1 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to save a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:10,760 --> 00:00:12,920 Speaker 1: I'm Any Rees and I'm Lauren vocal Bom and today 3 00:00:12,960 --> 00:00:18,079 Speaker 1: we have an episode for you about the Sazerak cocktail. Yes, yes, 4 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:23,880 Speaker 1: and as always drink responsor. Yes, definitely, And I believe 5 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:27,280 Speaker 1: I know the answer to this, Lauren. But why was 6 00:00:27,360 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: this on your Uh? Definitely because we are quickly approaching 7 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: Uh Marty Gras, yes, and or Fat Tuesday specifically is 8 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:43,560 Speaker 1: coming up, um just next week, and so I yeah, 9 00:00:43,600 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: I wanted to do I wanted to do something kind 10 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: of from New Orleans because that is the center of 11 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:56,000 Speaker 1: Carnival Marty Grass celebrations here in the United States. Yes, Uh, 12 00:00:56,440 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 1: do you have any Marty Gras plans? Zero? Absolutely none. Um. 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,679 Speaker 1: I bet you do, though, do you? Yes? Well, Like, 14 00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: it's so funny because I make my grocery list ridiculously 15 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 1: ahead of time. I already have my grocery list for St. 16 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:15,000 Speaker 1: Patrick's Day. I love that you have a grocery list, Like, 17 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: that's definitely not something that I have. So this like 18 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: really yeah, it really delineates the differences in our personalities. 19 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 1: Not only do I have a grocery list, I do 20 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,160 Speaker 1: it in order of the store, so the items are 21 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 1: listed in order of when I will find them in 22 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,560 Speaker 1: the store, so I can get out as quickly as possible. 23 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: I love that you have a method of how you 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: go through the store. Yes, I've got a whole thing, 25 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: but yes, anyway, I'm making gumbo. I I will say, 26 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,840 Speaker 1: I'm making kind of an easier gumbo rispe, but it 27 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: doesn't involve a room and a whole good. Yes, good, 28 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,720 Speaker 1: I'm excited about that. Um, I've got some beer from 29 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:00,920 Speaker 1: New Orleans. I don't have the stuff like a sasser Act, 30 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: but I do have a close friend of mine who 31 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: we went to New Orleans together for the first time, 32 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 1: the first time I went to New Orleans. We went together, 33 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 1: and she's going to come and we're gonna hang out 34 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 1: and just like nice meal hang out. That's that's about it. 35 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: Oh that's so good. Yeah, yeah, I am. I definitely 36 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: man after doing doing this reading. Um, I do. I 37 00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 1: do love a Sasserat cocktail. Um. They are just one 38 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: of one of the like most Like I always feel 39 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:33,679 Speaker 1: so like fancy an adult when I drink, and I'm like, oh, yes, 40 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,919 Speaker 1: I enjoy this bitter thing. I'm enjoying it so hard, 41 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: Like I agree. It's got that kind of air of 42 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,920 Speaker 1: like this is an adult drink that you sit at 43 00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: a nice place, right, it is like it's a sipping 44 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: cocktail and it's like something that um that right, like 45 00:02:53,440 --> 00:02:55,520 Speaker 1: I would only order from a bar that I have 46 00:02:55,639 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: the idea knows what it's doing and um, and yeah, 47 00:02:59,000 --> 00:03:01,520 Speaker 1: it's just a it's just a it's it's so it's 48 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 1: so very New Orleans in that way to me, in 49 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: in terms of the cocktail culture being so pervasive there, 50 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 1: but also so like so like slow and so like um, 51 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:17,080 Speaker 1: centered on really enjoying something and not just like drinking 52 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 1: for the sake of drinking, right, Yeah, for sure. Uh. 53 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,600 Speaker 1: And of course I do have a Star Wars version. 54 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: It's called the Sarlac. Oh my goodness, it's a spicy here. 55 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:38,120 Speaker 1: It's got some of it's right, right. So I believe 56 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 1: some listeners have written in and asked for that recipe. 57 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: If you want it, so send it to your way. Uh. 58 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:47,720 Speaker 1: But yes, I gotta have a Starlock watching Return the 59 00:03:47,800 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: Jedi Perfect Perfect. That's fabulous, Yes it is. Uh. And 60 00:03:56,400 --> 00:03:58,880 Speaker 1: you can see our past cocktail hours and our past 61 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: New Orleans episode. This really made me nostalgic. For when 62 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:04,839 Speaker 1: we went to New Orleans together for this show, yeah, 63 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: with super producer Dylan. Oh goodness, Um, that was our Yeah, 64 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: that was our last field trip with with Dylan as 65 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:17,560 Speaker 1: our primary producer. Um. And uh we love super producer 66 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: Andrew so much and are so glad that he has 67 00:04:21,120 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: joined us. And yeah, and that trip though is just 68 00:04:24,839 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: like such a like like what a way to go out, 69 00:04:26,560 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: Like what a bizarre ye grind of a trip. Um. 70 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: It was cold too, I was thinking about that. It 71 00:04:36,279 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: was cold. It was cold, like there was an unexpectedly small, 72 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: like low number of beds in the house that we 73 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 1: were renting. It was a lot. There were a lot 74 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:51,480 Speaker 1: of factors that went into that trip and uh, oh goodness, 75 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,479 Speaker 1: I like it was so early in our uh in 76 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:59,040 Speaker 1: our experience of interviewing people too, that I like, I 77 00:04:59,080 