December 5, 2015 Advent with SusieJ

Sazerac

Simon Tarr, Quarknova

Simon is my husband Jorj's good-goody twin, and friend — or antagonist in a sort-of-John-Hughs way first — since high school. Because high school friendships are often based on common geography and universal rebellion, they often don't last past college. Jorj and Simon's friendship has weathered this natural divergence by them living oddly parallel lives, including a love of whiskey, whisky, and whiskey-based cocktails.

(Simon style. Which means a little heavy on the absinthe.)

  • 1 oz Absinthe
  • 1 1/2 oz Rye
  • 1/2 oz simple syrup (or a sugar cube and cold water)
  • 1 dash Angostura bitters
  • Many dashes Peychaud bitters
  • Blood orange (or just an orange)

Swirl around the absinthe in a glass. Trickle cold syrup into it, or pour cold water over a sugar cube. The absinthe will get cloudy. Mush up the sugar cube if using one.

Add the rye and bitters. Stir. Cut a nice chunky slice of blood orange (or any orange) and wack it into the glass, muddle it a bit if you want it slightly orange-er. Leave the orange setting in the drink, eat it after you finish.

This is also nice with one of those huge hipster ice cubes.

[Bottles at the back of the local pub; copyright 2014, Susan J. Talbutt, all rights reserved]