if you need a drink first thing this monday morning, i’m not judging. so let’s start off this week with a doozy, lou’s favorite drink the sazerac. i consider this a “man’s drink” but it’s not JUST for men. it’s not got the fruit or fizz to make me fall in love with it, but i have girlfriends that drink these and i’m always a little jealous, i would love to be a girl who can sip on a sazerac with the guys. lou loves this drink like i love shopping for shoes. so i thought it might make a cute valentine’s day present for those of you that are starting to prepare for the most candy coated of all holidays. buying all the ingredients and perfecting a sazerac for your whiskey loving man might just be the best present he gets all year. i think lou would have married me two years earlier if i had pulled that trick out of my hat. happy monday, and happy mixing my friends!

the what:

rye whiskey (lou prefers jefferson’s)

absinthe 

peychaud’s bitters

angostura bitters

sugar cubes

lemon

ice

shaker

chilled rocks glass

drink stirrer

the how:

1.place sugar cube into the shaker and saturate the sugar cube with peychaud’s bitters (just enough of it to make the cube turn red)

2.  add two drops of angostura bitters and muddle the sugar cube until it is fully dissolved

3. add 2 oz of jefferson’s rye whiskey and mix

4. fill shaker halfway with ice and stir vigorously. let sit 

5. pour 1 tablespoons (roughly) absinthe into the chilled glass and swirl it around to coat the glass.  dump out liquid.

6. return to shaker, stir vigorously again and let sit.

7. cut an inch or so of lemon rind and bend/roll to release flavor. place lemon in chilled rocks glass.

8. stir liquid in shaker once again and then strain into chilled glass.