ThirstyforKnowledge

An encyclopedia of drinks — mixed, poured, brewed and whisked

No. 023 Cocktails · Brandy & cognac

Sazerac

Cognac, sugar and Peychaud's bitters stirred into an absinthe-rinsed glass.

A Sazerac in an old fashioned glass with lemon peel
A Sazerac with lemon peel Photo: Will Shenton, CC BY-SA 3.0

Recipe card

ml oz

Makes 1 drink · about 6 min to make

Ingredients

Ounces are US fluid ounces (29.57 ml), rounded.

Method

  1. Rinse a chilled old fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside.
  2. In a mixing glass, crush the sugar cube with the bitters, add the cognac and ice, and stir.
  3. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass.
  4. Strain the drink into the glass and garnish with lemon zest.
Glass
Old fashioned glass
Garnish
Lemon zest
Technique
Stirred
Difficulty
Advanced

Printable recipe card Quantities as given in the IBA's official specification.

About the Sazerac

A New Orleans classic with two stages: a chilled glass rinsed with absinthe, and cognac stirred with sugar and Peychaud's bitters. The absinthe is there for aroma, so discard the excess.

The IBA notes that rye whiskey replaced cognac after the American Civil War when cognac became hard to obtain; both versions are made today.

Background

The Sazerac is named for the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac that was originally its main ingredient. Some claim it is the oldest known American cocktail, though drinks historian David Wondrich is among those who dispute this.

Tags: new orleans absinthe rinse stirred

Sources

  1. IBA — Sazerac (official specification)
  2. Wikipedia — Sazerac

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