Authentic Nawlins Cocktail

Last night, I had the pleasure of hearing this exchange between my girlfriend's uncle, Paul, and his son, Nick:

Paul: This easily ranks as one of the best--no, this is the best cocktail I've ever had.

Nick: And that's coming from a large pool of data.

His teenage son's jape aside, I am proud to say that my not-quite-right Sazerac blew Paul's mind. That's some cocktail, that there Sazerac.

I had gotten the idea to gather the ingredients (an idea that rapidly turned into devotion/obsession (thank heavens an obsession that is met easily enough)) after having been served a bastardized, but still tasty, Sazerac by Paul. He knew the method and the basic structure of the drink, but he couldn't make it exactly; the ingredients just aren't easy to come by. More than most drinks, the Sazerac is a relic of the nineteenth century. Rye whiskey took a huge hit from Prohibition, as did cocktail bitters. Absinthe was already banned by that point.

So Paul's Sazerac used Old Overholt rye, Angostura bitters, and ouzo. Rye is available enough these days, but ouzo and Angostura cannot make a Sazerac. They can make a great drink, but it can't be called a Sazerac. That cocktail comprises several very particular ingredients, some of which cannot be easily (or at all) found in Massachusetts:

• Rye Whiskey.
• Peychaud's bitters
• Absinthe
• simple syrup
• lemon peel

Rye whiskey should not be very difficult to find. I think Sazerac is the best I've had, but Rittenhouse and Old Overholt are fine. Peychaud's bitters can be difficult. It is the only label of bitters besides Angostura to survive Prohibition and find success to the present day, but it isn't sold in many stores. I had to order my bottle online, because my whole state doesn't carry it. Absinthe was illegal; now it isn't. The pictured brand is Kübler 53, the second brand to be sold in the United States. It is a Swiss absinthe, clear not green. I made my own simple syrup by adding sugar to boiling-hot water until saturation. Lemons are not rare.

• Combine two shots of the rye, one teaspoon of Peychaud's bitters, and one teaspoon of simple syrup in a tumbler with ice.
• Stir and strain into a chilled tumbler, the inside rinsed or coated with absinthe.
• Rub a lemon zest along the rim of the glass and leave there for decoration.

I didn't have a lemon handy, so I soaked a paper towel with a little lemon juice and rubbed the rim that way. Other substitutions? Well, it would be nice to actually own tumblers and not serve the freaking thing in a teacup.