Sazerac 1/2 tsp Pernod (or other Absinthe substitute) 1/2 tsp Simple Syrup 1 dash Peychaud bitters 2 ounces rye whiskey Coat chilled old fashioned glass with Absinthe substitute (Herbsaint, Pernod...). Pour out most of what remains, perhaps leaving a small puddle in the bottom of the glass. Add bitters and syrup. You can use a single sugar cube instead of simple syrup, in which case you would now muddle this to dissolve. Add Whiskey. Garnish with a twist of lemon peel.

Sazerac
The Sazerac cocktail could arguably be one of the world's oldest cocktails. While various aspects and timings of its history are often disputed, certain points are reasonably well known. It was in the 1830's that Antoine Peychaud opened up an apothecary shop in the French Quarter of New Orleans. One of the products that he sold here was his own special brand of bitters, still sold today as "Peychaud's Bitters". In those days, bitters were considered as a device to invigorate good digestion and good health. Thus it was purely for medicinal purposes that Mr. Peychaud would combine his bitters with Brandy to cure the ailments of his friends and customers.

In the 1850's, Sewell Taylor, a friend of Mr. Peychauds, opened up what was in those days referred to as a "Coffee House", but which was essentially a drinking establishment that would sell more alcoholic beverages then coffee. It was named the Sazerac Coffee House, after the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brandy, which he exclusively imported and sold to his customers. Mr. Peychauds cocktail became a regular drink of the establishment, and was made exclusively with the Sazerac Brandy, and thus was applied the name to which it is known to this day. Some years later, ownership of the Sazerac Coffee House changed hands, and it is believed that it was during this time that the base spirit was changed from Brandy, to Rye, and that "Absinthe" was added as an ingredient.

The evolution of the recipe for the Sazeac cocktail thus spanned perhaps 30 years or more before settling in on a combination of Rye, bitters, sugar, and Absinthe. This is still the basic recipe that you will find today, the main difference being that an Absinthe substitute is used in place of that now banned ingredient, and the bitters will vary from being straight Peychaud's, to a mixture of Peychaud's and Angostura, to being only Angostura. Bourbon has also replaced Rye as the base spirit in this drink, this reflects the increased popularity of Bourbon over Rye since the repeal of prohibition.

As a cocktail, I find the Sazerac to be a wonderfully contemplative drink. It's complex and interesting layers of different flavors lend itself to drinking in a quiet and dimly lit room, perhaps with the crackle and flicker of a burning fire on the hearth. Some establishments will make this like a normal cocktail, shaken with ice, and strained into a cocktail glass. Myself, I feel that this looses some of the interesting flavors and qualities of the drink. I make mine by taking a pre-chilled old fashioned glass, and using an atomizer squirt in 3 to 4 sprays of Pernod (or some other Absinthe substitute). Without an atomizer, you can simply pour into the glass a bar-spoon of Pernod and roll it around the glass to coat the sides, leaving a small puddle in the bottom of the glass. To this I add a splash of simple syrup, a dash of Peychaud's bitters, and then 2 ounces of Rye Whiskey. You can use a cube of sugar instead of the simple syrup, but I feel that the remaining grit of the sugar is a distraction that doesn't befit this drink. A simple twist of lemon peel is all that is needed for a garnish.