Our Master Distiller’s favourite cocktail is the New Orleans timeless classic, the Sazerac. When we tasted our new Oxford Rye Whisky, The Tawny Pipe, with its creamy crème brûlée texture and fragrant notes of raisin, peppercorn and vanilla – it begged to be made into the smooth, deep Sazerac.
And just when we thought there could be no finer winter cocktail, our Head of Bar Phil Sanders elevated it to festive perfection with the addition of Peychaud’s and Angostura Bitters. The Bitters bring an aromatic twist of cinnamon and cloves - truly, this is Christmas in a glass.
Best sipped slowly whilst settled by the fireside in your favourite armchair. Draw the curtains against the chill of the wintery air, listen to the fire crackling, and feel the glow of bonhomie and goodwill as the Seasonal Sazerac warms you from within.
VERY SEASONAL SAZERAC INGREDIENTS
- 60ml Oxford Rye Whisky The Tawny Pipe
- 10ml Demerara sugar
- Absinthe Spritz
- Angostura Bitters
- Peychaud’s Bitters
- To garnish: Dehydrated slices of orange and lime (Dry your own by thinly slicing fresh fruit and arranging them in a single layer on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Bake in an oven at a low heat (110C/90C fan/gas ¼) for two hours, turning the trays around halfway through.)
VERY SEASONAL SAZERAC STEP-BY-STEP RECIPE
- Chill a stemless wine glass by filling it with crushed ice.
- Add the whisky, the demerara sugar, 1 dash of Angostura bitters and 2 dashes of the Peychard’s bitters to a mixing glass or tin. (Note: Go gently on the bitters. Far better to add more at the end, rather than lose the subtlety of The Tawny Pipe rye.)
- Cover the liquid with ice. Stir for at least 30 seconds.
- Discard the crushed ice in the stemless wine glass and pour the cocktail into the chilled glass.
- Using a tiny peg, attach the dehydrated orange and lime slices to the glass.
- Use an atomiser to spritz the absinthe onto the surface of the cocktail and around the inside rim of the glass, perhaps getting a light spray on the garnish.