Sazerac
A spirit-forward rye whiskey cocktail with an absinthe rinse, Peychaud’s and Angostura bitters, and a muddled demerara sugar cube. It has no acidity, is off-dry, and is strong at about 34% ABV.
Also in Death & Co: Modern Classic Cocktails, with a different recipe →
6
Stir with ice and strain into a chilled rocks glass
Sazerac
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Volume93 ml
Strength34% ABV
Alcohol31 ml (25 g)78 ml of vodka (40%)2.5 shots (of 30ml)
Sugar4 g (4.2%)1 sugar cube
Aciditynone
SweetnessOff-dry
William Boothby, “World Drinks and How to Mix Them” (1908)
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Old-Fashioned Whiskey Cocktail
A spirit-forward rye whiskey cocktail with Angostura bitters and a muddled demerara sugar cube, plus a lemon twist but no citrus juice. It has no acidity, is off-dry in sweetness, and is strong at about 34% ABV.
Omitting the Peychaud's bitters and absinthe rinse removes anise-herbal and cherry notes, yielding a less bitter, whiskey-forward drink with lemon and slight ice dilution.
- Same: 2 oz rye, 2 dashes of Angostura and a muddled demerara sugar cube, stirred and strained into a chilled rocks glass.
- Different: No Peychaud's and no absinthe-rinsed glass; served over one large ice cube with a lemon twist.
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Using bourbon instead of rye and a plain sugar cube makes it sweeter and less peppery, with less molasses depth.
- Same: 2 oz whiskey, 3 dashes of Peychaud's, 2 dashes of Angostura, a muddled sugar cube, a lemon peel and an absinthe-rinsed glass, stirred.
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Sazerac