Sazerak Cocktail: the recipe of the old drink from New Orleans

Sazerac cocktail is an official IBA drink made of cognac, bitter and absinthe which was created in the mid 1800's in New Orleans, Louisiana. It is one of the oldest cocktails in the history of drinks. It has a magical note thanks to cognac and the sugar cube soaked in absinthe and Peychaud's bitter. Moreover, the absinthe, also known as green fairy, will add a particular and irresistible scent to this high alcoholic cocktail: serve it as after dinner and drink it in moderation.

It is said the father of the modern Sazerac was a drink made by a Creole pharmacist who moved to New Orleans in the half of 1800. He was Antoine Amédée Peychaud, inventor of bitters with an aromatic flavor, which he used to serve to clients mixed with cognac and other liquors, popular potions at that time. Absinthe was added to the ingredients at the end of the 1800's, making this drink even more intense. Here is how to prepare Sazerec cocktail at home.

How to make Sazerac Cocktail

Fill a shallow tumbler with ice, let it cool down and add the absinthe.

Swirl the glass to spread it over the walls of the tumbler, then add more ice.

Put the sugar cube previously soaked in the bitter in another glass and pestle it with a few drops of water.

Add the ice and the cognac. Toss the ice and absinthe residue out of the tumbler and pour the drink through a strainer.

Garnish with a lemon zest.

Tips

To get a great result, it is important to leave just a veil of absinthe, otherwise it may compromise the balance of the drink.

You can give a more citrusy note to the cocktail by squeezing lemon zest on the cocktail.

Sazerac Cocktail Variants

A variant of Sazerc is made with rye whisky instead of cognac: a version which was created after the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, because cognac was not easily available.

Another variant is New York Sazerac which is made with cognac and whiskey in equal parts.

How to store Sazerac Cocktail

It's best to drink your Sazerac cocktail right away.