Sazerac:

After the brief mention of a Sazerac in my book review yesterday, my mind has been whirling around the lovely idea of sitting with my honey and this Anise scented gem on a hot, Southern summer's night in the French Quarter. I thumbed through "Gumbo Tales" to see if I could track down the recipe, alas, I found the passage that first sparked my interest in this classic New Orleans cocktail:

"The perfect Sazerac is a foxy brown-red, the hue that rye whiskey attains when strained with a few dashes of Peychaud's bitters, a vital Sazerac ingredient first swallowed by New Orleanians in the early to mid-1800s. The perfect Sazerac is shaken or stirred to cool lightly and served up in an old-fashioned glass, a stout and comfortable drink. Its raspy brown-liquor base smoothes out like melted chocolate with a touch of sugar and a swirl around the glass of breathy, anise flavored Herbsaint; Agnostura bitters add a warm, quiet spiciness. A twist of lemon, its essential oils releasing as you drink, is the Sazerac's versatile mediator, brightening the whiskey, steadying the sugar, and matching the bitters with its own dull bitterness."

Now, if only I had a well stocked bar, I could be enjoying one right now.. though, it may not have the same effect in my high rise Chicago apartment, on a cold, snowy night.


The Sazerac, for two.

2 tbsp. Simple Syrup
6 tbsp. Sazerac rye whiskey
6 dashes Peychaud's bitters
4 dashes Angostura bitters
2 tsp. Herbsaint
2 thin strips lemon zest

1. Chill the old-fashioned glasses.
2. In a shaker, with ice, add rye, Peychaud's, Angostura and simple syrup. Shake.
3. Swirl 1 tsp. of Herbsaint in each glass, coat with a thin film and discard excess. Strain Sazerac into each glass, garnish with zest.

Enjoy.