Last tuesday was Shrove Tuesday, that's Pancake Day for us in the UK, but more commonly Mardi Gras in the States, so what better to drink this week than the official cocktail of New Orleans, the Sazerac. I have made these on more than a few occasions in the past using Merv's best 12 year old Balvenie single malt whisky, and jolly good they are too. However, in the interests of tradition tonight's are made with proper Rye.
The recipe below is straight out of the PDT Cocktail Book, the giddy lemon peel hearts are entirely my own addition for Valentine's week made by the cunning use of a pastry cutter and a sharp knife, and will probably make serious cocktail nerds recoil in horror.
YOU WILL NEED
(enough for Merv too)
- 4 shots Rittenhouse Rye whisky
- 6 dashes Peychaud's bitters
- 4 shots Angostura bitters
- 2 Demerara sugar cubes
- 2 strips freshly pared lemon zest
- Absinthe, enough to rinse two glasses
AND TO MAKE
Chill two rocks glasses in the freezer for 10 minutes, in the meantime muddle your two sugar cubes and both types of bitters in a mixing glass or jug. Add the Rye whisky, and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved, then add plenty of ice and stir again for about 20 seconds.
TO SERVE
Pour a small amount of absinthe into each chilled glass and swirl it around until the inside of each glass is fully coated with a fine film of absinthe. Discard any excess left over, preferably into a glass for later! Strain your mixed drink into both absinthe rinsed glasses, and twist your lemon zest over the surface of each drink to add citrus oils. Wipe around the rim of each glass with the zest, then discard. Dropping the zest into the drink is supposed to upset the balance of the drink, my lemon zest hearts are tiny so shouldn't cause too much damage...
Happy Mardi Gras! Hope anyone reading didn't give up alcohol for Lent...
Love Myrtle xxx
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