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: have some serious I don't know, like maybe not regrets, 78 00:05:02,920 --> 00:05:05,239 Speaker 1: like I try to not regret stuff, but just like 79 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:09,839 Speaker 1: like stuff that I would certainly do differently mm hmmm. Yeah, 80 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:12,080 Speaker 1: And a lot of stuff like New Orleans is as 81 00:05:12,120 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: we talked about in that mini series, New Orleans is 82 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: a it's a unique place and it had there was 83 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:25,720 Speaker 1: a lot of like last minute scheduling changes or people 84 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,720 Speaker 1: popping in or popping out. The preparation aspect was a 85 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: little difficult. And then like people wouldn't answer their phone people. Uh, 86 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:40,120 Speaker 1: And there was definitely a cocktail, Like just throughout the day, 87 00:05:40,320 --> 00:05:44,039 Speaker 1: somebody would be like, can I guess you drinking? Yeah? 88 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: We were like, it's ten in the morning, but sure, 89 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: I m um yeah, and um oh goodness. One of 90 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:56,479 Speaker 1: the one of the interviews that I that I wish 91 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:58,080 Speaker 1: I had done a better job on was when we 92 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: got to talk with with Dr Jessica Harris, who if 93 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: y'all haven't had a chance to watch the documentary series 94 00:06:06,680 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: High on the Hog uh wet Stone magazine. Um dude, 95 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: Uh Steven Sadderfield who has been on the show and 96 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:18,920 Speaker 1: his lovely um got to work with Dr Harris and 97 00:06:19,040 --> 00:06:21,360 Speaker 1: uh and talk about she had written this wonderful book 98 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: about about barbecue in America and African American cuisine and 99 00:06:25,600 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: how it's influenced everything about American cuisine and so um. 100 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's a terrific Netflix docuseries and uh yeah, 101 00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:42,279 Speaker 1: get to see much better interviews with her in that 102 00:06:43,200 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: and a lot of other really terrific people. Yeah, and 103 00:06:46,200 --> 00:06:49,280 Speaker 1: I have to say Dr Harris did have a herd 104 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: out for a cocktail hour when we were talking to her. 105 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,839 Speaker 1: She did. I'm not totally positive that it wasn't because 106 00:06:56,040 --> 00:07:01,400 Speaker 1: she was pissed at me. Um. But but it's man. 107 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: You you live, and you learn and you and you 108 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:09,560 Speaker 1: treat people better in the future. Um. At any rate? Yeah, yes, uh, 109 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 1: at any rate. You can also see your episodes on 110 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:18,160 Speaker 1: absinthe and bourbon and cocktail bitters. Yes, definitely, m um. 111 00:07:18,160 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: But does this bring us to our question? Let's say 112 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:30,440 Speaker 1: it does. The sasarek what is it? Well? Uh? The 113 00:07:30,440 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 1: sazarec is an alcoholic cocktail, typically made with a base 114 00:07:34,080 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: of rye, whiskey and or cognac. Kind of rich tasting 115 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: either way, a swirl of something and is flavored like 116 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: absinthe or or absent, a few dashes of bitters like 117 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: the Shaws, but a sugar to balance and a bright 118 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:52,120 Speaker 1: twist of lemon zest. The ingredients are stirred with ice 119 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: and strained straight up into a glass, so it is 120 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: like a glass of booze, strong and strongly flavored. Uh. 121 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 1: But when you the proportions right, it is just sort 122 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: of delightfully delicate herbal and hetty and bitter sweet. Um. 123 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: It is yeah, like sophisticated and sort of a lot 124 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:13,760 Speaker 1: um and we'll mess you up if you do not 125 00:08:13,840 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: watch yourself. Um. So it's very much like New Orleans 126 00:08:17,280 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: in a glass. Yes, indeed, yes, indeed, but let's break 127 00:08:24,200 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: some of that down, okay. So um so Rye whiskey 128 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,040 Speaker 1: is a type of whiskey made in the United States anyway, 129 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: with a blend of grains that includes at least rye 130 00:08:35,600 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: rye being a relative of wheat um that has like nuttier, earthier, 131 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,439 Speaker 1: sort of like brighter and more vegetable flavor than either 132 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: corn or barley um, which are usually the other grains 133 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:52,080 Speaker 1: going into the blend for for American whiskey. Yeah um. 134 00:08:52,160 --> 00:08:56,080 Speaker 1: Like American bourbon, though rye whiskey is aged in new 135 00:08:56,360 --> 00:09:00,840 Speaker 1: charred oak barrels, so um so rye whisk he often 136 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: has a little bit more like depth of flavor than 137 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: a bourbon um. It tastes like a little bit weirder um, 138 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,280 Speaker 1: but does share some of those typical like buttery smooth 139 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: notes and like spicy baky notes. Yeah m hm yeah. U. 140 00:09:17,000 --> 00:09:20,480 Speaker 1: Kannak Um is the name of a type of brandy 141 00:09:20,600 --> 00:09:25,280 Speaker 1: from particular regions and production methods in France, and there 142 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:28,320 Speaker 1: are a few different styles of cognac but um, but 143 00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: basically you're looking at a distilled grape product that is 144 00:09:32,600 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: also aged in oak barrels, So it similarly has those 145 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: like smooth butter and spicy baky notes, but also like 146 00:09:40,160 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 1: a like a little bit more fruit to it than 147 00:09:43,040 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: than a whiskey would. Yeah. Um And depending on on 148 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:50,000 Speaker 1: who you are and where you are, people like to 149 00:09:50,120 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: argue about which base is most traditional or better for 150 00:09:54,960 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 1: making a sasarek. You might get just kgnac, just rye, 151 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: maybe a blend of the two. Um. More on that 152 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: in the history section. I'm not going to tell you 153 00:10:04,520 --> 00:10:09,959 Speaker 1: what to do. Annis Flavored liquors UM are a whole 154 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:13,920 Speaker 1: dany category of liquors made in different places with different ingredients. 