

Since rye is more alcoholic (80 to 100 proof, versus Cognac’s 60 proof), you’ll want to tweak your other ingredients accordingly.
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When you’re making a Sazerac with Cognac, however, it’s not an even trade. If you happen to have a bottle of Cognac lying around the house, this is a great opportunity to make what Alex Holder, of McGuire Moorman Hospitality in Austin, Tex., calls “the OG version” of the Sazerac. VinePair’s favorite rye for Sazeracs, aptly named Sazerac 6 Year, clocks in at 90 proof and less than $40.

Make sure to choose your spirit blends wisely, and by flavor profile.” “Not all whiskies and Cognacs are the same, and the most expensive is not always the best. “I prefer my base spirit to be around 100 proof for my Sazeracs,” says Leo Robitschek, bar director and managing partner of Make It Nice, the restaurant group that includes NYC’s Eleven Madison Park and NoMad locations in New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas.

Sazeracs are boozy cocktails, so the proof of your rye (or Cognac) needs to offset the other components. In any mixed drink, alcohol content matters because it balances sweetness and acidity. Smelling it will dry out the cocktail without having it numb your palate,” Chiang adds. “You want to be able to smell the absinthe instead of having it hit your tongue. If that happens, the heavy flavors of absinthe will overpower the rest of the drink. “Without chilling the glass, the absinthe will sink and mix into the cocktail,” Eileen Chiang, beverage manager and assistant general manager at Wayan in NYC, says. This might seem fussy - and it does require at least 30 minutes’ advance planning to wedge a glass into the freezer - but it’s a vital step before your absinthe rinse. Since this drink is served “down” (bartending-speak for chilled but without ice), you want to get your glassware as cold as possible. What to do when making a Sazerac Chill the glass. Here is everything you need to know to get your Sazerac just right, every time. It began as a Cognac vehicle, but today, most bartenders make Sazeracs by rinsing a glass with absinthe and combining rye, simple syrup, and bitters, and finishing it with a twist.įor those looking to make consistently great Sazeracs at home, we asked Hannah and five other bar professionals for their top tips.
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The debate over how to properly make this drink is understandable because the Sazerac recipe has evolved over the years. The Sazerac has deep roots in his city, and some historians believe the Sazerac was America’s first cocktail, created by a Haitian-American pharmacist in New Orleans in the 1830s ( or was it the 1880s?). “Everyone and every bar does something differently.” “It is consistently the most inconsistently made cocktail in the world,” Chris Hannah, proprietor of New Orleans’ Manolito and Jewel of the South, says of the Sazerac. However, the flavor is balanced by the herbal notes of bitters with a very subtle citrus aroma from the lemon twist.īest Practices: Sazeracs Are Boozy but Balanced Primarily, a Sazerac is going to taste like whichever base spirit you choose - whiskey or brandy. We suggest serving the cocktail strained into a chilled, absinthe-rinsed rocks glass. While you can drink your cocktail however you like, the Sazerac is a cocktail best served straight up. Should a Sazerac use Rye or Cognac?Ī Sazerac can be made with either rye whiskey or brandy, therefore Cognac - a type of brandy - can be used as the cocktail’s base. Lastly, the Sazerac calls for an absinthe-rinsed glass the Old Fashioned does not. It’s garnished with only a lemon twist, compared to the Old Fashioned’s lemon and orange twist. Plus, while an Old Fashioned uses standard simple syrup as a sweetening agent, the Sazerac calls for Demerara syrup. Further, the Sazerac calls for Peychaud’s bitters in place of the Old Fashioned’s Angostura bitters. Whereas the Old Fashioned uses bourbon as its base, the Sazerac is made with rye whiskey or brandy. Sazerac FAQ What is the difference between an Old Fashioned and a Sazerac?
