Connor’s Sazerac

A well-made rye Sazerac is indeed a tasty cocktail, full of kick and depth, though perhaps with a hair too much muscle. That’s why this recipe combines equal parts cognac and rye, not as a gestural homage to a lost classic but because the two work together so perfectly. The opposing pairing, when accented by the licorice flavors of absinthe, produces a cocktail that’s simultaneously soft and bold, smooth and brash—and unmistakably New Orleans.

• Rinse a glass with absinthe
• 3-5 dashes Peychauds
• 1 sugar cube or .25 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz rye whiskey
• 1 oz cognac
• In a mixing glass, muddle the sugar cube and Peychauds. Add whiskey and cognac. Stir until chilled and serve in chilled, absinthe-rinsed glass. Garnish with a lemon peel expressed over the glass.