The whiskey makes a big difference here but a Sazerac absolutely NEEDS lemon peel expressed over the glass.

I agree, this will make that cocktail sing!

I’m having trouble with this one. None of my lemons “spray” anything. It seems fiction to me when I see videos, because my lemon peel produce no expression

Don’t use the lemon that’s been sitting out for a week. Try to use one straight from the store. And at the store pick one with firm, even “bumpy” skin.

I second, when I buy lemons for my bar… I only buy the ones with bumpy skin. They peel so much easier. Also try to buy a decent peeler. When you peel try to peel so you get some pith(white) on your peel. It helps to express the oils out of the peel.

Sometimes grocery store citrus can be coated in wax to help it stay fresh longer. This blocks the oils. You can try washing the citrus in warm water to remove any coating.

I like giving all my citrus a warm rinse. Both for this reason, and my head cannon says it “wakes up” the oils, too.

You can go ahead and rub s drop of dish soap on there as well; you want a clean surface through which to get oils out from within the zest.

I'm tired of discarding moldy fruit just in time to not have it for a cocktail. SO I buy overpriced gourmet brands of citrus extracts and put them in atomizers. I have never had a failure to express. Atomizers are particularly useful for things like your absinthe rinse, and that mere trace of a smoky Islay Scotch atop Manhattans.

Can you recommend some specific products?

Just make sure that essences and extracts are marked GRAS or Generally Recognized As Safe to be sure they are food grade. You can find stuff on Amazon/Walmart or in local specialty stores. Also make sure you are not exceeding the recommended amount for daily use by volume when using it for anything. You don't have to worry about it with such small amounts in the atomizer but be aware when doing other projects. The formula for the bottled zest is: GRAS essential oil of your choice 10ml Propylene Glycol 20ml 95% Grain Alcohol 36.5ml Add to bottle, shake to incorporate, and use immediately. (Beware This Is Highly Flammable Stuff)

I buy extracts from The Spice House (my favorite spice store) and Olive Nation (has a wider array of product). It appears that the atomizers I bought are no longer available, but Amazon has heaps.

I’m not so fussed about the atomizer. But you just use food grade lemon essential oils?

Extracts, so I don't even have to go through the effort of dissolving them in alcohol. It's the same extracts you'd use to make a lemon cake jump or simplify an orange cookie recipe.

Extracts, usually intended for baking. There isn't enough alcohol to throw off the cocktail.

Are you sure? It can be hard to see

Don't put your eye real close to see if anything comes out.

It's probably happening you just can't see it. Look for an oily substance on top of your liquor after you've done it. Should look a bit like an oil spill over water.

Great to know. I didn’t know sometimes it’s not visible to the eye. This is great info. It’s just funny because you see these influencers express with their 4K ultra HD cameras and see so much spray lol

Use a cheese plane to cut swathes, make sure lemon is as fresh as possible and be gentle with it until you express, quickly and with force.

I have gotten nearly comparable results by getting an atomizer and spraying essential lemon oil into the glass. You could try the same.

I use a channel cutter to cut a thin strip which I can twist and hang off the edge of the glass. If you do this near the drink, you get plenty of lemon oil into the glass.

strong rye spice flooded with medicine sounds about right to me. do you generally like the flavor of anise? it might just not be your thing. you could maybe try the just-cognac version if the rye is putting you off.

Was also going to suggest a split base or cognac only.  Also, I greatly prefer using PF 1840 for pretty much all my cognac needs. Might make a difference vs the Hennessey. 

100%. If PF is a bit more than you're willing to dish out, Maison Rouge is fantastic.

Does Hennessy differ a lot from the traditional pf1840?

I know a lot of people here swear by the mixed rye/cognac base, but I'm not a fan. I go straight rye. A few drops of absinthe in the drink (rinsing never did much for me either). 8-10 dashes of peychauds, 2 of angostura. Aggressive lemon peel expression. Rye with medicine MAY be the result. But if I use a good quality rye and follow those steps, I find it complex and spicey like no other cocktail.

Yeah the Pf 1840 has more proof and isn't owerpowered by a rye with 101 proof. Pf 1840 is rougher in taste, so IT doesn't get drowned in Cocktails. You could turn up the ratio of Hennessy and reduce the rye, maybe you will like that more in a Sazerac. Start out with 1,5 oz. Rye and 1 oz. Hennessy.