155 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: Um Absinthe is a type that features wormwood. Um. The 156 00:10:18,679 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: brands does not UM. Both do contain other botanicals though, 157 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:27,840 Speaker 1: like annis um usually a little bit of sugar um 158 00:10:28,320 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: and yeah, like some kind of blend that's going to 159 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: give the liquor like sweet and savory flavor with a 160 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: lot of spicy incense e woodsy sort of herbal notes. Yeah, bitters, 161 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: We've done a whole episode about bitters. But these are 162 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:49,120 Speaker 1: highly concentrated preparations of botanicals, usually meant to balance the 163 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: sweetness in a cocktail and provide a depth of flavor 164 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 1: and maybe like a little bit of color to a drink. Um. 165 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:58,280 Speaker 1: They can contain all kinds of things that give them 166 00:10:59,000 --> 00:11:02,600 Speaker 1: distinct and separate flavors, but they're generally sort of like 167 00:11:02,679 --> 00:11:05,560 Speaker 1: woody and earthy and herbal, sort of like if you 168 00:11:05,679 --> 00:11:08,440 Speaker 1: if you smooshed a whole bottle of gin or tomorrow 169 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: into something one tenth that size. Yeah. Um Paschal's is 170 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 1: a brand that is heavy on Gentian root, um anus 171 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,560 Speaker 1: and mint. People also like to argue about the way 172 00:11:21,880 --> 00:11:24,280 Speaker 1: the best way to to get sugar into a drink, 173 00:11:24,559 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: or weather sugar belongs in this one at all gosh 174 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,439 Speaker 1: heart skentents um. A lot of people will say that 175 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: you're supposed to stir in a sugar cube, but of course, 176 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:42,319 Speaker 1: if you're stirring a sugar cube into a cold drink, 177 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:44,680 Speaker 1: it's not necessarily gonna I don't I don't know. I 178 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:48,600 Speaker 1: can't tell you what to do, m M. I mean. 179 00:11:49,200 --> 00:11:51,440 Speaker 1: People also like to argue about what to do with 180 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: that lemon twist. Um, do you just like squeeze it 181 00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: over the top of the finished drink to express the 182 00:11:57,640 --> 00:12:01,160 Speaker 1: oils from the peel? Do you drop it as a garnish? 183 00:12:01,240 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: If you just squeeze it, how many inches above the 184 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: drink do you express those oils? Yeah? How far above 185 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,960 Speaker 1: the surface of the drink? This is This is a 186 00:12:14,000 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: conversation I have seen play out. So my goodness me, Okay, 187 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 1: you know what, I'm going to go back to this 188 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,520 Speaker 1: star like rust star like recipe and I'm gonna I'm 189 00:12:24,559 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: gonna make it like bitterally difficult to do. I'm gonna 190 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:30,959 Speaker 1: be like, you have to twist it like ninety degrees 191 00:12:31,480 --> 00:12:37,080 Speaker 1: while pulling and with only like seventeen inches above the glass, 192 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:41,079 Speaker 1: like ridiculous. Yeah yeah, um oh and uh, And I 193 00:12:41,080 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: should specify that it's a lemon twist, not a lemon wedge. 194 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 1: There should be no fruit attached to the lemon peel 195 00:12:48,440 --> 00:12:51,160 Speaker 1: at the time that it is being done, whatever is 196 00:12:51,200 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 1: being done to it near or in the drink. Yes, 197 00:12:59,080 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: as you said, supooze uh speaking what about the nutrition, 198 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 1: durk responsibly, Yes, yes, uh, we don't have too many numbers. 199 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:15,079 Speaker 1: If we've discussed before. Getting numbers for cocktails is sort 200 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: of difficult, but we do have a couple yes, like 201 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: literally too so um so. Volume sales of Rye whiskey 202 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: in the United States increased one thousand, five hundred percent 203 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:37,920 Speaker 1: from two thousand nine to my, yeah, my, not entirely 204 00:13:38,679 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: due to Sazarex, but due to the to the to 205 00:13:41,720 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: the resurgence in classic cocktails in general, partially yes yes 206 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: es ches and in semi recent years, the Sazack Bar 207 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:55,760 Speaker 1: in New Orleans was serving forty thousand sasacks a day day, yes, 208 00:13:55,800 --> 00:13:58,280 Speaker 1: a day, and we went there when we were in 209 00:13:58,280 --> 00:14:01,320 Speaker 1: New Orleans and we had some sads X. We certainly did. 210 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: It was lovely. It was really, really really lovely. And 211 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,320 Speaker 1: we're going to talk more about this institution and the 212 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,640 Speaker 1: history section. We will and we're going to get into 213 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: that as soon as we get back from a quick 214 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:27,040 Speaker 1: break for a word from our sponsors, and we're back. 215 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you. So another cocktail hour, 216 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:37,280 Speaker 1: another cocktail who done it? Which, by the way, my 217 00:14:37,400 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: good friend who's coming to spend Marty Gard with me. 218 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:43,440 Speaker 1: I've known her since we were very young. She when 219 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: I we were in fifth grade, I gave her this 220 00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:48,600 Speaker 1: gift and it was a book of who done it? 221 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 1: But I'll never forget. She opened the book and she said, 222 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: what's a hood in it? So every time I see 223 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 1: that word like hood, couldn't it? Yeah? Yeah? Um. So 224 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: Lord and I were discussing before we started recording on 225 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:12,000 Speaker 1: this one. This one's really twisty and confusing, and actually 226 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:16,000 Speaker 1: said same friend dropped by