Sazerac

A Sazerac is an iconic cocktail of New Orleans in the United States, believed to be one of the earliest known cocktails. It is a heady blend of rye whiskey or Cognac, bitters, sugar, and absinthe, usually garnished with a lemon peel.

Ingredients

• 1 cube sugar
• 1.5 oz Cognac or Rye whiskey
• 0.25 oz Absinthe
• 1 Lemon twist for garnish
• Two dashes Peychaud's Bitters
• One dash Angostura Bitters
• Ice cubes

Preparation

• 1. Step one begins with chilling an old-fashioned glass. Fill the glass with ice or leave it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool.
• 2. In a separate mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube with the Peychaud's Bitters.
• 3. Add the rye whiskey or Cognac to the mixing glass with the muddled sugar and bitters.
• 4. Discard the ice from the now chilled old-fashioned glass, and rinse the glass with a quarter ounce of absinthe. Swirl the absinthe around to coat the glass well and then discard any excess absinthe.
• 5. Empty the contents of the mixing glass into the old-fashioned glass.
• 6. Garnish the cocktail with a lemon twist.

Serving

• Serve the Sazerac cocktail in the chilled old-fashioned glass garnished with a lemon twist. It is best enjoyed sipped slowly, allowing the intricate flavours to hit the palate one at a time.

Tips

• - Use a vegetable peeler to make a perfect lemon twist.
• - Make sure to chill the glass before making the cocktail to keep it cool.
• - This cocktail is all about balance, don't be heavy-handed with the Absinthe. A light rinse of the glass is all it's needed.