"The Sazerac...America's oldest known cocktail"

This cocktail has quite a storied past.  It's roots are unquestionably New Orleans based.  It is a blend of 4 simple ingredients and garnished with a lemon twist.  Classic, simple and worthy of such a colorful history.  In June of 2008, the Louisiana Legislature proclaimed the Sazerac as New Orleans' official cocktail.

As the story goes, in the mid 1800's, Sewell T. Taylor sold his New Orleans bar, The Merchants Exchange Coffee House, to become an importer of spirits, where he began to import a brand of cognac named Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils.  Meanwhile, Aaron Bird assumed ownership of the Merchants Exchange and changed the name to Sazerac Coffee House.  With this he began serving the "Sazerac Cocktail", made with Sazerac Cognac imported by Taylor.  Along with this cocktail he added the local apothecary's bitters.  This apothecary was none other than Antoine Amedie Peychaud.  

In the 1860's Europe's grape crops were being decimated by phylloxera which effected the production of wine and cognac.  By 1870, The Sazerac Coffee House was in the hands of a new owner and the cocktail recipe was altered.  Since the Cognac was no longer available, he turned to what was...Rye Whiskey.

In 2011, I was honored to be in a Los Angeles Times article featuring my twist on this classic.  Using the base ingredients of the classic preparation, Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Absinthe, sugar and Peychaud's Bitters and then finishing with an orange zest as compared to the classic lemon.

Barragan's Sazerac Cocktail

Begin by muddling one sugar cube (or 3/4 ounce of simple syrup) in a beaker then add
2 oz Sazerac Rye Whiskey (any quality rye whiskey will work)
1 bar spoon of Mata Hari Absinthe
2 dashes of Peychaud's Aromatic Bitters
If you are using a cube stir all ingredients until the sugar is dissolved completely then add ice and stir to chill.  Strain the ingredients and garnish with an orange zest (or the classic lemon).  Unlike the classic preparation I choose to leave the absinthe in the cocktail instead of just rinsing the glass.  To rinse and throw out seems like alcohol abuse to me...Cheers!

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/apr/29/entertainment/la-et-night-cocktail29-20110429
https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/
http://www.absinthematahari.com/?q=content/the-magic-of-mata-hari