Sazerac: Ruby Decoder

Name: Sazerac: Ruby Decoder
Yield: 1 cocktail
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 2 oz rye whiskey; 1/4 oz demerara syrup; 3 dashes Peychaud’s bitters; Absinthe rinse; 1/2 oz pink grapefruit juice

New Orleans, United States America/Chicago

History

New Orleans’ signature drink evolved from a cognac cocktail served at the Sazerac Coffee House, shifting to rye after phylloxera devastated French vineyards. This is a clearly labeled house field riff rather than a historical classic: Grapefruit introduces bracing bitterness and a clean, ruby-toned snap.

Whiskey · yields one cocktail

Ingredients

12 oz rye whiskey
21/4 oz demerara syrup
33 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
4Absinthe rinse
51/2 oz pink grapefruit juice

Method

01Stir whiskey, syrup, and bitters; strain into an absinthe-rinsed glass.
02Add grapefruit with the citrus or mixer and prepare as directed.

Enjoy responsibly. Recipes are intended for adults of legal drinking age.