Sazerac facts for kids
| IBA official cocktail | |
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A Sazerac at the Sazerac Bar, The Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel
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| Type | Cocktail |
| Primary alcohol by volume | |
| Served | Straight up; without ice |
| Standard garnish | Lemon peel |
| Standard drinkware |
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| IBA specified ingredients  |
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| Preparation | Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice, and set it aside. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice and set it aside. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, and strain the drink into the glass. Add the lemon peel for garnish. |
| Timing | After dinner |
| Notes | Note: The original recipe changed in the latter part of the 19th century. Rye whiskey was substituted when cognac became difficult to obtain. |
| Sazerac recipe at International Bartenders Association |
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The Sazerac is a special drink that comes from New Orleans. It was first made with a type of brandy called Sazerac de Forge et Fils cognac. Today, it is usually made with cognac or rye whiskey. It also includes absinthe, Peychaud's Bitters, and sugar. Sometimes, other ingredients are used instead. Some people believe it is the oldest American cocktail. Its story goes back to the time before the American Civil War in New Orleans.
Contents
What Makes a Sazerac Special?
The Sazerac is unique because of how it is made. It often uses two chilled glasses. First, one glass is swirled with a small amount of absinthe. This gives the drink its special flavor and smell. The other ingredients are mixed with ice in the second glass. Then, this mixture is poured into the first glass.
If absinthe is not available, other similar drinks can be used. These include pastis or Herbsaint. In New Orleans, Herbsaint is often used. This is because absinthe was not allowed in the U.S. for many years.
The Story of the Sazerac
Around 1850, a man named Sewell T. Taylor owned a bar in New Orleans. He later started bringing in a type of cognac called Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils. Another person, Aaron Bird, took over the bar. He changed its name to Sazerac Coffee House.
People say that Aaron Bird started serving the "Sazerac Cocktail" there. It was made with the Sazerac cognac. It also supposedly used special bitters made by a local pharmacist named Antoine Amedie Peychaud.
Later, around 1870, Thomas Handy became the owner. At this time, the main ingredient changed. It went from cognac to rye whiskey. This happened because of a problem with grapevines in France. This problem made it hard to get cognac.
Before he passed away in 1889, Thomas Handy wrote down the recipe. The recipe first appeared in a book in 1908. After absinthe was banned in the United States in 1912, other anise-flavored drinks took its place. Herbsaint, made in New Orleans, became very popular.
New Orleans' Official Drink
In 2008, a politician from New Orleans, Edwin R. Murray, tried to make the Sazerac Louisiana's official state cocktail. The idea was first turned down. But after more discussion, the Louisiana Legislature agreed. On June 23, 2008, they declared the Sazerac the official cocktail of New Orleans.
In 2011, on the TV show Treme, there was a scene about the Sazerac. A character threw a Sazerac in the face of a food writer. The writer had upset many people in New Orleans. He later said the Sazerac was a good choice for the scene. He felt it showed the spirit of the city.
Drinks Like the Sazerac
A drink called the Zazarack was in a bartender's guide from 1910. It was very similar to the Sazerac. However, it used bourbon instead of cognac. Later versions of the Zazarack sometimes added rum. Some people think it's a version of the Sazerac. Others believe it started on its own.
Sazerac Company
Sazerac is also the name of a brand of rye whiskey. It is made by the Sazerac Company.