today to to drop something off, 227 00:15:16,840 --> 00:15:18,960 Speaker 1: and I was in like a panic because I was 228 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: telling her I don't understand the time why the Sazzer 229 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:22,760 Speaker 1: act And she was kind of putting her hands up 230 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:28,160 Speaker 1: and backing away like okay, Like okay, dude, that's fine. Yeah, 231 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,640 Speaker 1: are you okay? Yeah, I'm going to leave now. Yeah. 232 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: I had a similar moment in a meeting earlier. I 233 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: was like, I really have to go, y'all because I 234 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 1: have to go research Sasser acts. And they were like, oh, 235 00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:44,360 Speaker 1: you have to research So I was like, no, seriously, yes, 236 00:15:45,880 --> 00:15:49,080 Speaker 1: I needed to get into the details about all of 237 00:15:49,080 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: this things that came into making this cocktail and make 238 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: it so confusing. Okay, okay, but it's okay, it's okay, 239 00:15:59,400 --> 00:16:01,560 Speaker 1: And like, for for the record, it's not just us 240 00:16:01,600 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: who are confused. These kind of histories are sort of 241 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: necessarily confusing because there's usually a bunch of different accounts 242 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: of what was really going on, and uh, perhaps less 243 00:16:14,240 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: than stellar record keeping on anyone's uh, anyone's side. And 244 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: so yeah, and I think part of the confusion with 245 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: this one is that there's Sazerack the brand, there's Sasserack 246 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 1: the cocktail, there's Sazerack the establishment. Um there's also French involved, 247 00:16:35,920 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: do you know French? And as you said, yeah, lots 248 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:45,360 Speaker 1: of stories with very little evidence. But also I feel 249 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:49,200 Speaker 1: like in cocktail hours often there was more evidence with 250 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 1: this one than there evidence is not the right ward, 251 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,400 Speaker 1: There were more stories with this one than there were 252 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,480 Speaker 1: with other cocktails. So I'd be reading one thing and 253 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:58,160 Speaker 1: I would think, oh, I've got a good grasp on it, 254 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,080 Speaker 1: and then I'd read another article and it was completely different, 255 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:03,320 Speaker 1: especially with the timeline, and so I was getting mad. 256 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: I was like, somebody tell me, no one knows that's 257 00:17:07,520 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 1: a problem, but but we can, we can tell you 258 00:17:11,680 --> 00:17:16,400 Speaker 1: what the different stories have said. And um, with with 259 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:19,160 Speaker 1: the caveat that, like, there are a lot of right, 260 00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 1: like all of those ingredients that I just outlined, Um, 261 00:17:23,000 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: some have already been their own episodes, and some shall 262 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: be in the future because they all have their own 263 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:30,360 Speaker 1: complex histories. Yes, and there are a lot of interesting 264 00:17:30,440 --> 00:17:33,320 Speaker 1: characters in this one that I would love to come 265 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: back and talk more about. So yes, all of that 266 00:17:36,520 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: to say, let's let's go right get into it. Yeah, yes, 267 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: but okay, before we get into this one, we do 268 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: need to set the scene a bit. Okay, okay, So 269 00:17:45,760 --> 00:17:48,679 Speaker 1: briefly and with a disclaimer, I got a lot of 270 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:54,000 Speaker 1: this information from the official Sazarec site. Sasak the brandy 271 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: so Sazack. The brand got started in the Cognac region 272 00:17:58,080 --> 00:18:02,359 Speaker 1: of western France in this exteen thirties. Their namesake brand 273 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,560 Speaker 1: was Sazerack defourge A Feasts, and by the early eighteen 274 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:09,280 Speaker 1: hundreds it had arrived in New Orleans, where it went 275 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,320 Speaker 1: on to be a common ingredient in the cocktail we're 276 00:18:12,320 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: talking about today. How that happened is up for debate. Yes, absolutely, 277 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,360 Speaker 1: this is a type of cognac. Yes, yes, yes, yes, 278 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 1: um and the first shown ad for the product appeared 279 00:18:24,600 --> 00:18:32,440 Speaker 1: in the United States and nine So oh anyway, okay, 280 00:18:32,880 --> 00:18:37,159 Speaker 1: so we've got this cognac by the brand name of Sazarak. 281 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: In the US. Yes, all right, so now let's talk 282 00:18:43,119 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: about the history of the legendary New Orleans drinking establishment, 283 00:18:46,600 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 1: the Sazerack House. Okay, a lot of the past has 284 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: been lost when it comes to documenting this establishment, but 285 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 1: historians who have dug into the matter think that it 286 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: first opened its doors and eighteen fifty three on Royal 287 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,560 Speaker 1: Street under the name the Sazerack Coffee House, or perhaps 288 00:19:05,160 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: the Exchange Coffee House, which it might have gone by 289 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: until eighteen sixty nine. This is one of my points 290 00:19:12,560 --> 00:19:16,240 Speaker 1: of frustration. The dates get really murky, and people use 291 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:21,159 Speaker 1: different names interchangeably, so that was kind of confusing. Um. 292 00:19:21,280 --> 00:19:23,800 Speaker 1: And they think that perhaps it was a place that 293 00:19:23,840 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: originally operated to exclusively promote sazeract to four J feasts. 