Edible Landscape: Remix: The Sazerac Cocktail
Build Your Own Bitters
Willa Van Nostrand, Little Bitte Artisanal Cocktails, Providence
Invented in New Orleans in the mid-19th century, the Sazerac is considered one of the ...
The allure of building seasonal bitters is never ending. Get creative—swap fresh ingredients for dried ingredients to yield a fresher, livelier bitters recipe. Always make sure you have at least two true bittering agents to ground the recipe.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce absinthe
- 2½ ounces rye whiskey
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 6 dashes Sazerac Bitters*
- Lemon peel for garnish
- Fresh fennel sprig for garnish
Preparation
Sazerac Bitters*
1½ cup sliced fennel bulb, fronds included
¼ cup dried orange peel
Peel of 1 fresh lemon
¼ cup dandelion petals
½ cup grated fresh ginger
2 cups Everclear (151 proof)
½ cup vodka
2 tablespoons local honey
Place all ingredients in a 32-ounce jar, cover tightly and shake. Infuse for 2 weeks in a cool, dark place. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer double layered with cheesecloth into a clean jar. Decant into small glass dropper bottles if desired. Keeps indefinitely; best if used within 2 years. Yields 2 cups.
Instructions
Pour absinthe into a rocks glass, coat the inside of the glass and discard the excess. Fill the glass with ice to chill. In a second glass, add sugar and bitters, muddle into a paste and add whiskey, ice and stir for 30 seconds. Discard the ice from the absinthe-lined glass and pour the prepared cocktail into it. Garnish with a lemon peel and a fresh fennel frond. Makes 1 cocktail.
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