The Sazerac is the official cocktail of New Orleans and one of the oldest cocktails in American history. Rye whiskey, sugar, Peychaud’s bitters, and an absinthe-rinsed glass. It’s a drink built on ritual as much as flavor. The preparation matters. The glass rinse, the express of lemon oil, the decision to serve it without ice. Every step is deliberate.

The absinthe rinse

This is what sets the Sazerac apart from a simple Old Fashioned. You’re not adding absinthe to the drink; you’re coating the glass with it. Pour a small amount into a chilled rocks glass, swirl it to coat the sides, and pour out the excess. What remains is a thin film that adds an anise aroma to every sip without dominating the flavor.

If you don’t have absinthe, a few drops of anise extract mixed with a splash of water does the same job. Pernod works too. The point is getting that licorice whisper into the glass. Without it, you have a nice whiskey cocktail. With it, you have a Sazerac.

Peychaud’s bitters, not Angostura

Peychaud’s bitters were invented in New Orleans in the 1830s, and they’re a defining ingredient of the Sazerac. They have a lighter, more floral character than Angostura, with cherry and anise notes that complement both the rye and the absinthe rinse. Using Angostura makes a different (still good) drink, but it’s not a Sazerac. Peychaud’s is available at most liquor stores and online.

Served neat

The Sazerac is traditionally served without ice in the glass. The stirring over ice chills and dilutes the drink to where it needs to be, and then it goes into the rinsed glass clean. This keeps the drink concentrated and lets the flavors evolve as it slowly warms in your hand. It’s one of the few cocktails that’s meant to change character from the first sip to the last. The Rye Manhattan and Rye-Whiskey Sour complete a three-drink rye lineup.