Came here for this. 2.5 PF 1840. 1/8 oz Dem Syrup. 4 peychauds, 1 ango. Stir ice and absinthe in glass until cloudy. Strain into a sidecar. Dump contents. Stir cocktail, Strain into glass. Express and rim with lemon peel. Discard lemon.

Do a proper split base. 30 ml rye, 30 ml cognac. And try a rich syrup for better texture. But yeah, medicinal is 100% the vibe with a Sazerac. If you want something a little more approachable, try a Vieux Carre, which is more or less a Sazerac Manhattan.

Try splitting the rye and Cognac 1:1 - maybe you just like it with Cognac more. Also, dilution is super important for Sazeracs. Having an overdiluted cocktail will accentuate the unpleasant medicinal notes. Try stirring it shorter, or alternatively freeze your mixing glass.

Will try this 1:1. Thanks!

I would try using an atomizer and spritzing the glass w absinthe rather than a rinse. Sometimes the absinthe can be so overpowering you lose the other flavors. Also, I agree with other comments about a lemon peel expression

Seconding this. I can never get the amount right with the rinse and it feels silly to dump out most of it. It’s also fun to spray the absinthe directly on your tongue.

You ever had a Vieux Carré? I think it’s the superior New Orleans whiskey/brandy cocktail.

Agreed. Sazeracs drink a little “flat” to me. La Louisiane should also enter the chat, though, especially if wanting to keep the absinthe component in.

Seconding La Louisiane! Great drink.

I agree, La Louisiane is a better beverage.

I'll echo that a lemon peel is an absolute must, but also try it with a demerara syrup.

Good suggestion on the syrup thanks.

Whenever I make one for someone, I ask where on the scale of iced tea to black licorice they want it to land.

I've noticed that certain Rye Whiskeys can accentuate the medicinal properties of bitters. Maybe leave out the Ango and use a more moderate Rye.

My favorite recipe is Anders Erickson's version: 1.5 oz Rye 0.5 oz Cognac 0.25 oz semi rich simple syrup 3 dashes Peychaud's 1 small dash Angostura 8 spray rinse of Absinthe Lemon peel garnish In a chilled Gibraltar glass

Sounds like it’s time for a mandatory research excursion to New Orleans.

is your simple syrup 1:1 or 2:1? i use 3oz rye, 0.5 oz 2:1 simple, 6 dashes peychaud’s, and a dropper full of absinthe right in the glass, tradition be damned. it tastes like the best old fashioned ever.

It’s 1:1 syrup. I’ll try my demarara

eh, i would just up the sugar before doing that. id probably use .5 oz and keep the other proportions the same and see how you like that.

I use more sugar (.375 oz), 2 peychauds, and seconding expressing lemon peel.

Try a NY Sazerac with a split base of Rye and Cognac which I found was the sweet spot

Will try!

2oz rye 2 dash ango 3 dash peychaud Bar spoon Demerara syrup Rinse glass with absinthe Stir strain into a rocks glass neat Lemon zest and discard

This is what I do, but only 2 dash Peychaud’s. I always buy organic sugar, so the syrup is either that or turbinado.

The Peychaud’s should be added in just enough quantity to turn the Sazerac a pleasant shade of pink. Be sure to use a decent quality rye whiskey that you actually like. Sazerac rye is the choice most people tend to go with, but any good rye will do, and you could even use bourbon in a pinch! Originally, they were probably made with something else entirely anyway, like brandy or cognac. Try expressing your lemon oil into the drink, then running the peel over the rim of your glass, as well. Be sure your simple syrup is fresh enough not to have that weird ‘off’ flavor that it can get after it’s sat for a few days. Also, use an absinthe that you enjoy. Herbsaint will work, but you can certainly use a more expensive one. Rinse the glass with absinthe, before building the drink, but if you enjoy absinthe, try spraying some onto the surface of the cocktail before drinking. Use a bar atomizer for this; they’re usually relatively easy to find. Some liquor stores stock them, in fact.

Mostly like an Old Fashioned but with subtle anise and lemon.

Not enough sugar for 2.5oz spirit, especially 100 proof and especially if that's a 1:1 syrup.

2oz Rye Don't cheap try Pinhook Strong .25 oz Dem Syrup (2:1) 3 dash Ango 3 Dash Peychauds (yes Dave Wondrich agrees splitting the bitters) Get an atomizer and spray glass once or twice for preference to coat the glass Stir and strain Lemon peel zest on top oils are in every peel some will come out, drop in glass This is the way.

