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Old Fashioned family1838

Sazerac（サゼラック）

Sazerac served in a chilled old-fashioned glass glass
サゼラック · 1830sChilled old-fashioned glass · Stirred

Rye, sugar, Peychaud's, an absinthe rinse — New Orleans in a glass, chilled bare.

Recipe →

01Recipe

Recommended recipe

House spec — an editorial spec drawing on the sourced versions below.

Ingredients and measures
IngredientMeasure
Rye whiskey50 ml
Sugar cube× 1
Peychaud's bitters3 dash
Absinthe (rinse)5 ml

Total volume (pre-dilution)

  1. 01

    Chill a rocks glass with ice; separately stir rye, sugar cube, and bitters with ice until cold.

  2. 02

    Dump the ice, rinse the glass with absinthe, discard the excess.

  3. 03

    Strain the rye in. Express lemon peel — drop or discard.

Garnish — Lemon peel (discarded or draped)

02Taste profile

Sweetness
30Light
Sourness*
0Faint
Bitterness
45Moderate
Fruitiness
15Faint
Herbal*
42Moderate
Alcohol
85Intense
Crisp
60Strong

Independent editorial scores, 0–100. *Estimated from the ingredient list — a profile sketch, not a verdict.

03History

~1830s — Antoine Peychaud's bitters shop in the French Quarter served a cognac toddy in an egg-cup ('coquetier'). The Sazerac Coffee House took the recipe; rye replaced brandy after phylloxera killed the vines.

2008 — Louisiana made it the state's official cocktail, which is the least it could do.

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Origin contested — the entry keeps verified record and received legend distinct.

Sources — Stanley Clisby Arthur, Famous New Orleans Drinks · IBA The Unforgettables

04Recipe versions

Each version is shown exactly as recorded in its source — unverified claims are flagged.

Total volume (pre-dilution)
  • IBA Official Cocktails

    IBA Official Cocktails

    International Bartenders Association · iba-web-current · Official

    • 50 ml Cognac
    • 10 ml Absinthe
    • 1 Sugar Cube
    • 2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

    Rinse a chilled old-fashioned glass with the absinthe, add crushed ice and set it aside. Stir the remaining ingredients over ice in a mixing glass. Discard the ice and any excess absinthe from the prepared glass, strain the mixed drink into the glass. NOTE: The original recipe changed after the American Civil War, Rye Whiskey substituted Cognac as it became hard to obtain. — Garnish with lemon zest.

  • Boothby's World Drinks

    Boothby's World Drinks

    William Boothby · 1908 · Book · unverified

    • Rye whisky
    • Peychaud's bitters
    • Sugar
    • Absinthe rinse
    • Lemon peel

    Rinse glass with absinthe; stir, strain neat.

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05Variations

  • OriginCognac SazeracThe pre-phylloxera original
  • VariationObituaryAdd dry vermouth — drier, colder
06The map

Spirits

SpiritRye WhiskeyBrandSazerac RyeBrandRittenhouse 100
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