Sazerac House Explores the Ingredients of the Sazerac Cocktail in Celebration of Sazerac Cocktail Week This June
Festivities will be held June 21-27, 2021 in celebration of the official cocktail of New Orleans
NEW ORLEANS, LA (May 25, 2021)

A deceptively simple cocktail featuring just five ingredients—sugar, Peychaud’s Bitters, Herbsaint, Sazerac Rye Whiskey and the perfect lemon twist, the Sazerac Cocktail has enchanted visitors and residents of New Orleans for nearly two centuries. In celebration of its longstanding legendary status in New Orleans, the Louisiana State Legislature designated it the official cocktail of New Orleans on June 23, 2008.

This year, the Sazerac House is turning that historic announcement into a series of tastings, flavor explorations and special exhibitions at their location in the heart of New Orleans from June 21st through June 27th, 2021. In addition, Sazerac is working with Makin’ Groceries with the New Orleans Musicians’ Assistance Foundation and will donate $1.00 for every bottle of Sazerac Rye sold in the state of Louisiana during the month of May and June. During the month of June, the Sazerac House will donate $1.00 for each guest who visits the Sazerac House in person in New Orleans, $1.00 per bottle (of any brand) sold onsite, and 10% of sales of Sazerac® Cocktail Week Commemorative items sold online and in person at the Sazerac House.

“For so many people throughout history, the Sazerac Cocktail has been an iconic symbol of New Orleans in a glass,” said Miguel Solorzano, general manager of the Sazerac House. “During this week of celebration, we showcase the simple ingredients that, alongside time-honored techniques, make the Sazerac Cocktail the ideal way to taste the history of New Orleans.”

In New Orleans, the Sazerac Cocktail is more than just a drink—it is a tradition. In the 1850’s, this simple cocktail was stirred up at the original Sazerac House in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It grew a dedicated following, and thus the beloved drink became a New Orleans institution, now available around the world. The newest iteration of the Sazerac House, a multi-story interactive cocktail experience, opened in 2019. The Sazerac House shares the history of New Orleans as told through its cocktails, and the focus will be on the Sazerac Cocktail for Sazerac Cocktail Week 2021.

Throughout the week, guests will have an enhanced visitor experience featuring special ways to both learn about and sample the individual ingredients of the Sazerac Cocktail, including special experiences for:

• Sugar
  • In the second-floor rum exhibit, a special experience will be added for guests to explore the many forms of sugar, from cane to syrup, cubes and crystals. Sugar farming tools will also be on display, giving guess the opportunity to learn about the inextricable ties between the sugar industry and Louisiana.
• Peychaud’s Bitters
  • In the permanent Apothecary exhibit on the third floor, guests will be transported to an 1860’s era apothecary, designed in the spirit of Antoine Amedee Peychaud’s apothecary where he created Peychaud’s Bitters. They will have a chance to smell and taste ingredients found in Peychaud’s Bitters, the official bitters of the Sazerac Cocktail, and experience an enhanced bitters tasting.
• Sazerac Rye Whiskey
  • In the permanent Distillery exhibit, guests will be walked through the process of making Sazerac Rye Whiskey, learning more about the ingredients and steps to making, aging and bottling Sazerac Rye Whiskey—the official rye whiskey of the Sazerac Cocktail.
• Herbsaint
  • The Herbsaint rinse is a critical step in the construction of the perfect Sazerac Cocktail, and guests will enjoy samples of Herbsaint Frappes, an extremely chilled concoction with Herbsaint and simple syrup, while learning about its history as a New Orleans-made answer to Absinthe.
• Lemon
  • The final touch on a Sazerac Cocktail is a fresh twist of lemon. The citrus oils and spritz of acid open up the cocktail’s flavors, making it feel even more fresh and vibrant. Guests will sip fresh lemonade created with the same lemons used for our Sazerac Cocktail twists and made from a recipe created by Sazerac House cocktail expert Matt Ray.
• Sazerac Cocktail
  • It wouldn’t be a celebration of the Sazerac Cocktail without an opportunity to sample the final product. Guests will have a chance to sample expertly- made Sazerac Cocktails, with a toast to the history and the future of the official cocktail of New Orleans. For those who wish to learn more about how to make a Sazerac Cocktail, the Sazerac House will be hosting a complimentary virtual tasting, complete with step-by-step instructions, on Wednesday, June 23rd.

To learn more about Sazerac Cocktail Week and to book a visit to Sazerac House, order a Sazerac Cocktail Kit or sign up for the virtual Sazerac Cocktail tasting, please visit www.sazeraccocktailweek.com.

About Sazerac Cocktail Week
To cocktail enthusiasts everywhere, the Sazerac Cocktail has long served as the full-bodied embodiment of New Orleans history in a glass. Only since June 23, 2008, was it made official when the state of Louisiana made The Sazerac Cocktail the Official Cocktail of New Orleans. In celebration, The Sazerac House will salute this spirited milestone during Sazerac Cocktail Week, June 21st-27th, 2021. For more information on Sazerac Cocktail Week 2021, please visit www.sazeraccocktailweek.com.

About Sazerac House
Standing proudly in a historic building at the corner of Canal and Magazine, and just a short stroll from the original 1850s era Sazerac Coffeehouse, the Sazerac House is an immersive exploration of the spirited culture of New Orleans. Featuring three floors of interactive exhibits across 48,000 square feet, including private event venues, an on-site Sazerac Rye distillery, and Peychaud’s Bitters production facility, the Sazerac House welcomes visitors to experience New Orleans history through the stories of its cocktails. For more information on the Sazerac House, please visit www.sazerachouse.com.

About the Sazerac Company
Sazerac is one of America’s oldest family owned, privately held distillers with operations in the United States in Louisiana, Kentucky, Indiana, Virginia, Tennessee, Maine, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Maryland, California, and global operations in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, India, Australia and Canada. For more information on Sazerac, please visit www.sazerac.com.