How the Sazerac Became the Official co*cktail of New Orleans - Sazerac House (2024)

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How the Sazerac Became the Official co*cktail of New Orleans - Sazerac House? ›

On June 23, 2008, the Sazerac became the official co*cktail of New Orleans. After a month of debate and ten House and Senate votes, the Sazerac beat out New Orleans' many other homegrown co*cktails for the title, Julia Reed wrote for CN Traveler in 2009.

The story goes that the businessman began to combine his bitters with brandy, sugar, and water, then marketed the resulting elixir as a health-aid. Eventually this co*cktail grew in popularity to the point where locals sought it out whether they were sick or not, and the Sazerac co*cktail was born.

In 2008, the state of Louisiana passed legislation that made the Sazerac co*cktail the official co*cktail of New Orleans. It’s a fitting tribute to the drink that arguably started the co*cktail movement throughout the United States.

The famous art deco Sazerac Bar in New Orleans' Roosevelt hotel honors the world's first mixed drink with a historic watering hole that was once the headquarters of the city's famed governor Huey Long. New Orleans is home to America's first co*cktail, the Sazerac.

The Sazerac - The Original Recipe

Pack an Old-Fashioned glass with ice. In a second Old-Fashioned glass place a sugar cube and add 3 dashes of Peychaud's Bitters to it, then crush the sugar cube. Add the 1 1/2 ounces of Sazerac Rye Whiskey to the Peychaud's Bitters and sugar.

History of The Sazerac

They say he first served it to his fellow Masons after hours in an egg cup –a coquetier—a word that some insist morphed into “co*cktail.” The name of the drink comes from Peychaud's favorite French brandy, Sazerac-de-Forge et fils.

The spirits company Sazerac was hit with a proposed class-action lawsuit Wednesday in the Western District of New York related to alleged consumer confusion between two cinnamon-flavored alcoholic drinks.

To prevent the feeling of ice hitting their teeth, patrons started drinking co*cktails from straws. But the Sazerac was best enjoyed straight up. So, bartenders started chilling the glass and straining out the ice. Over 150 years later, it's still served the same way.

Because of this, New Orleans's own Sazerac is widely considered the world's first co*cktail, as it's the oldest known co*cktail that can be recognized by name.

It traces its earliest rumored origins all the way back to the 1830s and some even call it “The First co*cktail.” In fact, it's so ubiquitous in discussion of co*cktail history, that many claim the word “co*cktail” itself was derived from the “coquetier” cups out of which the drink was reportedly first served.

What does the word Sazerac mean? ›

sazerac in British English

(ˈsæzəˌræk ) noun. US. a mixed drink of whisky, Pernod, syrup, bitters, and lemon. Collins English Dictionary.

An Old Fashioned contains Bourbon, while the Sazerac favors rye whiskey. Both contain sugar and bitters, but a traditional Old Fashioned tends to use Angostura bitters. while the Sazerac demands New Orleans's own Peychaud's Bitters, which was integral in the creation of the drink.

Sazerac Company, Inc. is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family.

In 1883, Colonel Joe Rickey was purported to have invented the "Joe Rickey," after a bartender at Shoomaker's in Washington, D.C. added lime to his "mornin's morning," a daily dose of Bourbon with lump ice and Apollinaris sparkling mineral water.

In the November 2022 lawsuit, Sazerac accused Allocated Liquor of trademark infringement, counterfeiting, false designation of origin, and unfair competition, and requested $20,000 to $100,000 in damages per counterfeit label.

A sazerac is served without ice in a rocks glass to prevent the ice diluting the drink. It's a strong, no-nonsense co*cktail, and that's the point. The sugar cube helps to balance the rye with a little sweetness.