The Sazerac is not only the OG of cocktails, it’s also the official cocktail of New Orleans, Louisiana. Created by Creole pharmacist Antoine Amedée Peychaud in the early 1830’s, the original recipe was made with cognac along with some old-school absinthe (the kind that was banned in the early 1900’s). Needless to say, the drink had an affect on folks.
Some say that the term “cocktail” originated from this legendary cocktail. Mr. Peychaud served his creation in egg cups known as coquetiers. According to New Orleans folklore, Americans mispronounced the vessels by calling them cocktails, and an entire category of drinks was born. As with so much of cocktail history, this story has been disputed over the years.
