Sazerac
Contributed by on Jan 19, 2016
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The Sazerac Company of New Orleans pins down 1850 for the creation of this drink and says it was served at the Sazerac Coffee House in the French Quarter. Stanley Clisby Arthur, author of Famous New Orleans Drinks & how to mix 'em, wrote that Leon Lamothe was the bartender who first made the drink. He suggests that Lamothe merely added the Absinthe component to the cocktail of brandy, sugar and Peychaud’s bitters that Peychaud himself is credited with serving as early as 1838. That brandy was the original base liquor is agreed upon by the Sazerac Company, which has a photograph of an early bottling of premixed Sazerac Cocktails. On the label, these words can be found: "Sazerac Cocktail, Prepared and bottled by Thomas H. Handy, Limited, Sole Proprietors. Guaranteed ... under the food and drugs act, June 30, 1906. Martini." We don't know exactly when this bottle was issued, but we can be shure that it was prior to the onset of Prohibition in 1920; and already, cocktails other than a mixture of gin and vermouth were being reffered to as Martinis, a phenomenon that's usually attributed to the 1990s.
We aren't quite sure when straight rye whiskey replaced the brandy in this drink, but it's possible that the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards during the latter years of the nineteenth century had something to do with it. The Sazerac Company's records indicate that the change occured during the 1870s.
Peychaud’s bitters are an integral ingredient in the Sazerac, as is Absinthe substitute, and for this drink I recommend the use of Herbsaint, a New Orleans bottling made by the Sazerac Company. Herbsaint is drier than Pernod or Ricard, sweeter than Absente, and provides a perfect foil to the Peychaud’s bitters. And since there's now a superb straight rye whiskey being issued by Sazerac, I'll go the whole hog and suggest that, if it's available, why not use this bottling and make a Sazerac Sazerac.
The ritual of making this drink involves chilling an old fashioned glass with crushed ice, muddling sugar into the bitters in another glass, adding ice and whiskey to the bitters, and stirring the mixture to chill and dilute it. The ice is then discarded from the first glass, the glass is rinsed with Herbsaint and filled with fresh crushed ice, and the chilled whiskey is strained into the Herbsaint-rinsed glass. Finnally a twist of lemon is added, though some old recipes dictate that the twist not be dropped into the drink - just it's oils should be released onto the drinks surface.
Sazerac aficionados have come up with various changes in the methodology of making this classic drink, and not wanting to be left out, I'm going to prescribe that the Sazerac be served straight up in a champagne flute - or a cocktail glass, if must - simply because newcomers to the drink might be more tempted to try it if the glassware is a little more elegant. If you'd like to sample the original drink made with Cognac, select a dryish bottling such as Hennessy or Hine, rather than fruitier brandies like Courvoisier.
We aren't quite sure when straight rye whiskey replaced the brandy in this drink, but it's possible that the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards during the latter years of the nineteenth century had something to do with it. The Sazerac Company's records indicate that the change occured during the 1870s.
Peychaud’s bitters are an integral ingredient in the Sazerac, as is Absinthe substitute, and for this drink I recommend the use of Herbsaint, a New Orleans bottling made by the Sazerac Company. Herbsaint is drier than Pernod or Ricard, sweeter than Absente, and provides a perfect foil to the Peychaud’s bitters. And since there's now a superb straight rye whiskey being issued by Sazerac, I'll go the whole hog and suggest that, if it's available, why not use this bottling and make a Sazerac Sazerac.
The ritual of making this drink involves chilling an old fashioned glass with crushed ice, muddling sugar into the bitters in another glass, adding ice and whiskey to the bitters, and stirring the mixture to chill and dilute it. The ice is then discarded from the first glass, the glass is rinsed with Herbsaint and filled with fresh crushed ice, and the chilled whiskey is strained into the Herbsaint-rinsed glass. Finnally a twist of lemon is added, though some old recipes dictate that the twist not be dropped into the drink - just it's oils should be released onto the drinks surface.
Sazerac aficionados have come up with various changes in the methodology of making this classic drink, and not wanting to be left out, I'm going to prescribe that the Sazerac be served straight up in a champagne flute - or a cocktail glass, if must - simply because newcomers to the drink might be more tempted to try it if the glassware is a little more elegant. If you'd like to sample the original drink made with Cognac, select a dryish bottling such as Hennessy or Hine, rather than fruitier brandies like Courvoisier.
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| Foto: Urbanfever.ro |
Sazerac:
Absinthe 1/4 oz
Rye whiskey 2 oz
Sugar syrup 1/2 oz
Peychaud’s bitters 3 dashes
- Old fashioned
- Absinthe rinse, Stir Strain
- Lemon peel
In case no one figured out, upstairs is Gaz Reagan talking, and this little piece of history comes from his wonderful book, Joy of Mixology. Trust me people, this tome it's a must have. No matter if you are an enthusiast or a professional bartender, you'll find everything you need here.
We should all raise a glass for this cocktailian veteran and for all the great things he did for our industry!
Respect!
Now we shall step aside and let the Liquor.com team to show us how to assemble this wonderful drink.
Referances: Gary Reagan - Joy of Mixology
We should all raise a glass for this cocktailian veteran and for all the great things he did for our industry!
Respect!
Now we shall step aside and let the Liquor.com team to show us how to assemble this wonderful drink.
Referances: Gary Reagan - Joy of Mixology