294 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,920 Speaker 1: Are are the people who owned it were like, this 295 00:19:30,000 --> 00:19:33,520 Speaker 1: is the only place you can get it? Um. Yeah. 296 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: The inclusion of sazerac in the name suggests that coffee 297 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,959 Speaker 1: was not the only drink that they served, but also 298 00:19:41,320 --> 00:19:44,320 Speaker 1: including coffee house in the name may have been a 299 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: way to sort of upscale the establishment into something that 300 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: was a step above a saloon. Yes, and for context, 301 00:19:52,800 --> 00:19:56,000 Speaker 1: there were two hundred coffee houses listed in New Orleans 302 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:59,840 Speaker 1: and eighteen fifty nine. This was and and and in 303 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: is a huge part of New Orleans culture. The part 304 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,400 Speaker 1: of New Orleans was where coffee was coming into the 305 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 1: US um at the time. And also in New Orleans, 306 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:13,639 Speaker 1: serving liquor out of coffee shops coffee houses was a 307 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:16,960 Speaker 1: way to get around some of the taxes on taverns 308 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 1: at certain times in the city's history. Um. So those 309 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: two things plus um, the sort of like patriotic popularity 310 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:29,479 Speaker 1: of coffee in the recently independent from tea drinking Britain 311 00:20:30,119 --> 00:20:34,080 Speaker 1: United States, Yeah, created this huge boom in coffee culture 312 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,960 Speaker 1: around the city at the time. Yes. Um. And towards 313 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 1: the end of the nineteenth century. Uh, this place, this 314 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:44,080 Speaker 1: establishment whatever it was called the Sazerk House or not, 315 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:47,600 Speaker 1: had it become one of the most well known drinking 316 00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: houses in the city. And it was not only a 317 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: place of drinking but also social and business interactions. It 318 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: was like a place you'd go and kind of eaves 319 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:58,960 Speaker 1: drop and b scene and just be close to the 320 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:04,359 Speaker 1: action that was happening. Yes, okay, Um, So now that 321 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:08,359 Speaker 1: we've got those pieces sort of squared way a little bit, Yeah, 322 00:21:08,440 --> 00:21:12,920 Speaker 1: a little bit. What about the actual drink, Well, as 323 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:14,760 Speaker 1: with many cocktails we talked about, there are a lot 324 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,360 Speaker 1: of threads and precursors um as we always say. I'm 325 00:21:18,359 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: sure something similar had been happening for a long time 326 00:21:22,440 --> 00:21:25,560 Speaker 1: prior to this, But historians think that sometime between eighteen 327 00:21:25,600 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 1: fifty and eighteen fifty nine the name Sazrak was given 328 00:21:29,160 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 1: to a popular cocktail that was served at the Sasack House, 329 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:36,280 Speaker 1: but again perhaps then still under the name the Exchange 330 00:21:36,400 --> 00:21:41,199 Speaker 1: Coffee House. And also perhaps the name in reference to 331 00:21:41,280 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: the cocktail didn't appear until the eighteen nineties. Throw my 332 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: hands up, but yes, but yes, this drink was composed 333 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:56,119 Speaker 1: of bitters, sasrack, cognac, and sugar. However, many who have 334 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,120 Speaker 1: looked into into this whole thing, posit that are more 335 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 1: modern understand any of the sasac didn't actually originate at 336 00:22:02,200 --> 00:22:06,080 Speaker 1: the Sazareck House. They think instead it was invented and 337 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:10,520 Speaker 1: or refined at a pharmacy, and perhaps specifically at a 338 00:22:10,560 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: pharmacy owned by Antoine Amade Pistol in eighteen thirty eight. 339 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,919 Speaker 1: Pisho was mixing up proprietary bidders at his apothecary in 340 00:22:20,960 --> 00:22:23,320 Speaker 1: New Orleans. As early as the eighteen thirties, and he 341 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: was so confident in his abilities and in his product 342 00:22:26,760 --> 00:22:29,400 Speaker 1: that in eighteen fifty seven he took out an ad 343 00:22:29,440 --> 00:22:32,639 Speaker 1: to highlight the availability of his product at quote, the 344 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:36,680 Speaker 1: Sazack House and other principal coffee houses in this city. 345 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,560 Speaker 1: The ad also touted the agreeable taste and restorative properties 346 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,600 Speaker 1: of his wares. And yeah, I remember at this time 347 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: a lot of cocktails were viewed as sort of medicinal 348 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,160 Speaker 1: in nature. Um. And on top of that, he would 349 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:55,600 Speaker 1: allegedly serve hot toddies or other drinks with his bidders 350 00:22:55,800 --> 00:23:00,439 Speaker 1: and Sazack defourge a fuse to his customers. And he 351 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,959 Speaker 1: also touted that he offered quote the best bidders peppermint 352 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:08,920 Speaker 1: and alcohol. Mm hmm, all right, Yeah, he has a 353 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: fascinating life story. He's somebody would like to come back 354 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 1: to you. He built such a name for himself that 355 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:17,600 Speaker 1: his business was purchased by the Sazerat Coffee House after 356 00:23:17,640 --> 00:23:20,760 Speaker 1: he fell on hard times in eighteen seventy three. That 357 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:23,480 Speaker 1: same year, the owner of the establishment announced that it 358 00:23:23,560 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: was the sole purveyor of sasat Day four Jay Feast. 359 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: And this is one of the most interesting things to 360 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,720 Speaker 1: me is that they kind of own a lot of 361 00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:39,439 Speaker 1: what goes into the cocktown. Yep, whoop. At the same time, 362 00:23:39,800 --> 00:23:44,440 Speaker 1: the Sazack Coffeehouse was cultivating this reputation as the place 363 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:48,959 Speaker 1: to enjoy a nice cocktail. When Thomas Handy took over 364 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 1: the establishment in eighteen seventy or eighteen seventy one, he 365 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:55,720 Speaker 1: dropped the coffee from the name UH, and he is 366 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:59,720 Speaker 1: sometimes credited with renaming the establishment altogether after their popular 367 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 1: house cocktail UH in the first place. So that was 368 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:07,919 Speaker 1: one of my biggest points of confusion, was when it 369 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: became the Sazerick House versus yeah, m uh, but yes, 370 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:16,879 Speaker 1: by all accounts, it was a the place to be, 371 00:24:17,080 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: which is a Seinfeld reference for those people out there 372 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: and get me. Yes, it was a place to gather 373 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: and gossip and