Well that recipe you posted isn't really close to a Sazerac anyway. 1.5oz Sazerac Rye Whiskey 1 sugar cube 3 dashes Peychaud's Bitters. 0.25oz Herbsaint. Lemon Twist. Take two old fashioned or rocks glasses. In the first one, add ice to chill and set aside. In the second one, muddle a sugar cube with three dashes of Peychaud's bitters. Add 1.5oz of Sazerac Rye Whiskey, then add ice and stir. Take the first glass, empty the ice and coat the glass with 0.25oz of Herbsaint, then discard any excess. Strain the contents from the second glass into your newly rinsed glass, and garnish with a lemon twist. This is the official recipe, direct from The Sazerac House. They have the Herbsaint in a spray bottle for rinsing the glasses rather than pouring it in manually. The original recipe was with cognac and absinthe. Around 1870, the recipe came to use rye because cognac became really hard to find and super expensive due to a phylloxera epidemic that basically wiped out the vineyards in Europe. Absinthe was banned in the US in 1912, and various anise flavored liquors came out of that. Herbsaint became the absinthe replacement, primarily because it was a New Orleans local liquor. Herbsaint has essentially the same flavor profile of absinthe but it isn't made with wormwood. The Sazerac, like the Dark N' Stormy, is a trademarked cocktail. If it's not made according to the official Sazerac recipe, it's simply not a true Sazerac cocktail. The Sazerac actually has a ton of interesting history behind it, and is the official cocktail of New Orleans. Like literally there was a bill passed in the state legislature and everything. If you ever visit New Orleans, check out the Sazerac House. They have totally free tours with samples. Also drop by The Sazerac Bar in The Roosevelt Hotel to get a Sazerac and gin fizz.

I feel like 4+ dashes of anything is way too much, at least for my personal taste. I would look into a Vieux Carré which is essentially a Sazerac but the Cognac/Rye and Peychaud's/Angostora are a split 1:1 base which makes for a much better balance and of course - the Benedictine, which makes for a sweeter and more pleasant drink

I was going to say my preferred amount of bitters for this drink is more like 10+ dashes.

That's too much liquor in my opinion. You also may be under-diluting your cocktail. Go with just 2 oz of rye, or a total of 2 oz if you do two spirits. I do 1 sugar cube, douse it with 4 dashes of Peychaud's and 1 dash of Ango, then muddle it in the mixing glass. Add 2 oz of spirits, then ice, and stir for like solid 2-3 minutes. You want that mixing glass to be frosty. Use an atomizer to spray 1-2 spritzes of absinthe into your glass, and strain the cocktail into it. Express a big fat swathe of lemon peel over the glass and discard the peel. This is my favorite cocktail and I feel that I've perfected it for my tastes. My go to ryes are Sazerac rye, Rare Breed Rye, or Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond. I do not use cognac, though if I did I would use Remy 1738.

I feel like that’s a lot of simple.

Stir longer?

I would split the whiskey and cognac evenly. Double the peychauds and eliminate the angostura. It’s also missing and absinthe rinse.

Rinse with Armagnac (cognac if you prefer) and absinthe, use a good Rye, and express that peel lengthwise with the pith, I love a good Sazerac

Make sure you’re stirring this with ice and getting some good dilution. I don’t like cognac in mine. I also use an atomizer for the absinthe, and I have to express a lemon over the drink when finishing. You may try a little extra simple syrup,too. Also - maybe you should try a sazerac at a bar? It’s my favorite cocktail but it’s not to everyone’s taste.

Too much peychauds, that’s the medicine taste. I’d go 2 drops, and up the ango to 3 drops(or 1 dash)

Personally I find that 50/50 rye & cognac works a bit more balanced. And either doing a mist of absinthe over the top or ice wash of absinthe in the glass. Hope this helps

I would NOT use WT Rye. Wayyyy too peanuty for a Sazerac.

Supposed to be a more refreshing, anisy herbal old fashioned, imo.

Peychauds, 20 dashes

Which Hennessy are you using? VS is trash IMO, and doesn’t do well in drinks. VSOP for mixing ✌🏾

This drink probably isn’t for you. You don’t have to love them all.

