Sazerac (Warehouse Style)

The Sazerac is thought to be one of the (if not the) first American cocktails with origins in pre-Civil War New Orleans. The defining feature of this cocktail is its preparation method, which commonly involves two chilled rocks glasses. The first glass is swirled with a wash of absinthe, while the second is used to combine the remaining ingredients (rye whiskey, bitters,  and sugar) over ice. 

There are a few ways you can play with a Sazerac depending on what you have available in your bar or just because you feel like changing it up. 

Simply put, absinthe is an anise-flavored spirit distilled form wormwood. In 1912, absinthe was banned from the US which meant to enjoy this delicious libation, our predecessors had to get creative. Not to mention the fact that absinthe is not always readily available in every bar you walk into. What I'm trying to say is that if/when you don't have access to absinthe, any anise-flavored liqueur will do the job just fine. Here are a few different brands you might consider adding to your home bar:

• Pernod Absinthe
• Herbsaint
• Absente

Furthermore, Peychaud's bitters are the classic choice used in this cocktail. But we wanted to change it up a bit and went with Raleigh's Crude Bitters' "Lindsay" bitters which is a delicious, vivacious tincture made with pecan and magnolia barks with just a hint of habanero peppers for a nice kick. If you don't have Peychaud's bitters available, any aromatic bitters will suffice. Or you can go Warehouse Style and play around with a variety of different bitters.

So now, on to the good stuff. Here's how to make a Sazerac (Warehouse Style)

Ingredients

• 2oz Boundary Street Rye Whiskey
• 1/2oz simple syrup
• 2-4 dashes "Lindsay" bitters
• lemon peel

Directions

1. In a chilled old-fashioned glass, splash a bit of absinthe and swirl it around the glass so that it coats the inside of the glass. Dump any excess.
2. In another glass (this can be a shaker pint, an additional old-fashioned glass, or a cocktail beaker), combine the rye whiskey, simple syrup and bitters. Add ice. Stir until the outside of the glass is frosted. 
3. Strain contents into the absinthe-washed glass. Do not add ice. This cocktail is meant to be served chilled and neat. 
4. Garnish with an expressed lemon peel and enjoy!