With last nights big game going to the New Orleans Saints and the upcoming Mardi Gras celebration, it got me reminiscing about time I’ve spent in the Big Easy. The history of New Orleans is so special with its French, Creole, and Caribbean influences, the city is one of the most unique places in the United States. Sometimes it can feel so foreign, it doesn’t even feel like you’re in the United States.

You can’t think about New Orleans without thinking about Bourbon Street – the restaurants and bars here are some of the best in the nation. A special cocktail that calls New Orleans its home is the very historic and rare Sazerac. The drink is considered the oldest cocktail recipe in the United States – made with rye whiskey, part of the cocktails magic is the ritual involved in making it.

Sazerac

• 1 sugar cube
• 1 1/2 oz of Sazerac Rye Whiskey
• 2 dashes of Peychauds Bitters
• Absinthe
• Lemon Peel

In an Old Fashioned Glass (it must be made in this glass) melt the sugar cube down with a few drops of bitters.  Combine the Rye Whiskey and sugar/bitters along with a few small ice cubes. In a second chilled Old Fashioned Glass coat the inside of the glass with a few drops of Absinthe, discard excess. Strain the contents of the first glass into the chilled glass and garnish with a thinly sliced lemon peel.

Filed under: Food & Drink, History by Stephen : No Comments »