How to Make a Traditional Sazerac

Course: Drinks

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 5

Total Time: 5

Servings: cocktail

Calories: 160kcal

Author: Jazzmine Woodard

Simple southern style cognac cocktail made just like the original in NOLA

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Equipment

1 rocks glass
1 cocktail mixing glass or highball glass
1 muddler or end of kitchen spoon
1 jigger or shot glass
1 bar spoon or table spoon

Ingredients

1 sugar cube
3 dashes Peychaud's Aromatic Bitters
ice
1 ½ ounce cognac or rye whiskey
¼ ounce absinthe liqueur or Herbsaint liqueur
1 lemon peel

Instructions

Place rocks glass or old fashioned glass into refrigerator or freezer to chill.
Add sugar cube to mixing glass then coat it with bitters and crush with muddler.
1 sugar cube, 3 dashes Peychaud's Aromatic Bitters
Fill glass halfway with ice then pour in cognac and stir until glass is chilled to the touch (about eight seconds).
ice, 1 ½ ounce cognac
Remove rocks glass from the fridge then pour in absinthe and swirl it around to coat the inside of the glass. Pour out the excess.
¼ ounce absinthe liqueur
Strain the cognac mixture into the prepared glass then twist lemon peel over top to express oils and add to rim of drink as a garnish. Serve immediately and enjoy responsibly.
1 lemon peel

Notes

Preparation

To make the garnish, cut off a rectangular strip of lemon peel about three to four inches long then cut a slit in the center of it lengthwise. Fold the peel in half longways then press it down on the rim of the glass, where the slit should fit perfectly!

To make a round of sazeracs, rinse four rocks glasses with ¼ ounce of absinthe each, then place in the fridge to chill. Add four sugar cubes to a mixing glass and coat with 12 dashes of Peychaud's bitters, then crush with a muddler. Fill halfway with ice, then pour in six ounces cognac and stir until glass is chilled to the touch. Divide the liquid evenly between prepared rocks glass through a strainer and serve.

Substitutions

Sugar cube is the traditional sweetener in this drink, but you can get away with using granulated sugar. Demerara syrup, simple syrup, or maple syrup are also suitable substitutes.

Lemon peel is a traditional but optional garnish, so you can skip it if you like or garnish with a different kind of citrus peel such as orange, lime, or grapefruit.

Nutrition