Sazerac

I'm in the US right now, so instead of writing about my experiences in Asia, I've decided to do a series on cocktails. Here's my third installment.

The Sazerac. This classic cocktail is 160 years old this year. It was invented in New Orleans in 1850. At first, brandy was the chief ingredient, but when France's grape crops were wiped out by phylloxera, American whiskey became the spirit of choice. The cocktail has endured as a whiskey drink ever since, with few changes.

One change is that until the early 20th century, absinthe was one of the ingredients. After absinthe was banned in the US in 1912, the de rigueur substitute for a proper Sazerac was a pastis called Herbsaint. Now that absinthe has been re-legalized in the US (as of 2007), it's no longer necessary to use Herbsaint.

Another defining feature of the Sazerac is the use of Peychaud's bitters. Along with the Seelbach Cocktail, it's one of a handful of drinks to use this ingredient.

Another feature is that, along with the Old Fashioned, it's one of a handful of drinks that fit the original definition of "cocktail": spirit, bitters, sugar, and a splash of water to dissolve the sugar.

Here's how to make it:

2 oz. American whiskey (rye or bourbon)
1 cube sugar
A few dashes of Peychaud's bitters
A splash of bottled water
Absinthe or Herbsaint
A twist of lemon peel

First, place a sugar cube in a rocks glass, and add enough Peychaud's bitters to saturate it. Then add a splash of bottled water. Muddle these ingredients until it forms a rich syrup. Then fill the glass with ice and add the whiskey (I prefer rye whiskey), and stir. Next, coat the sides of a second rocks glass with absinthe, and discard the excess. Strain the mixture from the first glass into the second glass. Then twist a piece of lemon peel over the drink to release the oils onto the surface, and hang the twist over the rim. Voila!

Martinez

The Martinez, which, according to one legend, was invented in Martinez, California, in 1876, is reputed to be the forerunner of the Martini. The original recipe, published by Jerry Thomas in the 19th century, is as follows:

4 oz. Italian sweet vermouth
1 oz. Old Tom gin
2 dashes maraschino liqueur
1 dash Boker's bitters

Shake with two lumps of ice and strain into cocktail glass. Put a quarter slice of lemon in the glass.

Two of the ingredients--Old Tom gin and Boker's bitters--were until recently impossible to find. With the recent resurgence of interest in classic cocktails, they have been revived. Old Tom can be found at the better liquor stores; a recreation of Boker's bitters, unavailable since 1906, can be ordered online.

Baby Kitty

Baby Kitty: a simple yet exotic cocktail; a pousse-cafe.

1 part anisette
1 part creme de violette
1 part whipping cream

layered in a liqueur glass.



It's a very gentle drink, going down smooth. And quite tasty.

Shield bug

You know I'm busier 'n sheeit when I go long periods without a post, and my entry turns out to be just a picture of a bug, bird or flower.

I came across this interesting bug last month while hiking in the mountains outside Taipei.

Megarrhamphus truncatus, on the leaf of a mountain screwpine (Freycinetia formosana).

Chinese hydrangea

Chinese hydrangea (Hydrangea sinensis)

I saw it on a hike along the Bijiashan ridge a couple weeks ago. It's not a decorative like the common hydrangea; it's a wild plant with large flowers.

Muller's Barbet (Megalaima oorti)

The Chinese call it the Five-Color Bird. It's very common in the lower-altitude wooded areas in Taiwan. I've rarely actually seen them, but I commonly hear when hiking. They have a distinctive call.

I was walking around the Liuzhangli cemeteries when I found this one. A beautiful bird.



You can hear the bird's call here:

Chinese bulbul

Chinese bulbul, or Light-Vented Bulbul (Pycnonotus sinensis)

We saw this bird near the town of Linnei, on a recent, less-than-successful attempt to see the Purple Butterfly migration.