The Cost of a Sazerac...

[pinkbayou]

I am a waitress and the restaurant that I work for has just added a "specialty cocktail" menu. One of the cocktails included is a sazerac, the cost that they have decided on for the drink is $17.00!!! This to me is akin to robbery. We do not have the best atmpsphere, the prices are not listed on the menu and though the bartender is competent she is in no way a master mixologist or anything.... What do you all think? I feel bad selling them. Also, a mint julep is $15.... ouch.

[The Chowhound Team]

An identical topic was moved to our Spirits board, where is where this discussion belongs. You can find that topic here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/626204

Since that topic is available, we're going to lock this one.

[Shiloh]

please let me know the name of this establishment so i can avoid it like the plague.

[ScarlettNola]

Then pinkbayou may cut into her tip money if she gives that info out. I guess if you go into a restaurant with a Specialty Drink Menu with no prices, stay FAR AWAY from the Sazeracs. Has anyone ordered drinks at this price and been outraged when the bill comes? Because if you are with another person and you each have 2 drinks you have added a whopping 78.00 bucks to your bill. Talk about major mark up!

[Shiloh]

it would be $68 but still absurdly high. i rarely order sazeracs, but i'm guessing the sazerac price suggests high drink prices all around. i think six dollars is a fair price for a mixed drink. i'm willing to pay 8 on occasion, and even 10 as i did for several drinks recently at cure, where i discovered a fantastic new (to me) drink -- i told the bartender i was interested in something gingery, and he made me what i thought he called a Simple Jack. it was apple jack, grand marnier and ginger syrup, shaken with ice and served up. it was just perfect. slightly sweet, slightly tart with a little ginger piquancy. i googled and couldn't find anything about it. sorry to change subjects here, but is anyone familiar with this drink or one like it?

[Frolic]

Sounds like an original creation, as are most of the drinks at Cure. I bet they'd give you the recipe if you called, although you'd probably have to make the ginger syrup from scratch.

[ScarlettNola]

My nickname is Math Wizard. Oops! : )

[Shiloh]

on second thought, with tax it probably would be close to $78 ; )

[roro1831]

That's New York prices, so you better get some tourists that don't mind paying that, I know none of my friends would pay that much for a drink, hell i cringe when I pay that much in New York...growing up on NOLA prices I'm used to drinking cheap

[swampsue]

I have noticed some of the prices of cocktails creeping up these days, but I must say I just got back from new york and I didn't pay $17. for some VERY nice top shelf drinks in the fancy-shmancy bars there. I'm amazed that someone would try and charge that here! Ouch, indeed. I hope they don't expect any repeat customers...yikes!

[hazelhurst]

$17.00 is more than robbery--it is Grand Larceny.

[oystershell]

A sazerac is not that expensive a cocktail to make, unless you all are pouring a triple-sized portion. Rye whiskey (generally speaking) is not that expensive. I doubt that many would order this if they knew it was $17.00. Do you have free live entertainment or anything else to justify these prices? Ouch indeed.

[ScarlettNola]

I just paid 17.00 for a decent bottle of rye whiskey and that would make countless Sazeracs. Wow.

[ScarlettNola]

If I am remembering correctly, Library Lounge at the Ritz, Carousel Bar and Bar Uncommon is around 12.00 (maybe less) for a Sazerac. They are mixologists and are highly educated on the history of cocktails and precision crafting technique. I find it shocking that 17.00 is the price, unless ULTRA ULTRA premium aged liquor is included. Yikes. That is out of the ballpark based on how you are describing the restaurant.

[mikemill]

$12 is what they charge for premium cocktails in an extremely nice atmosphere in major markets, like Chicago.

$17 is absurd.