Ever looking for a nice after-work cocktail? How about a new aperitif? Perhaps it's a nightcap you desire? The amazing thing about the Sazerac is that it not only is awesome, but it's awesome all the time.
The much-discussed Sazerac is often credited as being the very first cocktail. Born in New Orleans it has a long history and evolution, including at various times various ingredients. What it has always had is Rye whiskey (not bourbon, not Irish whiskey, but Rye whiskey you see) and bitters. These were sometimes mixed with Pernod (or other anise-y booze) but more traditionally with absinthe.
The Sazerac I recently quaffed at Belcourt, a delightful restaurant receiving entirely too little press in New York's East Village, was a simple mix of rye, absinthe and bitters. I'd never had one before, certainly not one with absinthe, my new favorite thing. Some words to describe the drink: strange, strong, masculine, feminine, bitter, sweet, intoxicating, calming, delicious.
With the warm, smooth booziness of the rye pleasantly cut by the slightly vegetal, floral brightness of the hint of absinthe, the bitters job is to simply sort of tie the whole thing together. The cocktail, like all good ones, is much larger than the sum of its parts. Drink one (I'm not sure I'd recommend two) and you feel so pleasantly calm. This makes it great after work, great before a meal and great before bed.
But it's not just the calming factor that make it so good for a variety of occasions, it's also how delicious and, after a sip or two, easy to drink it is. However, it's complex and satisfying enough from sip to sip that you won't be tempted to drink it down too quickly; (like a gin and tonic) you'll want to savor it from beginning to end.
