Sazerac Cocktail Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac? ›

An Old Fashioned contains Bourbon, while the Sazerac favors rye whiskey. Both contain sugar and bitters, but a traditional Old Fashioned tends to use Angostura bitters. while the Sazerac demands New Orleans's own Peychaud's Bitters, which was integral in the creation of the drink.

The absinthe is only used for a glass rinse, so you just need a tiny bit, but if you can't find it or don't want to invest so heavily in a bottle, you could substitute Pernod, anisette, or ouzo. The bitters that are used for a classic Sazerac are Peychaud's.

Pack an old-fashioned glass with ice. 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 Sazerac Rye Whiskey or Buffalo Trace Bourbon to the second glass containing the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar.

In a mixing glass, soak 1 sugar cube with 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters and muddle to crush the cube. Add 2 ounces rye whiskey and stir. Discard the ice in the chilled glass. Pour 1/4 ounce absinthe, or anise liqueur in the glass, swirl it around, then discard the liquid.

The Sazerac is probably the closest drink to an Old Fashioned, that isn't an Old Fashioned. So if you like one, bets are you'll like the other. A traditional Old Fashioned uses bourbon, while a Sazerac uses rye whisky which makes it more peppery.

A sazerac is served without ice in a rocks glass to prevent the ice diluting the drink. It's a strong, no-nonsense cocktail, and that's the point. The sugar cube helps to balance the rye with a little sweetness.

These brands are considered as "thujone-free". So basically the legalization of Absinthe in the US is a matter of a higher tolerance level of thujone. But thujone is not the most important thing about Absinthe. The green liquor should be consumed for other reasons: It has a long tradition and a very fascinating ritual.

The key ingredient is wormwood or Artemisia absinthium, the scientific name. The wormwood is the source for “thujone”. Technically speaking, the government never banned Absinthe but they banned the thujone inside the Absinthe.

Lucid Absinthe Supérieure is the first genuine absinthe made with real Grande Wormwood to be legally available in the United States after a 95-year ban. Lucid Absinthe is made in strict accordance to traditional European methods in the historic Combier Distillery of the Loire Valley of France.

Sazeracs are served up, i.e. not on ice, but in a rocks glass which is fairly unusual. It's quite nice though, because if you have any cute glasses which are too small for Old Fashioneds, now is their time to shine!

Should a Sazerac be served with ice? ›

Credited as being among the first true cocktails, the Sazerac is a New Orleans original. As stiff as they come, it combines rye, absinthe, and Peychaud's bitters and is served, unusually, in a rocks glass without ice.

A well-made rye Sazerac is a delicious cocktail, full of kick and depth—though it can perhaps offer a bit too much kick for some tastes.

-Taupinette and Rocamadour were other cheese that sort of worked with the cocktail. -Curiously, the Comté combined with the Cognac Sazerac resulted in a coconut oil flavor. -While it's customary to do an Absinthe wash on the glass, I like my Sazerac and glass to be icy cold.

Virtually any bartender in New Orleans can make a sazerac without even glancing at a recipe.

The famed Sazerac Coffee House was founded in New Orleans in 1850 and soon became known as the home of “America's First Cocktail,” the Sazerac. Using rye whiskey (in place of French brandy), a dash of Peychaud's Bitters, and Herbsaint, what eventually became the official cocktail of New Orleans was created.