The Sazerac

Jun 23

Written By

When in New Orleans, you should drink a Sazerac. I didn't know this until I went with Pim to dinner at a place called Mandina's (more on that tomorrow) and she ordered one. Pim's Sazerac was so good--it's made with Rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint (an anise-flavor liqueur, like Pernod), and bitters--I made a mental note to order one the next night with Craig so he could experience it too.

And so it was that the next night we found ourselves at Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar which Esquire Magazine recently ranked 4th on its list of the best bars in America:

The place has a rough sort of charm, but you don't get the impression, right away, that the drinks here will be made with love.

You would be wrong to think that. For proof: order the Sazerac.

Watching the bartender make this was a real treat, especially the way that she cut off a thin strip of lemon peel, twisted it to extract the oils and then rubbed it around the rim of the glass. Here's Craig with New Orleans' most famous drink:

Warning: this drink isn't just good, it's strong. Moments after sipping it, a gold man will appear outside the window in a jester costume asking to bum a cigarette.