Fall Cocktail: Sazerac
The fall is officially here…well Im not quite sure about the calendar date, but it hit 40’s at night in Nor Cal so Im calling it fall. Time to put the Campari back in the shelf and trade in the Negroni for something more weather appropriate.
The first drink I like to open the fall with is a Sazerac (a Final Word in a close second). Way back when… the first time I had a Sazerac was in Boston at Eastern Standard. I asked the bartender to make me drink, I told her some basic likes and dislikes…maybe even my favorite wine varietal, amazingly she put it all together and out came this tasty little number.She hit it on the head…I hung the sidecar up as the official fall drink and got in touch with my southern side.
The Sazerac is truly an American classic- think Elvis, mixed with Springsteen, topped off with a hint of James Brown; Incarnated in New Orleans by Antoine Amédée Peychaud in the 1830’s and duly named by John Schiller in 1859.
Funny thing is, shortly after trying the Sazerac , and not knowing the history, I told someone its like “a Manhattan from New Orleans”…good guess I suppose.
As most classic cocktails go, the recipe is pretty simple, but the art is in the execution (ie: sugar cube vs. simple syrup, absinthe vs. pernod vs. chartruese )...one note of importance, most bartenders put "a long twist" or a small piece of lemon peel as the garnish...the lemon should be cut in 1/4 and that whole 1/4 peel should go into your sazerac- as the rind soakes up the rye it is also realeasing aromatics that noticably change the drink from first sip to last.
The Sazerac is typically made with 1.5 oz of Sazarac Rye Whiskey, ¼ oz Absenthe, 1 sugar cube, three dashes of peychaud’s bitters, 1 lemon peel…Simple, sweet, with some warmth and distinction courtesy of the Absenthe swirl.
Its late, I’m rambling, in short its good, even better in the fall…it also makes an excellent nightcap. And with that, I bid you adieu, my bed is calling…
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