Sazerac Cocktail Recipe

Jul 15, 2011 5:24 pm

A touch of the green fairy goes a long way

By Maureen C. Petrosky

At one point absinthe was so popular in France that happy hour was actually called "l'heure verte," or the green hour. The spirit, so beloved amongst poets and artists for its supposedly hallucinogenic qualities, was banned for much of the mid to latter 20th century throughout the world, and only was legalized again in the US in 2007. Its anise flavor and high alcohol content makes it an acquired taste to be sure, but smart bartenders and amateur mixologists have learned to use absinthe as a rinse.

In this Absinthe Sazerac cocktail, the licorice-like essence of the absinthe plays off the smokiness of cognac and the sweetness of simple syrup for a powerful yet elegant cocktail.

+ ENLARGE

photo: brianjmatis on Flickr

Absinthe gets used as a rinse in this Sazerac cocktail

Servings: 1 drink

Ingredients

1 ounce Absinthe, used as a rinse

2 ounces cognac

3 dashes bitters

1/2 teaspoon simple syrup

lemon peel, for garnish

Directions:

Pour the absinthe in a glass. Add an ice cube and swirl around. Dump out the absinthe.
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the cognac, bitters and simple syrup. Shake and strain into an old-fashioned glass or an antique egg cup.
Garnish with the lemon peel.

Level of Difficulty:

Easy

Prep Time:

5 minutes

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