The Sazerac

The Sazerac almost became the official Louisiana state cocktail, but the proposal to honor this quintessential New Orleans drink was rejected by the Louisiana Senate in early April.

The Sazerac is considered by many to be the first cocktail ever created, and despite some dispute over this fact it is credited with being the first to appear in New Orleans, the birthplace of the modern cocktail.

Juban’s sommelier James Ward was disappointed to find out legislation to honor his favorite cocktail had been turned down.

“I heard someone make the argument that the hurricane should have been considered,” Ward says. “But hurricanes are for tourists. The Sazerac is what the locals drink.”

The bartenders at Juban’s have been churning out this rye whiskey concoction for years, but Ward admits it’s just in the past five years that he and his staff have perfected their recipe.

“I’ve done quite a bit of research about the Sazerac,” he says. “I’ve even talked with restaurants and bars in New Orleans to find out how they do things. The biggest debate is over which brand of bitters to use: Peychaud or Angostura.”

Antoine Amadie Peychaud, a Creole apothecary from the West Indies, created the Sazerac in New Orleans in the early 1800s, but the drink didn’t become popular until the Sazerac bar began pouring out their modified version.

Peychaud’s original cocktail contained cognac and was served up in the large end of an eggcup called a coquetier, which is where the word cocktail comes from. Rye whiskey was used years later by the Sazerac bar because cognac became too expensive.

To honor both versions, the cocktail menu at Juban’s contains both versions: the Sazerac and Peychaud’s Coquetier, so you can sample both.

The Juban’s Sazerac combines rye whiskey, two drops Peychaud bitters, one drop Angostura bitters, simple syrup and rimmed with Pernod. The Coquetier combines Courvoisier cognac with Peychaud bitters, a muddled sugar cube and is rimmed with Absinthe.

“Either way, you can’t go wrong,” Ward says, “They’re both refreshing, especially on a hot Louisiana day.”