Drink of the Week: Smoggy Sazerac

Let's get some basic information out of the way up front. A sazerac is a drink of New Orleans origins, usually made with rye, sometimes bourbon. Sazerac is the name of the company which produces Peychaud's bitters, a key ingredient in a sazerac. Sazerac is also a bourbon and rye brand name. Goodness.

This is a Smoggy Sazerac (our invention, thank you very much). As it usually is with most rather delicious things, this drink came about by accident and happenstance. The thing that makes this "smoggy" is that instead of swirling the glass with Pernod, the Pernod is left in. This makes the Pernod go smoky (or since it's green, "smoggy"). The drink is a little more anise-y than a traditional sazerac as a result.

Smoggy Sazerac
Measure using your shot glass or jigger into a shaker filled with ice:

• 1/4 shot pastis (Pernod, Ricard)
• 1/2 tsp superfine sugar
• 1/4 shot water
  
• 2 dashes orange bitters
• 2 shots rye

Shake gently until chilled. Serve up, either in a chilled martini glass or a rocks glass (traditional).