The original Sazerac was made with an imported French cognac that gave it its name: Sazerac de Forge et Fils. In the late 19th-century, when the phylloxera epidemic wiped out whole swathes of French vineyards, thus reducing cognac supplies, bartenders substituted American rye whiskey and the Sazerac that we know today was born. In the U.S., The Sazerac is thought of primarily as a whiskey cocktail, although some bartenders use the original cognac recipe. The official recipe for a Sazerac, according to the International Bartenders Association, still uses 5cl of cognac as the main spirit, along with 1cl of absinthe, a sugar cube, and two dashes of Peychaud’s Bitters. Served in an Old-Fashioned glass, the drink offers an intriguing taste, with spiciness from the rye whiskey base, a sweetness from the sugar cube, and herbal notes from the bitters. For many, the Sazerac is their go-to cocktail when looking down a menu; for others, it’s a tried-it-once kind of a cocktail. As with any cocktail, there are numerous variations, but only one place that it calls home: New Orleans.