PrintTime for a Drink: The Sazerac
Let's get this weekend started right. Here's a cocktail to kick things off. Need more than one? Here you go. Cheers!
If you were to select the nation’s cocktail capital, New Orleans would have to be at the top of the list. Sure, New York City and San Francisco have some of the best and brightest bartenders working today, but in terms of history, endurance, and sheer joie de vivre, the Big Easy has plenty in its favor.
That’s one reason why, every year, hundreds of spirits and cocktail aficionados from around the world converge in the swampy heat of New Orleans for Tales of the Cocktail, a five-day conference celebrating everything shaken and stirred. Now in its fifth year, Tales of the Cocktail is currently in full swing, and countless tipplers—myself included—are scouring the French Quarter, asking bartenders at venerable watering holes such as the Carousel Bar, the Napoleon House and Tujaque’s to mix up a perfect Sazerac.
Credited as being among the first true cocktails, the Sazerac is a New Orleans original; one sip of its hazy, lusty character tells you everything you need to know about living the good life. After the jump, the recipe, so you can make one yourself.
Sazerac
Before making this cocktail, chill an Old Fashioned glass or small tumbler in your freezer.
In a mixing glass, combine 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 to 4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters (an historic New Orleans product, available nationwide), and a few drops of water.
Mix until sugar is dissolved, and add 2 ounces straight rye whiskey (Sazerac Rye is an excellent choice).
Add plenty of ice, and stir for about 30 seconds.
Pour 1 teaspoon of Herbsaint, Pernod, or other pastis (or, better yet, a good absinthe) into your chilled glass, and rotate glass until the inside is well coated; discard the excess.
Strain the liquid from your mixing glass into the serving glass. Twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink. Indulge.
About the author: Paul Clarke blogs about cocktails at The Cocktail Chronicles and writes regularly on spirits and cocktails for Imbibe magazine. He lives in Seattle, where he works as a writer and magazine editor.
View other entries from Cocktail Concoctions.
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6 Comments:
I love the sazerac, but it also seems like it would be an interesting case study of how various cocktails come in and out of fashion. A couple of years ago, I don't recall seeing it on many menus. But in the last 18-24 months, specialty versions of it are popping up everywhere.
I assume it is related to the bitters craze, as a lot of the places where it seems to be really hot are also places where bartenders are making their own bitters. Of course, the reverse could be true as well. Maybe it's helped drive the bitters craze.
emptyage at 4:13PM on 07/20/07
I had my first one at the bar at Del Posto, and it was probably the finest cocktail I've ever had. Of course a great meal in the Enoteca might have colored my memory, but I've been searching for a good one since. Most bartenders (even at good bars, but not super expensive) don't have a clue when you ask for one.
hreisig at 2:54AM on 07/22/07
I had an amazing sazerac at Cochon earlier this year -- I thought it was better than Napoleon House's.
me3dia at 12:49PM on 07/22/07
The sazerac as served at Herbsaint is incredible. It may have been the finest cocktail I've ever had; it is certainly the finest cocktail of its kind. Go to New Orleans for the real thing!
Library Lady at 9:09AM on 07/23/07
Maybe the popularity of the Sazerac has to do with the attention on New Orleans post-Katrina. Lots of cooks have been coming down to volunteer. Also, the Tales of the Cocktail has grown in popularity, and the sazerac is pretty much the mascot of that event.
The drink has never gone out of fashion. Most good restaurants can create a solid sazerac (you'll have worse luck at bars).
It's a fine drink. I can't think of anything better before a meal.
TAPrice at 10:44AM on 07/23/07
I meant to say that it's never gone out of fashion in New Orleans.
TAPrice at 1:12PM on 07/23/07