Classic Sazerac: The New Orleans Rye, Absinthe Rinse and Bitters Drink for Cool Evenings

Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and water while you build the drink.

Serves 1

Ingredients

• 2 oz rye whiskey (or 1 oz rye and 1 oz cognac for the older style)
• 1 sugar cube or 1 teaspoon rich simple syrup
• 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters
• 1 dash Angostura bitters
• 1 teaspoon absinthe or Herbsaint, for rinsing the glass
• 1 wide strip of lemon peel
• Ice, for stirring
• 1 teaspoon water (if using a sugar cube)

Instructions

1. Chill an old-fashioned glass by filling it with ice and water while you build the drink.
2. In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube with the water and both bitters until dissolved. If using simple syrup, simply add it with the bitters.
3. Add the rye and fill the mixing glass with ice. Stir steadily for 20 to 30 seconds until very cold and slightly diluted.
4. Empty the chilled glass. Pour in the absinthe, tilt and roll the glass so it coats the inside, then discard the excess.
5. Strain the drink into the rinsed glass. Serve without ice, as tradition demands.
6. Twist the lemon peel over the drink to spray its oils across the surface, rub it around the rim, then discard it or perch it on the edge.
7. Sip slowly; the absinthe rinse should be a faint anise perfume, not a flavor that dominates.
8. The Sazerac is often called America's oldest named cocktail, born in 1850s New Orleans at the Sazerac Coffee House, where it was first made with French cognac and the local apothecary Antoine Peychaud's bitters. When phylloxera wiped out French vineyards, bartenders switched to American rye, and in 2008 Louisiana named it the city's official cocktail. Please enjoy responsibly.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 180 kcal
• Protein: 0g
• Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 5g
• Fiber: 0g
• Sugar: 5g
• Sodium: 1mg