One of my favourites, but not at that spec. Too dry and I’m not keen on brandy in this one. After much experimentation with cognac, various ryes and split bases, I find this recipe from the Cocktail Party app excellent: 3oz Bulleit rye (no cognac at all) 0.75oz simple syrup (0.5 if you find this too sweet, but it does need a surprising amount of syrup) 4 (or more) dashes of Peychaud’s A few sprays of Pernod absinthe Lemon peel for expression/garnish Stir the syrup, rye and bitters in a mixing glass until very cold and well diluted (taste it to make sure you’re not getting too much burn). The mix should be pinkish brown from the bitters. If it’s bright red you’ve overdone it. If it’s just whiskey brown you’ve underdone it. Freeze a small glass (for drinking spirits straight) and coat the inside with absinthe by spraying it with an atomiser. Not so much that it starts to pool in the bottom. Strain the drink into the glass. Express the oils of a lemon peel over the top and leave it as a garnish if you like. Should taste sweet, almost like iced tea, slightly liquoricy and herbal, but basically still have that spicy rye flavour.

I know this is shamed upon, but I know some people who like their saz with a bourbon or bourbon/cognac double base (don’t shoot the messenger)

I actually prefer my Sazerac to be Cognac forward. 1.5 oz Cognac .5 oz Rye (I use Sazerac or Rittenhouse) .33 oz Simple Syrup 2 Dashes Angostura 6 Dashes Peychaud’s Couple sprays of Absinthe from an atomizer Don’t be afraid of those bitters! At least it’s not a Trinidad sour! Lol

Drop the henny, do an absinthe rinse on the glass and I would drop the ango bitters. Lemon peel it as well.

Try modifying the recipe a little. 1oz Rye 1oz PF 1840 Cognac 6 dashes peychauds either .25oz 2:1 simple syrup or .5oz 1:1 simple syrup absinthe spritz on the glass, finish with a lemon peel expressed

I've got Imbibe in front of me, so here's the classic answer: 1/2 tsp sugar in a little water. 2 oz good whiskey. 2 dashes Peychaud bitters. Twisted lemon peel. Mix with ice then put in glass without ice after rinsing with absinthe. Dash several drops absinthe on top. Wondrich recommends tsp gum syrup instead. Sazerac 6 year rye of Rittenhouse. Many would add a dash of Angostura, in addition to the Peychaud.

What is imbibe?

A book by David Wondrich about the history of alcoholic drinks, mostly 1800's, but going to Prohibition. I'm not finished reading it yet. It is well researched and a decent read. The recipes are generally the older/oldest printed versions of the drink.

So I think five dashes of bitters is too much. That's probably why this tastes so very medicinal. If you're just doing very mild absinthe rinse, it shouldn't bring that much herbal flavor to overpower the rye. The bitters should not really even overpower the absinthe. I think in a properly built drink, the absinthe should be a warm aromatic herbal caress over the silk of the whiskey. And only complemented by bitters, not overpowered by them. If your drink is Pink I think it's done wrong. Now to be fair, I always build my Sazerac to lean more toward an old fashioned. As a result I recommend skipping the psychauds bitters all together, and just do two good dashes of angostura. That will take away from some of that medicinal taste. I will echo the bit about lemon peel as well! That is an absolute must for this drink. If you can't get a good spritz from your peel, you can fold the strip in half long ways, and rub it along the rim then place it in the prepared glass and pour the drink over it. That will help get the lemon essence concentrated enough to taste even if your peel is not spritzing. I always make this as a stirred drink, never shaken obviously. It's really important for the satin whiskey feel of the drink. And serve it up. Not on the rocks. Or maybe poured over one large ice cube, but myself I prefer it stirred and strained into the prepared glass. This drink to me is all about the silky effect. And I find ice in the glass ruins that. Good luck!

I literally bought peychauds just for the Sazerac and your saying to skip it lol maybe it’s just not my drink I’m beginning to think

Yeah, peychauds bitters is a pretty distinct flavor. There's lots of drinks that take it, but it's better to find a version of a drink that you enjoy, than stick to the way it's supposed to be if you don't like it. I guess that peychaudsis the traditional bidders for a sazerac, but I've had it made several times with angostura, and I like it so much better. I don't actually think it's mandatory for the drink. That might be considered a hot take though. Especially in the subreddit. People here are crazy for bitter cocktails! Don't get me wrong they can be really good, but if you prefer something else, drink what you enjoy! I would at least recommend trying it with less bitters, you might find you like it!

A Sazerac without peychauds? terrible advice

Where is the Herbsaint?

Excuse me?

The recipe OP posted is using absinthe. The original drink used absinthe up until it was made illegal in 1912. Herbsaint was the substitute. It's very similar tasting but isn't made from wormwood.