I have been drunk, half-naked and barefoot in New Orleans’ French Quarter, but that’s another story. Today, it is decided: Sazerac is the official drink of New Orleans, Louisiana. No, not just in name, it is written in the law. Ask the Louisiana House of Representatives.
I cannot lie, in all my galavanting in the Crescent City, I have never tried this world famous drink. It is one of the oldest cocktails around, created before the Civil War. It employs both absinthe and the distinct Peychaud’s bitters in its creation. Truely, it is only a concoction of a place as wonderfully creative as New Orleans. And, possibly, New Orleans may be the only city with enough flamboyance and history to justify having an official drink.
How is it made?
1 teaspoon of simple syrup (or 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar)
4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
1 small dash Angostura bitters (optional; it helps open the flavors, but hardcore traditionalists may leave it out).
2 ounces rye whiskey.
1/2 teaspoon absinthe, or Herbsaint (a New Orleans brand of anise liqueur)
Strip of lemon peel
The traditional method: Pack a 3-1/2 ounce old fashioned glass with ice. In a cocktail shaker, moisten the sugar cube with just enough water to saturate it, then crush. Blend with the whiskey and bitters. Add a few cubes of ice and stir to chill. Discard the ice from the first glass and pour in the Herbsaint. Coat the inside of the entire glass, pouring out the excess. Strain the whiskey into the Herbsaint coated glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass so that the lemon oil cascades into the drink, then rub the peel over the rim of the glass; do not put the twist in the drink. Or, as Stanley Clisby Arthur says, “Do not commit the sacrilege of dropping the peel into the drink.”
My preferred method: Always use a nice big rocks or Old-Fashioned glass for this drink. Wes and I have managed to slowly and painstakingly acquire a set of eight heavy-bottomed Old Fashioned glasses from the old Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans, emblazoned with the hotel’s name and the word “SAZERAC” in large letters. We’ve become very fond of these glasses, as you can imagine!
I also recommend the use of a prepared simple syrup (1-1/2 parts sugar to 1 part water) for this and most other cocktails involving sugar that don’t involve muddling. I don’t like adding granulated or lump sugar to a drink unless I’m muddling, because it never quite dissolves completely. In simple syrup the sugar is already dissolved, so there’s no chance of serving a gritty drink to your guests. You may additionally substitute Pernod or any other pastis for the Herbsaint; however, I find that the flavor of Herbsaint is far superior to that of Pernod, so it’s worth your while to seek it out. Actually, it’s worth your while to get a bottle of good absinthe, as it’s easy enough nowadays.
Add the absinthe or Herbsaint to the glass, then swirl it around to coat the entire sides and bottom of the glass. Discard the excess, although if you enjoy a bit more of the flavor of the absinthe or Herbsaint you may wish to leave a small amount of it in the bottom. Remember that the flavor of the absinthe should be there, but in the background — it should not dominate. In a cocktail shaker (I use the glass portion of my Boston shaker), add four or five small ice cubes, then add the sugar syrup, whiskey and bitters. Stir gently for about 30 seconds (and don’t shake it — you don’t want a frothy Sazerac) or until the drink is cold, then strain into the Herbsaint-coated glass. Twist lemon peel over the drink, and try to watch carefully to make sure a cascade of tiny lemon oil droplets actually strike the surface of the drink; this is one of my favorite parts of the preparation ritual. Rub the twist over the rim of the glass, then add as garnish. (No, I’m not a slavish adherent to S. C. Arthur’s admonitions; I’ll do this drink in a very acceptably traditional manner, with my own tastes taken into account.)
Sit back, relax and enjoy the greatest cocktail in the world. (Sorry, Martini.)
(Note: the above is stolen from- gumbopages.com)
On my next trip to NOLA, I will be enjoying one of these cocktails rather than the cliché Hurricane or Hand Grenade.
“Bourbon, no ice, please.”
“Two Sazeracs. Where’s your sense of adventure James? This is New Orleans, relax.”
Can you guess the movie quotations from above, without the help of Google?
Filed under: Food, History, Politics | Tagged: absinthe, Louisiana, New Orleans, NOLA, Peychaud's bitters, Sazerac
Bond, James Bond? I couldn’t tell you which one though if it is. lol
You are correct on the first quote. The second quote in response to Bond’s “Bourbon, no ice, please.” is a little more difficult.
I’m trying to remember which movie it is so I can narrow down who the second quote is. I need to remember which movie it is that they are in New Orleans. But I am determined to figure this out without any help! Thanks for giving me something to think about during work today!
That might take a while, and seeing as how there is a finite amount of time left in this universe I’ll spare you the trouble… “Names is for tombstones baby”– the only James Bond movie to be shot in Louisiana “Live and Let Die”
Since the ice is only to chill the glass–much like one would do for a martini glass–I usually keep some in the cooler (at work) for those few I may have to make.
For some off reason the Steakhouse won’t purchase Lucid or any other now legalized absinthe, so we still use Herbsaint. Not that I mind [all that much], but it’d be nice to see them step it up a notch closer to the actual drink. I mean, the drink was born in this city; the least we could do is be true to its “heritage”.