Sazerac: The Official Cocktail of New Orleans

This week’s guest post is from Mr. and Mrs. Cocktail, Ann and Paul Tuennerman. Ann and Paul are the co-founders of the New Orleans cocktail and culture festival, Tales of the Cocktail.

As you may know, 19th century pharmacist Antoine Amédée Peychaud, who operated his apothecary on Royal Street in the French Quarter, invented the Sazerac in New Orleans. Peychaud, a refugee of the slave rebellions of St. Domingue (which became the nation of Haiti), concocted his own special blend of aromatic bitters and added them to French Brandy, made by Sazerac des Forge et Fils of Limoges, France, along with a little Louisiana cane sugar.  This classic libation, over the course of the 19th century, has evolved into the drink we know today as the Sazerac, which is composed of rye whiskey, sugar, absinthe (or a substitute, like Herbsaint), and Peychaud’s Bitters.  Regardless of whether it was the world’s “first” cocktail, the Sazerac is among the first, and likely the Sazerac is the first cocktail born in the Crescent City.
Upholding traditions that distinguish this part of the country helps keep alive the culture of Louisiana and New Orleans.  The Sazerac has always been a sort of greeting to first-time visitors to the state as well as a familiar companion to lifetime residents.  Like New Orleans, the cocktail provides as much as people are willing to take.  When well-crafted, the simple drink makes a distinct impression that will always remind people of Louisiana.  Yet, if examined further, the history that accompanies the libation is descriptive of entire generations.  The history of bitters, absinthe, brandy and rye are inherently connected to this drink.  These are not only components of a cocktail, but also components of an entire state’s culture.

Senator Edwin Murray recognized the importance of the Sazerac to the culture of Louisiana and filed a bill to designate the Sazerac as the Official Cocktail of Louisiana. After six months of hard work the Sazerac was named the Official Cocktail of the City of New Orleans in July 2008. New Orleans was the first city in the United States to have an official cocktail.

This campaign resonated with people from around the globe. Below is a letter from a renowned cocktail enthusiast that shows the passion this campaign inspired and that this drink continues to inspire.

Gentlemen:

I am writing you as a cocktail enthusiast in the hope that you will support the bill seeking to name the Sazerac cocktail as the Official State Cocktail of Louisiana. In my study of cocktails, their origins, cultural influences, and importance, the Sazerac stands out as one of the few that has its origin so intrinsically tied to a specific place (New Orleans) and is so quintessentially American. And in that, like New Orleans, it is unique.

As a native Oklahoman I understand the need of a state’s people to praise
and recognize those things that give a state its color and pride of its
history and I believe naming the Sazerac the Official State Cocktail of
Louisiana continues that tradition in your home of Louisiana. Please give
this careful consideration as the Sazerac’s ingredients, story, and
liveliness make it an intrinsic part of Louisana’s history and a great
reminder of what makes Louisiana so special.

Respectfully,
-Gabriel Szaszko

As you can see, much like New Orleans herself, the Sazerac inspires a loyalty and passion that keeps you coming back for more!

Tagged as: Antione Amedee Peychaud, New Orleans, Sazerac, Tales of the Cocktail