and the bitters.  Stir–do not shake.  Empty the chilled old-fashioned glass and coat the interior with Herbsaint–discard the excess.  Strain the whiskey into the glass and twist a lemon peel over the drink to add a few drops of lemon oil.  Rub the exterior of the peel around the rim of the glass and place the peel on the rim–do not drop the peel into the cocktail.

If you are in the Big Easy, we recommend swinging by the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel and ordering a Sazerac.  They will use Sazerac Rye–our favorite–instead of Old Overholt like at the Old Absinthe House. The $145 million renovation from the former Fairmont Hotel to the Roosevelt has restored the historic building back to its previous magnificence.  It’s an outstanding place to enjoy a hand-crafted cocktail.  We went twice on our last visit because the staff was on their game–friendly and very talented mixologists.

The hotel was also the site of the Storming the Sazerac.  Up until 1949, women were not allowed into the Sazerac Bar except for Carnival.  When the bar started allowing access to women year-round, the first day, we were told, women dressed to the nines and lined up out the door and down the street to order a Sazerac.  The media failed to capture this event, so a reporter rounded up models from Godchaux’s, a nearby department store, and recreated the event.  Yes, Godchaux’s used to hire ladies to model clothes for customers–very cool.  The manager of the hotel shop told us that growing up in NOLA and seeing this photo, she always thought that all women back then must have been beautiful and well-dressed.  Now we know why!