eavesdrop. Yes. According to an article published 374 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: by The New York Times soon after the Sazerik House 375 00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: closed down, quote, one might see it any time a judge, 376 00:24:34,680 --> 00:24:37,720 Speaker 1: the mayor of the city, perchance the governor himself, and 377 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,960 Speaker 1: certainly a score of lesser dignitaries. One went to the 378 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:45,240 Speaker 1: bar for arbitration and planning foot on rail, one discussed 379 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:50,760 Speaker 1: weighting matters while waiting for the cocktail to appear. Uh. 380 00:24:50,840 --> 00:24:54,280 Speaker 1: The author of this article argued that we have New Orleans, 381 00:24:54,280 --> 00:24:57,920 Speaker 1: and specifically bartenders at the Sazerk House to think for 382 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: introducing the US to the performative art of shaking and 383 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:07,359 Speaker 1: or stirring a cocktail. The recipe has evolved a bit 384 00:25:07,480 --> 00:25:11,000 Speaker 1: over the years. One thing that influenced the journey of 385 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:13,920 Speaker 1: this cocktail or might have um and the ingredients used 386 00:25:13,920 --> 00:25:17,560 Speaker 1: in it, was a Philoxtera outbreak in French vineyards in 387 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,120 Speaker 1: five which was on the wave of another one from 388 00:25:21,119 --> 00:25:24,199 Speaker 1: the eighteen sixties and seventies which we've discussed. Yeah, this 389 00:25:24,280 --> 00:25:26,879 Speaker 1: is a this is a blade on on wine grape 390 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:31,920 Speaker 1: vines that can really really do a number on a harvest. Yes, 391 00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:35,359 Speaker 1: and it really really did do a number on on 392 00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: this harvest. And this might have led New Orleans bartenders 393 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,560 Speaker 1: to pivot to American rye whiskey in the place of 394 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 1: kannact or Um. The right versus cognac thing might have 395 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: simply been a preference that was at work um both 396 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:55,360 Speaker 1: before and after this this French wine grape crisis. UM. 397 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:59,280 Speaker 1: Because the sazerack bar was located like pretty much smack 398 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: on the dividing line between a French Creole neighborhood and 399 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,080 Speaker 1: a more like broadly Americanized section of the city, and 400 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: so bartenders there might have been trying to incorporate Rye 401 00:26:12,080 --> 00:26:15,359 Speaker 1: as a way to cater to and pull in um 402 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:22,920 Speaker 1: the American clientele. Yes, um. And then another change in 403 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:25,439 Speaker 1: the recipe over time. According to some sources, in eight 404 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:30,320 Speaker 1: seventy three, bartender Leon Lamottez added in some absinthe, and 405 00:26:30,440 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 1: after absinthe was banded nineteen twelve, rbson was added in 406 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:37,400 Speaker 1: its place. Uh. These days, even though absinthe is once 407 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 1: again legal in the United States, most bartenders still use 408 00:26:40,200 --> 00:26:47,360 Speaker 1: rbson to make a sazerak. In eighteen eighty nine, Handy, 409 00:26:47,600 --> 00:26:49,439 Speaker 1: who was the owner of the Sazerk House for a 410 00:26:49,440 --> 00:26:53,359 Speaker 1: long time, gave his sazrock recipe to William T. Cocktail 411 00:26:53,440 --> 00:26:58,840 Speaker 1: Bill Booth be what a name, William Booth and cocktail 412 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 1: Bill what a great I love all of this. Please 413 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:06,160 Speaker 1: continue cocktail peel. Yes. For his book The World's Drink 414 00:27:06,240 --> 00:27:09,280 Speaker 1: and How to Mix Them, I think it's m I 415 00:27:09,320 --> 00:27:13,640 Speaker 1: wrote them, but I'm pretty sure E mrot. But either way, 416 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,920 Speaker 1: either with the idea. But the book wasn't published until 417 00:27:17,040 --> 00:27:22,160 Speaker 1: nineteen The recipe called for three four s jigger whiskey, 418 00:27:22,280 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 1: two dashes pistol absent to wet the glass, one hapspoon 419 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,200 Speaker 1: sugar syrup, one slice lemon peel with the instructions to 420 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:33,800 Speaker 1: chili cocktail. Glass wet with a few drops of absinthe 421 00:27:33,840 --> 00:27:37,639 Speaker 1: and then toss that out, stir other ingredients in the glass, 422 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:40,639 Speaker 1: with ice strained into prepared glass and served with ice 423 00:27:40,920 --> 00:27:45,520 Speaker 1: water chaser ice water chaser. Ice ice water would have 424 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:50,320 Speaker 1: been very fancy at the time because the uh relative 425 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:54,639 Speaker 1: rarity of refrigeration and and end of ice. So if 426 00:27:54,640 --> 00:27:56,760 Speaker 1: you had like an ice water chaser, that was like 427 00:27:56,920 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: super posh. Oh, but this is still the basic recipe 428 00:28:02,119 --> 00:28:06,120 Speaker 1: that most people go to and riff on. Um. It's 429 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,199 Speaker 1: it's not you're not pouring absinthe into the drink. You 430 00:28:09,240 --> 00:28:12,639 Speaker 1: are maybe missing it over the surface or rinsing the 431 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:16,320 Speaker 1: glass with it or something like that. Ah or your 432 00:28:16,400 --> 00:28:18,479 Speaker 1: unsan or whatever it is that you're talking about. At 433 00:28:18,480 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: any rate, right um. The name Sazarek referring to the cocktail, 434 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 1: was trademarked in nineteen hundred. In one, Thomas H. Handy 435 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:31,919 Speaker 1: and Company launched a national marketing campaign around its bottled 436 00:28:31,920 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: Sazaret cocktail um, and it seems to have worked in 437 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 1: three The Washington Post wrote that it was just as 438 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:41,520 Speaker 1: famous as the mint jewel up and they also wrote 439 00:28:41,520 --> 00:28:48,760 Speaker 1: about the quote spectacle of the immortal Sazarek. Yes, uh yeah, 440 00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:51,400 Speaker 1: And then here, uh, we get to the point in 441 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 1: the timeline where right um absinthe was banned in the 442 00:28:54,560 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: United States. That happened in nineteen twelve, following this whole 443 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,920 Speaker 1: panic in Europe about drinking and hallucinations and sin um 444 00:29:02,960 --> 00:29:06,120 Speaker 1: that you can hear all about in our absent episode. Yeah, 445 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: that's an interesting line. However, just like all cocktails, the 446 00:29:10,920 --> 00:29:15,000 Speaker 1: sas Reck was hit pretty hard by prohibition. In a 447 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,880 Speaker 1: nineteen New York Times report, the author