anyone making sazeracs with absinthe now?

[rhymeswithdreidel]

Now that absinthe is available again in the US, has any bar in NO started to make the drink with it again (instead of the usual substitutes)?

If not, where should I seek out the best sazerac in town? I'm going to be in NO this weekend for a wedding...

Thanks.
-john

[Rum Runner]

In my previous post I forgot to mention that Breaux's company is Jade Liqueurs, which is on the WWW.

[SBrooksB]

I second Rum Runner's endorsement of the Jade absinthes. They're excellent.

If you're just learning about absinthe, do your homework before buying. Educational sites such as The Wormwood Society can help steer you in the right direction.

Too many substandard products are hitting the market, so choose your vendors with care. I like Liqueurs de France, which sells well-crafted, traditional absinthes (including the Jades) sans hype.

I've never ordered a Sazerac at Pravda!, but the bar has an absinthe fountain, and stocks three or four absinthes. Slightly Goth-y in feel, Pravda! appeals to artists, writers, and local hipsters. (Pravda! 1113 Decatur Street, between Ursulines and Gov. Nicholls.)

[Rum Runner]

Add the Swizzle Stick Bar and Commander's Palace to the list.
One important factor is which brand of absinthe is being used. The best, for my money, are the ones produced by the distillery T. A. Breaux in France. Breaux, a New Orleanian, is almost singlehandedly responsible for reviving the interest in absinthe, and did all the right research.

[SBrooksB]

The "X" factor at any bar is the bartender, so ya takes ya chances!

The Library Lounge is pretty much Chris McMillian's baby, so when the bar is open, you can count on seeing him there. It's worth phoning ahead to confirm. (Mr. McMillian also makes superb Ramos Gin Fizzes and Mint Juleps.)

I've had good Sazeracs at The Library Lounge, Arnaud's French 75 bar, Tujaque's, The Carousel Bar, and Galatoire's.

Pravda! (youngish, and borderline-Goth) does stock absinthe, but I can't vouch for the caliber of mixed drinks there. If you're a Saz expert and have a favorite recipe, you might consider printing it out (use a jumbo font, for easy reading in a dim bar) and presenting it to the bartender with a charming smile. (BTW, Pravda's classic absinthe drip may have gone up in price since last summer.)

If you have absinthe at home, you could decant a a couple of ounces into a little glass pharmacy bottle (pack it in your checked luggage) and take it bar-hopping with you. I can't imagine that a good bar would mind using your absinthe in place of Herbsaint. (Assuming they don't stock absinthe, that is.)

OR....

.....request that the bartender make your Sazerac without Herbsaint -- then add a 1/4 teaspoon of your own absinthe to the drink when it comes to the table. (I recently met a couple of cocktail experts who never travel without tiny, pocketed bottles of their own bitters!)

Good luck!

Pravda
1113 Decatur (btw. Ursulines and Gov. Nicholls)

Library Lounge (at the Ritz Carlton Hotel)
921 Canal St. (btw. Dauphine & Burgundy)
504-524-1331

Arnaud's French 75 Bar
813 Bienville St. (btw. Bourbon & Dauphine)
504-523-0611

Tujaques
823 Decatur (corner of Madison)
504-525-8676

The Carousel Lounge (at the Monteleone Hotel)
214 Royal Street (btw. Iberville and Bienville)
504-523-3341

Galatoire's
209 Bourbon St. (btw. Iberville & Bienville)
504-525-2021

[SBrooksB]

P.S. Most good bars nowadays will reach for the Sazerac Rye Whiskey when making sazeracs. You can ask. If a bar doesn't stock Sazerac Rye, the bartender will use bourbon.

[christina_hunnicutt]

SBrooks, I heard the drinks at Library Lounge are $10-12, and French75 around $14. Any other price points you could tell me, like the Carousel Bar? I once made the mistake of not checking price points out and ended up ordering a $28 drink! I still shudder.

[SBrooksB]

I'd have shuddered too! Were you drinking gold leaf?!? YIKES and OUCH!

I'm so used to paying extortionary prices for cocktails in NYC, that N.O.'s prices seem reasonable to me. The Carousel's prices struck me as being in line with those of any decent hotel bar -- between $8-$12, depending on the drink.

I forgot to mention another good Hotel cocktail bar -- the Swizzle Stick Lounge at the Loew's Hotel. It's connected to Cafe Adelaide, another of the Brennan family restaurants.

Loew's Hotel
300 Poydras St. (btw. Tchoupitoulas. & S. Peters)
504-595-3305

[vickib]

I just returned from a trip to NO at the end of March (2008), and spent many lovely evenings at both French 75 and the Carousel. Sazeracs at both places run a very reasonable $7 or so. My strong preference, in terms of atmosphere, service, and the drink itself, was French 75.

[SBrooksB]

UPDATE:

Sadly, Chris McMillian is no longer at the Library Lounge. We're all eager to see where he turns up next.

Vickib recommends the Sazeracs at Arnaud's French 75 Bar (next door to Arnaud's restaurant), and she's right. The excellent Chris Hannah is making the best Sazeracs in the city right now.

[crimsonfancy]

Believe it or not, if you are in Hammond, and you locate the small restaurant Pier 112, you can get a pretty good one for $6. Made with Absinthe and Sazerac Rye.

[Its Still Mooing]

I also had a good Saz at Carousel Bar, as well as Naploeon House.

[ZydecoPlayer]

Dick and Jenny's uses absinthe in theirs and, if you're nice to Jeff, he'll save it for you on the side.

[Burgoober]

Actually, the original sazerac called for cognac, rather than rye. It definitely creates a difference in taste.

I'd recommend going to the Library Lounge at the Ritz, particularly when Chris is bartending. I've never had one of his sazeracs, but judging from the quality of his other cocktails, I don't think you could go wrong.

[kevin]

call me crazy but a sazerac is a pretty potent drink. also, i'm not quite sure it works with dinner, but might work as an apertivo or perhaps after dinner drink.

the smokey-ness has to be just right along with that hint of licorice.

It is tough to make a really good one.

[christina_hunnicutt]

Where have you had the best Sazerac, Kevin?