IBA
Sazerac – IBA
Muddle; Stir ∙ 3 min ∙ 33.2% ABV ∙
A Sazerac is a spirit-forward New Orleans cocktail of Cognac, absinthe, sugar, and Creole bitters, stirred and served in an absinthe-rinsed glass.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the Absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside
- In the base of the mixing glass, muddle: Sugar cube 1 pcCreole-style bitters 2 dashes
- Add the Cognac 50 ml and stir over ice
- Discard the ice and any excess Absinthe from the prepared glass
- Strain into the chilled glass
- Garnish with a lemon twist
Tips
- Swirl the absinthe around the chilled glass, then leave it on crushed ice while you stir. A thin coat is all you want; tip out the excess or it drowns the Cognac.
- Muddle the sugar cube into the bitters before any Cognac goes in. It takes only a moment, and the sugar dissolves instead of sitting in grains at the bottom.
History
The International Bartenders Association lists the Sazerac in its "Unforgettables" category with cognac rather than the rye whiskey many modern bars pour, plus an absinthe-rinsed glass, a sugar cube, and Peychaud's bitters. The IBA specification itself notes that cognac reflects the drink's earliest form and that rye whiskey replaced it only after the American Civil War, when cognac became hard to obtain.
The Sazerac is a New Orleans cocktail that popular tradition credits to Creole apothecary Antoine Amédée Peychaud, said to have mixed his bitters at his French Quarter shop with Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils cognac, the brand behind the drink's name. Accounts date it to the 1830s or 1850s, and drink historians, including David Wondrich, have disputed parts of this story.
FAQ
What is in a Sazerac cocktail?
Cognac, absinthe, a sugar cube, and Creole-style bitters such as Peychaud's. The absinthe rinses the glass.
What is the recipe for a Sazerac?
Chill an old-fashioned glass, rinse it with absinthe, add crushed ice, and set it aside. In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube into two dashes of Creole bitters, add 50 ml Cognac and stir over ice. Tip out the ice and excess absinthe, strain into the glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.
Is a Sazerac a strong drink?
Yes, at about 33.2% ABV it is a strong, spirit-forward cocktail with very little dilution beyond the stir. There is no juice or mixer to soften it, so the Cognac and absinthe both come through at full strength.
What's the ideal dilution for a Sazerac?
Stir a little less than you would an Old Fashioned, just until the drink is well chilled. There is no citrus or syrup to hide extra water. The glass is also already cold from the crushed ice, so a shorter stir keeps the Cognac and absinthe from tasting watered down.
What is a substitute for absinthe in a Sazerac?
Herbsaint, an anise liqueur created in New Orleans in 1934 specifically as a domestic absinthe alternative, is the traditional substitute and still common in Sazeracs today. Pastis or another anise-forward liqueur can also stand in for the rinse, though the flavor will be sweeter and less herbal than true absinthe.
What makes a good Sazerac?
Restraint. Keep the absinthe to a thin coat in the glass and dissolve the sugar fully in the bitters, so neither covers the Cognac. The lemon twist adds citrus oil at the finish.
