Sazarac Cocktail

A revisit to the Sazarac cocktail.  A friend requested Sazerac. We did have one on Feb 10, 2011 at Juban's Restaurant in Baton Rouge. It was good there, but it was served on ice, which is a no-no according to most books!

This was an excellent drink, at least to me, consisting of several complex flavors - anise, the rye whiskey, bitters - they all were distinguishable and also blended well.



Recipe  is courtesy of Kevin Lacassin at NolaFoodie.com

2 oz Rye Whiskey
1/2 oz Simple Syrup
5 dashes Peychaud's Bitters
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
1/4 oz Pernod
1 lemon twist

Chill a rocks glass by filling with ice and water.
In a cocktail shaker filled 3/4 with ice, add rye whiskey, simple syrup, Peychaud's Bitters and Angostura Bitters.
Using a bar spoon, stir until the shaker is ice-cold and frost has formed on the outside.  (do not shake a Sazerac).
Empty the ice and water from the rocks glass, and pour in a bit of Pernod and toss the glass (or roll it) to coat the entire inside.
Pour out any excess.
Strain your cocktail from the shaker into the Pernod lined glass.
Twist a lemon peel over the glass, rim the glass, and then drop it in.
                                                                          

Vieux Carré Cocktail

Today's cocktail was from the book "In the Land of the Cocktails, authored by the proprietors of Commander's Palace in New Orleans.  I selected a 'Vieux Carré Cocktail', which was very good, well worth having again.

The recipe:

1 oz Rye Whiskey (Old Overholt)
1 oz Cognac (E&J XO Brandy; not my $50 Cognac)
1 oz Sweet Vermouth (Dolin)
1/2 teaspoon Bénédictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud's Bitters

Combine in a cocktail shaker with ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled Martini glass and serve immediately.

I chose to garnish with a twist of lime and a lemon wheel.