wrote, even the 448 00:29:18,960 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: name is but a memory. Oh huh, the Thomas H. 449 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: Handy and Company. So the Thomas H. Handy and Company 450 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:32,200 Speaker 1: had they kind of had switched up what they were doing. Yes, 451 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 1: so they started buying and selling groceries. And somewhere in 452 00:29:38,720 --> 00:29:42,600 Speaker 1: all of this the Sasrack Company came out of it. 453 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: But I could not figure it out. But anyway, Yes, 454 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,720 Speaker 1: after the repeal of prohibition, they started selling liquor again, 455 00:29:51,800 --> 00:29:56,080 Speaker 1: including their bottled sasas and other bottled cocktails. Yeah. Um. 456 00:29:56,320 --> 00:30:01,600 Speaker 1: But meanwhile, because absinthe was still illegal even after repeal, um, 457 00:30:01,640 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: they needed substitutes for absinthe. And that is when this 458 00:30:06,160 --> 00:30:10,320 Speaker 1: New Orleans pharmacist by the name of J. M. Le Gendre, 459 00:30:10,800 --> 00:30:13,320 Speaker 1: Thank you Annie for helping me struggle through that off 460 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:18,480 Speaker 1: air um he created or well, at first he called 461 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: it le Gendre absinthe, but like Fed's told him to 462 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:27,760 Speaker 1: stop that. Um. And this formulation contained no wormwood, which 463 00:30:27,840 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 1: was kind of like the quote unquote offending ingredient and 464 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: absent they're considered to be at the time, um or 465 00:30:34,800 --> 00:30:37,280 Speaker 1: it contained no wormwood in the bottle, like there were 466 00:30:37,320 --> 00:30:41,600 Speaker 1: a lot of winks to absinthe and to wormwood surrounding 467 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:44,840 Speaker 1: the whole thing. Like the label had a picture of 468 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 1: the old Absent House on it, which is an absent 469 00:30:48,520 --> 00:30:50,760 Speaker 1: bar in New Orleans that we also spent time at 470 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:52,200 Speaker 1: because it was one of the few places that was 471 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:57,280 Speaker 1: open and had WiFi in the quarter at all hours 472 00:30:57,320 --> 00:31:03,320 Speaker 1: of the morning. Um uh uh. And also um herb 473 00:31:03,760 --> 00:31:08,360 Speaker 1: ps um meaning holy herb, was a common term for 474 00:31:08,440 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 1: wormwood among French speakers in the New Orleans area at 475 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: the time. UM. The Sazaret Company bought the brand at 476 00:31:15,360 --> 00:31:21,080 Speaker 1: some point, So yeah, that's where that's where Herbson comes in. Um. 477 00:31:21,120 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: And meanwhile, Um, as I kind of alluded to in 478 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:29,840 Speaker 1: the numbers section, UM, rye whiskey uh fell pretty seriously 479 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: out of fashion after prohibition, Like people never really picked 480 00:31:33,160 --> 00:31:36,320 Speaker 1: it back up. Um after repeal. Um just do to 481 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:39,400 Speaker 1: like shifting tastes. And I guess like it's perception is 482 00:31:39,440 --> 00:31:42,720 Speaker 1: like an old man's drink um or something that, like 483 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 1: why would you drink that unless you were super shady um, 484 00:31:47,320 --> 00:31:49,760 Speaker 1: especially as vodka started taking over a little bit later on. 485 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,240 Speaker 1: But at any rate, Yeah, um, it wasn't really being 486 00:31:52,280 --> 00:31:56,960 Speaker 1: produced for like decades. Uh. And it would come back, 487 00:31:57,040 --> 00:32:01,560 Speaker 1: but not for a minute. Yes. Uh. And seven journalists 488 00:32:01,600 --> 00:32:05,760 Speaker 1: Stanley Klusby Arthur wrote, there are cocktails and cocktails, but 489 00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 1: the best known of all New Orleans cocktails is the 490 00:32:08,840 --> 00:32:13,360 Speaker 1: sasarak Um and that quote American rye whiskey was substituted 491 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 1: for the cognac to please the taste of the Americans 492 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:20,680 Speaker 1: who preferred red liquor to any pale faced brandy mm 493 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: hmm h language note. For many years, Connac's where advertises 494 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:29,600 Speaker 1: Brandy's that was another layer of confusion. Yeah. Yeah, I 495 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: mean kanyak is a type of brandy. But sure, um uh, 496 00:32:33,520 --> 00:32:40,840 Speaker 1: there is some there. There's there's some speculation that this journalist, um, 497 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 1: he was kind of responsible for actually a lot of 498 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:49,080 Speaker 1: our modern confusion about the history of the cocktail, because 499 00:32:49,760 --> 00:32:52,760 Speaker 1: some people have like not accused him, but perhaps just 500 00:32:52,960 --> 00:32:57,040 Speaker 1: like like inferred that he was more interested in telling 501 00:32:57,280 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: a good story than getting the facts person nicely correct. Uh. 502 00:33:03,760 --> 00:33:07,480 Speaker 1: Like like, for example, a cognac and a rye whiskey 503 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:13,960 Speaker 1: are quite similar in color. Um, so the color isn't 504 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:16,760 Speaker 1: really what word anyway. So yeah, there's just like a 505 00:33:16,760 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: lot of no one is entirely sure how accurate he 506 00:33:21,360 --> 00:33:24,440 Speaker 1: was being, and he sort of drove the story for 507 00:33:24,480 --> 00:33:27,200 Speaker 1: a long time. Mm hmm, Yeah, I can see that 508 00:33:27,240 --> 00:33:33,560 Speaker 1: for sure. Uh. From nine an ad campaign ran for 509 00:33:33,640 --> 00:33:39,760 Speaker 1: the quote famous Sazarek cocktail only available at the Sazarek bar. Yeah. 510 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:46,720 Speaker 1: In nineteen Sazarek obtained the copyright for the Sazarek cocktail label, 511 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 1: and they also purchased of st Okay Yeah uh, and 512 00:33:52,640 --> 00:33:58,040 Speaker 1: after changing hands a couple of times, um, they reacquired 513 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:03,240 Speaker 1: Pistol and nine teen seventy uh and okay, this gets 514 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:05,520 Speaker 1: a little messy, but the Sazack Bar reopened at a 515 00:34:05,560 --> 00:34:10,800 Speaker 1: different location after prohibition, and also in the vice president 516 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:15,560 Speaker 1: and managing director of the nearby Roosevelt Hotel, Seymour Weiss, 517 00:34:15,600 --> 00:34:19,160 Speaker 1: purchased the rights to use the name Sazarek Bar from 518 00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 1: the Sazarek Company and later that year opened the new 519 00:34:24,320 --> 00:34:29,040 Speaker 1: Sasack Bar. He also did away with the bar's men 520 00:34:29,120 --> 00:34:34,240 Speaker 1: only rule welcoming women. Uh. And according to some sources, 521 00:34:34,239 --> 00:34:37,640 Speaker 1: the move was so successful that women came in droves, 522 00:34:38,840 --> 00:34:45,719 Speaker 1: enough so that papers labeled the event storming the sazare Yeah. 523 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:49,360 Speaker 1: Uh yeah. The bar closed a decade later and the 524 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:54,640 Speaker 1: name transferred to the Roosevelt Hotel's main bar. So kind 525 00:34:54,680 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: of it's bopped around a lot when it comes to 526 00:34:57,520 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: locations and ownership. Uh. A little bit later on, the 527 00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:08,319 Speaker 1: Sazarec Company launched their own brand of Rye in two 528 00:35:08,320 --> 00:35:12,080 Speaker 1: thousand six UM. Absinthe was made legal again in the 529 00:35:12,160 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 1: United States in two thousand seven UM. And that was 530 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: round about right when Rye was like making its comeback 531 00:35:18,400 --> 00:35:22,880 Speaker 1: or starting to make its comeback. Right, We've always in 532 00:35:22,920 --> 00:35:26,759 Speaker 1: these cocktail hours we mentioned that kind of craft cocktail resurgence. 