SAZERAC

Even an epidemic couldn’t stop it from becoming a classic.

Widely considered the world’s oldest cocktail, the Sazerac was invented in the mid-1800s by an apothecary named Antoine Peychaud in his coffee shop in New Orleans. According to legend, he would serve it after-hours to fellow patrons in an egg cup, also referred to as a “coquetier,” thus an early origin of the word “cocktail.”

The Sazerac, which received its name from Peychaud’s favorite Cognac, Sazerac-de-Forge et fils was the original spirit of the drink. However, in the mid-19th Century, Rye Whisky had to replace it after a phylloxera epidemic wiped out most European vineyards preventing the production of Cognac.

The Sazerac has grown to become a classic for several reasons – its few ingredients whether you choose Rye or Cognac, and the complex, seductive flavor the cocktail yields.

{Ingredients}

2 ounces rye whisky or if you’re a traditionalist, Cognac

2 teaspoons of simple syrup

4 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

½ teaspoon, Pernod absinthe

Garnish: Lemon peel

Prep

Rinse a chilled short tumbler with absinthe then fill with crushed ice and set aside.

Add the rye whisky or Cognac, simple syrup, and bitters into a mixing glass with ice and stir until well-chilled.

Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the glass and strain the drink into the glass.

Twist the lemon peel over the top of the drink to capture oils.

Garnish with the peel.