Sazerac Rye is a famous brand of rye whiskey from Kentucky. The drink is included in the list of ingredients of one of the oldest alcoholic cocktails in the world, which bears the same name. The whiskey is produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States. The distillery was awarded the status of a National Historic Monument in 2013.
Historical information
The brand belongs to the largest American alcohol holding Sazerac, which got its name in honor of the cocktail of the same name. The Sazerac recipe was invented in 1838 by Antoine Pichot, a New Orleans apothecary, and included French brandy, herbal liqueur, and lemon zest. After some time, cognac was replaced with more affordable rye whiskey and absinthe was added to the composition. It is believed that Sazerac is the first “signature” cocktail in the world.
One of the components of the mixture – rye whiskey – is made by the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which was built by Daniel Swigert in 1852 on the site of alcohol warehouses in Riverside. In the rich history of the enterprise, there were fires, floods, numerous reconstructions, but throughout the entire period of its existence, the plant has never stopped for a long time. Even during Prohibition, the owners managed to obtain permission to produce whiskey for sale in pharmacies, which allowed the company to quickly capture the market after the restrictions were lifted.
The Buffalo Trace distillery became part of the Sazerac family company in 1992. Eight years later, the distillery became the first American distillery to be named International Producer of the Year by the Whiskey Advocate.
In October 2019, a small rye whiskey bottling facility opened in the heart of New Orleans, a few blocks from the Sazerac House Center, with an exhibit dedicated to the history and culture of the city. Nearby is a pharmacy where the famous cocktail was first mixed. The production is intended to be sold to tourists, but the Buffalo Trace factory still produces most of the drink.
Awards
Whiskey has won more than a dozen awards in industry competitions. Among recent achievements:
- Wine Enthusiast Magazine, 2020 – 91 points, “Best Buy”;
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2019 – silver medal;
- New York International Spirits Competition 2018 – silver medal;
- North American Bourbon & Whiskey Competition 2018 – silver medal;
- Los Angeles International Spirits Competition 2018 – gold medal;
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition, 2018 – gold medal;
- Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2018 – finalist, 94 points;
- Denver International Spirits Competition, 2018 – gold medal;
- New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, 2017 – gold medal;
- The American Whiskey Masters, 2017 – gold medal;
- World Whiskey Masters, 2017 – gold medal.
Interesting Facts
- Sazerac is included in the list of cocktails of the International Association of Bartenders and is recognized as the standard of bar culture. In Russia, the drink is not very popular because of its spicy taste, reminiscent of cough medicine.
- The list of ingredients for Sazerac lists the Herbsaint brand of anise liqueur, which was included in the recipe in 1940. This fact is connected with the ban on the use of absinthe, which the American government introduced at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, so a strong drink with a hallucinogenic effect based on wormwood was replaced by liquor.
Characteristics of Sazerac Rye, 45%
Whiskey dark amber color with an oily structure. The aroma intertwines the smells of cloves, anise, pepper, green apples and citrus fruits. The taste is velvety with the presence of a whole bouquet of spices, to which a hint of orange peel is added. The finish is long with hints of licorice. Recommended for all cocktails with orange liqueur.
