If you’re reading up on Sazerac cocktail ingredients, we’d like to welcome you to the very first page of known cocktail history. It is here that the mystery and magic of mixed drinks first started to unfold, so follow us on a jaunt down this most iconic memory lane if you please…
How to Make a Classic Sazerac Cocktail
PREP TIME 5 min
QUICK TIPS
INSTRUCTIONS
01
Chill a rocks glass by filling it with ice and setting it aside as you prepare the rest of the cocktail
02
Soak the sugar cube with the bitters and muddle it in a mixing glass, crushing the cube
03
Add the Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey and stir
04
Take the ice out of your chilled glass and rinse it with a small amount of absinthe – swirl the liquor around and then discard
05
Pour the Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey mixture into the chilled, absinthe-rinsed glass
06
Squeeze the lemon twist gently over the drink to release its oils – some will use it as a garnish on the rim of the glass afterward, but rarely drop it into the drink itself
History of the Sazerac – the world’s oldest cocktail
The story goes that the recipe for the Sazerac cocktail is actually the oldest known mixed drink recipe in the world. According to mixologist lore, we have New Orleans apothecary Antoine Peychaud to thank for what would become one of the world’s most popular whiskey cocktails.
He was the inventor of Peychaud’s Bitters, which he mixed with cognac to create a signature ‘toddy’ – the name for cocktails at the time. The Sazerac Coffee House (AKA saloon) in New Orleans picked up on the theme, and started serving it under this name. This is how the first named cocktail came to be.
Rye whiskey became the go-to liquor of choice in a recipe for the Sazerac cocktail around the 1890s, and in the 1984s, anise liqueur was substituted for absinthe, which was banned state-side until 2007.
What is the flavour of a Sazerac rye whiskey cocktail?
The first thing you need to realise when you learn how to make a Sazerac is that it is essentially a celebration of rye whiskey. This beautifully balanced drink uses the sweetness of the sugar and the complex notes of the bitters to build the cocktail and show off the character of the rye, so it’s essential to choose a good one. We love Wild Turkey Rye with its vanilla and spice notes, spicy citrus aroma, and long, supple finish.
What’s the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac?
The Old Fashioned and Sazerac cocktails have a lot in common, but there are clear differences. An Old Fashioned is an example of a much-loved bourbon Christmas cocktail garnished with an orange twist, whereas a Sazerac is made with rye whiskey and garnished with lemon.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Sazerac is a type of rye whiskey. However, the Sazerac cocktail was originally made with cognac, which was later substituted with rye whiskey when it became hard to come by in the United States. The bar where the Sazerac was first served was called by this name, and the bartender who bought it later started a liquor company by the same name, under which he made, bottled, and distributed the Sazerac rye whiskey that is famous today.
Much like other famous rye whiskeys like Wild Turkey Rye, Sazerac is made using a variety of grains, including approximately 51% rye, 39% corn, and 10% malted barley.
The well-balanced Sazerac cocktail uses the sweetness of the sugar and the complex notes of the bitters to build the cocktail and show off the character of the rye, so it's essential to choose a good one. We love Wild Turkey Rye with its vanilla and spice notes, spicy citrus aroma, and long, supple finish.
We have New Orleans apothecary Antoine Peychaud to thank for what would become one of the world’s most popular whiskey cocktails. He was the inventor of Peychaud's Bitters, which he mixed with cognac to create a signature 'toddy' - the name for cocktails at the time. The Sazerac Coffee House (AKA saloon) in New Orleans picked up on the theme, and started serving it under this name. This is how the first named cocktail came to be.