533 00:35:26,960 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 1: That's part of that whole thing. Um. A member of 534 00:35:30,200 --> 00:35:35,040 Speaker 1: the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society named Ann Tunerman, 535 00:35:35,400 --> 00:35:38,960 Speaker 1: I hope I'm not butchering that lobbied the Louisiana legislature 536 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:43,480 Speaker 1: to quote save the Sazarek in two thousan seven. A 537 00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:46,120 Speaker 1: bill to make it the state cocktail was defeated in 538 00:35:46,160 --> 00:35:50,279 Speaker 1: two thousand eight, but was later passed that same year 539 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:56,520 Speaker 1: official state cocktail. And yes, even even the naming of 540 00:35:56,560 --> 00:36:02,000 Speaker 1: it as such was very confusing, so up around it 541 00:36:02,160 --> 00:36:08,359 Speaker 1: was it was, gosh, it's been a lile since I've 542 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:12,560 Speaker 1: gotten so flustered and frustrated by it was fun, it 543 00:36:12,640 --> 00:36:14,440 Speaker 1: was fun to learn. It was just confusing, and I 544 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:17,239 Speaker 1: was like, I want to nail this down. But I 545 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: also read several funny articles about this whole state cocktail 546 00:36:21,080 --> 00:36:24,439 Speaker 1: thing that was like, of course Louisiana, New Orleans has 547 00:36:24,440 --> 00:36:33,680 Speaker 1: this cocktail state cocktail. It is the Sazareck. Yeah. Well 548 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 1: this has been quite the journey, yeah, it has. Um 549 00:36:37,440 --> 00:36:40,240 Speaker 1: we we that is about all we have to say 550 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:43,840 Speaker 1: about the Sazerac for now, but we do have some 551 00:36:43,880 --> 00:36:46,920 Speaker 1: listenermail for you. We do, and we'll get into that 552 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:58,719 Speaker 1: after a quick break forward from our sponsor, and we're back. 553 00:36:58,760 --> 00:37:09,839 Speaker 1: Thank you sponsor, Yes, thank you, and we're back with celebration. 554 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, there you go. Yeah uh. Kelsey wrote, I 555 00:37:16,280 --> 00:37:19,920 Speaker 1: just finished listening to listener Milt ten following your discussion 556 00:37:19,920 --> 00:37:23,239 Speaker 1: of the BBC and availability of Doctor Who, as well 557 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,640 Speaker 1: as a recent mention of the Van Go episode sad Face, 558 00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:31,319 Speaker 1: it occurred to me. Have Lauren and Annie done a 559 00:37:31,400 --> 00:37:36,279 Speaker 1: Doctor Who Fictional Foods? If you have not, please add 560 00:37:36,320 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: me to the chorus of a quest you wade through daily. PS. 561 00:37:41,160 --> 00:37:43,879 Speaker 1: If streaming is failing, you feel free to join me 562 00:37:43,920 --> 00:37:47,080 Speaker 1: and living in the past, we rely on borrowing DVDs 563 00:37:47,120 --> 00:37:52,960 Speaker 1: from our local library and watching them via Xbox three. PPS. 564 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:57,839 Speaker 1: Please consider adding a SpongeBob Christmas to your bizarre feast night. 565 00:37:58,280 --> 00:38:02,319 Speaker 1: It's worth it any time of your Oh, Lauren, you're 566 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,719 Speaker 1: gonna hate me and I'm gonna make you watch the 567 00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:11,560 Speaker 1: Holidays special. All right, Well, I enjoy the glee with 568 00:38:11,600 --> 00:38:14,080 Speaker 1: which he just said that I'm gonna hate you. So 569 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:17,319 Speaker 1: this sounds the sounds really fun. Yeah, we have not 570 00:38:17,520 --> 00:38:21,080 Speaker 1: done a Doctor Who Fictional Foods episode. We definitely should. 571 00:38:21,640 --> 00:38:25,560 Speaker 1: We've definitely gotten requests for fish sticks and custard. We 572 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:29,560 Speaker 1: could talk about jelly babies, um, and I'm sure all 573 00:38:29,680 --> 00:38:36,919 Speaker 1: kinds of like less uh poppy things that I'm forgetting about. Yeah, yeah, 574 00:38:37,560 --> 00:38:39,759 Speaker 1: certainly people have requested this one. I think that would 575 00:38:39,760 --> 00:38:43,239 Speaker 1: be really really fun. Um. So it just added to 576 00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: our list. And also I too, I am someone who 577 00:38:48,840 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 1: has physical DVDs still and I still rent DVDs from 578 00:38:51,840 --> 00:38:54,319 Speaker 1: the library, so I'm on your page. And recently I 579 00:38:54,400 --> 00:38:58,000 Speaker 1: was made fun of for this, but whatever, come on, 580 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:02,680 Speaker 1: it's completely functional. I know why not. So I've been 581 00:39:02,719 --> 00:39:05,280 Speaker 1: in situations where there's no WiFi, no way to street, 582 00:39:06,360 --> 00:39:10,160 Speaker 1: gotta have your gb D backups. You do you do? Um? 583 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:17,120 Speaker 1: Over on Twitter, Zora wrote for your bad get, you 584 00:39:17,160 --> 00:39:20,279 Speaker 1: can always cut in slices of the appropriate size for 585 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 1: onion soup, make the soup part and freeze that too 586 00:39:23,680 --> 00:39:26,120 Speaker 1: on a cold evening. All you're missing is the cheese 587 00:39:27,920 --> 00:39:31,160 Speaker 1: that sounds so good. I've never been so excited about 588 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:38,279 Speaker 1: all the frozen bag See, I knew y'all would come 589 00:39:38,280 --> 00:39:41,600 Speaker 1: through for us. That's great. You always do, you always do, 590 00:39:41,680 --> 00:39:46,279 Speaker 1: have so excited to try all these things. Yes, so 591 00:39:46,400 --> 00:39:48,399 Speaker 1: thank you, thank you, thank you very much to both 592 00:39:48,400 --> 00:39:51,239 Speaker 1: of those listeners for writing in. If you would like 593 00:39:51,280 --> 00:39:53,160 Speaker 1: to write to us, you can or email us hello 594 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:55,840 Speaker 1: at savor pod dot com. We're also on social media. 595 00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at 596 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 1: sabor pot and we do hope to hear from you. 597 00:40:01,560 --> 00:40:04,280 Speaker 1: Savor is production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts 598 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: from my Heart Radio, you can visit the I Heart 599 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:08,719 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 600 00:40:08,719 --> 00:40:11,759 Speaker 1: favorite shows. Thanks, as always do our super producers Dylan 601 00:40:11,840 --> 00:40:14,239 Speaker 1: Fagan and Andrew Howard. Thanks to you for listening, and 602 00:40:14,280 --> 00:40:16,000 Speaker 1: we hope that lots more good things are coming your 603 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:24,080 Speaker 1: way