Greetings, Wonketeers! I’m Hooper, your bartender. This week, I decided to re-examine a cocktail I first discussed years ago. I’ve done some research and some tasting, and I’ve changed my conclusions about what matters in this drink. Mardi Gras season is just about ready to begin, and the city of New Orleans has something to say about getting through hard times. Laissez les bons temps rouler, y’all. Time to make a Sazerac, Tujague’s style. Here’s the recipe:
2 oz Sazerac rye whiskey
1 oz rich Mai Tai syrup
10 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
½ t absinthe
Lemon peel
Stir the rye, bitters, and syrup in a cocktail mixing glass with ice until chilled.
Pour the absinthe into a chilled old fashioned glass. Swirl to coat the glass, then discard the absinthe. Strain the cocktail into the glass. Twist the lemon peel over the glass and discard.
1 cup demerara sugar
½ cup water
¼ teaspoon salt
Dash of vanilla extract
Add all ingredients to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently until the sugar is completely dissolved. Bottle and refrigerate for later use.
Tujague’s is the second oldest bar in New Orleans (the oldest being the Old Absinthe House, lair of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte). The mirror behind the bar at Tujague’s is older than America; it was imported from France in 1856 and was 80 years old then. This is where the Grasshopper was invented in 1918. The bar book here, to put it mildly, has some character.
With that in mind, I thought their Sazerac recipe deserved some examination. I had initially approached the Sazerac as a variation of the Old Fashioned, but the closer I looked the more the differences became clear. A modern Old Fashioned uses a light hand on the sugar and bitters. They’re the “salt and pepper on the steak,” the seasonings used to bring out the best in quality bourbon. The Sazerac puts the pedal to the floor when it comes to seasonings. Tugajue’s original recipe uses 2 ounces of simple syrup and 1 1⁄2 ounces of rye. A drink with more syrup than booze is rare in quality bars. And 10 shakes of bitters is quite a thing. Clearly, a rethink was in order.
After some testing, I concluded that the ideal Sazerac is all about classic New Orleans cocktail flavors. The rye isn’t front and center here; it’s the rich, spicy backdrop for the Peychaud’s and absinthe, sweetened to perfection. Don’t let bad memories of black jelly beans turn you off anise in cocktails. NOLA uses absinthe all over the place behind the bar. It’s a bright, refreshing flavor that’s similar to, but more sophisticated than, mint as a pick-me-up. In this drink, with a rich, bittersweet backdrop, it’s a classy way to pause and refresh after a long week.
Tujague’s elderly bar book is working from a time where quality rye was hard to get. They recommend Old Overholt, a rye that tastes like bowling alley shoes to my palate. Sazerac rye is far more appropriate in a modern glass. I decided to keep the sweetness level high by using a rich syrup, boosted with a little salt and vanilla. The end result is strong, refreshing, and fortifying — exactly what we need after a rough week.
Let’s talk ingredients:
Sazerac Rye: I prefer rye to bourbon, and Sazerac Rye is one of the most balanced ryes I’ve encountered. Rye is dark, peppery, and strong, unlike the smooth oak flavors of bourbon. It’s the perfect contrast for a sweet, bright drink like this. Rittenhouse Rye and Old Forester are both solid alternatives.
Mai Tai syrup: I stole this recipe from the Cates, out of their seminal tiki book Smuggler’s Cove. The salt and vanilla bring a slight salted caramel note to the syrup that makes it an ingredient as opposed to just a sweetener. The extra body of a 2:1 sugar syrup in this drink is also very welcome.
Peychaud’s Bitters: Peychaud’s is very red and has a ton of anise flavor. It’s a cocktail staple in many NOLA cocktails. Variations that don’t come from Peychaud’s proper are often labeled as “Creole Bitters.” Bitter Truth makes a nice variation, but I prefer to stick with the original.
Absinthe: I will note that Tujague’s recipe calls for tossing the glass up in the air to coat the glass. I tried it, and discovered it’s a great way to coat your hands with absinthe. Pour a splash into your chilled glass, swirl it around, and upend it over the sink. Absinthe is sweet enough to cling to the sides of glass and coat it properly. Leave the party tricks to the professionals.
Lemon twist: You’re looking to get a little lemon oil for brightness into the glass, not lemon juice. If the lemon is too moist or too old to squeeze oil from the twist, I’ll dip the twist into the cocktail after squeezing it firmly.
In summary and conclusion, drink well, drink often, and tip your bartender — donate to Wonkette at the link below!
We aren’t linking to Amazon anymore, because fuck Bezos. Go read Tujague’s Cookbook by Poppy Tooker instead. You’ll find some great cocktail recipes, old-school classic NOLA cuisine, and some great stories about New Orleans here.
You can find me on Bluesky at @samuraigrog!
OPEN THREAD! DRINK!
