Sazerac: New Orlean's New Official Cocktail

The Sazerac, a rye whiskey concoction invented by a New Orleans pharmacist in the 1830s, has finally been named the city’s official drink. It took the Louisiana Legislature 10 different votes spread out over a month of on-and-off debate to approve the designation, but it finally did so on the final day of its 2008 session.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) the Sazerac might be the only official cocktail in the nation. That may be appropriate because it is considered by many experts in the field to be one of the first cocktails developed in the United States and has been one of the city’s elistist drinks for about 175 years.

Both the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR) and the New Orleans Times-Picayune scolded the Louisiana lawmakers for spending so much time on such a bill, but then neither PAR not the newspaper have ever won many awards for humor or light-hardiness.

Battered New Orleans Legislators Needed a Drink - A Sazerac Perhaps?

After being swamped with thousands of citizen phone calls and emails day-after-day for first tripling and later doubling their own pay, the badly battered legislators were not apt to be bothered by a little fussing from PAR or the paper, especially after the governor finally vetoed their pay raise. As someone said, they needed a drink, official or not.

The Sazerac bill appeared to have died several times during the 60-day session, but supporters kept bringing it back for another round. Efforts to make it the official Louisiana drink failed, so New Orleans legislators settled for the city designation.

The closest thing to an official state cocktail is probably Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey. However, the Alabama whiskey is designated as that state’s "official spirit," not as a cocktail.

The Sazerac finally won approval despite the political risk legislators take in endorsing a whiskey and cocktail , especially in the northern part of the state which still has some dry sections.

Rye Whiskey, Peychaud Bitters and Hersaint

The Sazerac is made with Sazerac rye whiskey, sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters, Herbsaint, a splash of water and a lemon garnish.

Both the Sazerac and its essential bitters were developed by Antoine Peychaud, a New Orleans pharmacist who enjoyed mixing drinks for friends. The drink is still produced in New Orleans by the Sazerac Company.

Despite its historic advantage, the Sazerac was never a slam-dunk selection for the Louisiana title. The Ramos Gin Fizz is a half century younger, but was also developed in New Orleans and is still one of the city’s favorites.

Huey Long Took Bartender to New York to Make Gin Fizz

In 1935 the Ramos Gin Fizz would have been a runaway selection because Governor Huey Long made everyone aware it was his favorite. The flamboyant governor brought a New Orleans bartender to the New Yorker Hotel to show the staff there how to make the drink for him wen he visited the Big Apple.

Both the Sazerac and the Ramos Gin Fizz owe much of their popularity to the former Roosevelt Hotel, a one-time haven for Long and other politicians in downtown New Orleans. The hotel trademarked the name Ramos Gin Fizz and had a lounge/restaurant named The Sazerac.

Some legislators could also make a case for the tall pink "Hurricane" rum cocktail produced by Pat O’Briens in the French Quarter. Young people and tourists have probably quaffed more "Hurricanes" than the total Sazeracs and Ramos Gin Fizzes sipped by the city’s more sophisticated drinkers. Pat O’Brien’s even packages and sells "Hurricane" glasses and mixes internationally.

Sazerac: The Official Cocktail?

Cocktail Glass

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