Spirited Cocktails

Earlier this week, I was fortunate to join many of New York’s cocktail twitterati for a celebration of Mardi Gras at one of my favorite new bars, Rye House. At an event hosted by the Time Out Dining & Libation Society, we were lucky to find proprietor and master mixologist Lynette Marrero behind the bar furiously shaking and stirring the classic cocktails of New Orleans, including the Sazarac, the French 75, and my favorite of the evening – the Vieux Carre.

I was introduced to this cocktail during my trip down to New Orleans last year for Tales of the Cocktail – it’s a mainstay at the Carousel Bar in the Hotel Moteleone (which is where Tales takes place).  As Ted Haigh tells it in his book Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails, the name comes from the local term for the French Quarter – le Vieux Carre, meaning “the Old Square.” The cocktail was invented sometime prior to the 1937 publication of Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix Them, by Walter Bergeron, who worked behind what would eventually become the Carousel Bar. It fell out of favor for years, but I loved the one I had in New Orleans last year, and I really loved the… let’s just say more than one… I had at Rye House this past week.

Here’s what you’re going to need:

1oz rye whiskey
1oz cognac
1oz sweet vermouth
1/4oz Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura Bitters
2 dashes Peychaud Bitters

The preparation is simple: combine all the ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, stir well, and strain over fresh ice in a rocks glass. Garnish with a simple lemon twist.

The result is a smooth yet complex cocktail, sure to transport you directly to Bourbon Street.

Cheers!

-Josh

The Sazerac is one of the oldest cocktails on record – and supposedly the first cocktail invented in America. It came into being in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1830’s, and was originally made with cognac and Peychaud bitters (created by Antoine Amédée Peychaud). The Peychaud bitters are still a key ingredient, but the most common preparation of the cocktail is now with rye rather than cognac (even though our friend @halw likes to mess with bartenders by ordering it with cognac anyway.)

I came late to the Sazerac, but was introduced to it by another friend, @livethelushlife, who counts the Sazerac among her absolute favorite cocktails. And it really came to life for me when I had the chance to sample the cocktail in its native environment – New Orleans – where the Sazerac is still an institution.

The combination of rye, sugar, and bitters (in an absinthe or Herbsaint-rinsed glass) makes for a smooth drink that’s reminiscent of The Old Fashioned, but with a unique quality all its own, and definitely worth a try!

Here’s what you’re going to need:

3oz rye
3/4oz simple syrup
3 dashes Peychaud bitters
1/4oz absinthe or Herbsaint to rinse the glass
Lemon peel for garnish

Start by chilling a rocks glass for a few minutes in advance. In a mixing glass, combine the rye, simple syrup and bitters with ice, and stir well.

Add a small amount (1/4oz or less) to your chilled rocks glass. Rotate the glass on its side just to coat the inside of the glass, then discard the excess. Strain the cocktail into the rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. The Sazerac is served neat, so no ice in the glass is required.

In addition to The Old Fashioned, the Sazerac has become one of my favorite “brown spirit” cocktails. I encourage you to give it a try!

Cheers,

Josh