Man, you gotta give it to the Louisiana State Legislature. Most people would expect that a state with Louisiana’s issues would be trying pass laws to help boost the economy, rebuild New Orleans, or try to fix the broken educational system. But you’d be wrong. The latest legislation to come before the Louisiana Senate was a bill to honor the Sazerac, a drink containing whiskey, sugar, bitters and absinthe, as the Official State Cocktail of Louisiana.
Now this has my mind spinning in all sorts of directions. Forget about the waste of taxpayer resources, that it’s ridiculous for a state with one of the highest drunk driving rates in the nation to promote a state drink, but what in the hell is a Sazerac? The state bird is the pelican, and I know what that is. The state flower is the magnolia, and I’ve heard of that too. But I grew up in Louisiana, and I’ve never, ever heard of a Sazerac.
How did this drink even get nominated when you can make a compelling argument for hurricanes, bloody Mary’s, drive through daiquiris, or even moonshine. Hell, just make the state drink Budweiser. But it’s not a cocktail? Well stick an umbrella in it, call it the state drink, and I’d bet Anheuser-Busch would chip in a several million a year for the honor.
The good news is that this bill was voted down in a 27-8 landslide. Time to get out a pen, write your senator and suggest a real state drink, or chew him out for wasting your money.
Stuff Cajun People Like 
Musta come from some of those sear-sucker wearing bluebloods up in the Garden District, ‘cuz it’s news to me, as well…and I KNOW my alcohol.
Who the hell brought that bill before the Legislature? That’s the dude (or chick) that needs to get inundated with email recipes for real drinks. Bitters? What the hell is Bitters anyway?
I vote Bloody Mary. That way, you can have one at 8AM.
It must have been a carpet bagger (hee, git me?) who brought that con-cock-shun down there, cause an old fashion is just whiskey, sugar, bitters and fruit, hold the absinthe. I imagine that this was some hyperbolic collision of cultures with whiskey and absinthe meeting for the first (and lord willin’ the last time) in this little cocktail.
Bitters…hey, HEY, now…a little easy on them…they make a mighty tasty old fashion when used judiciously!
I love this site! HOWEVER, being the good cajun I am, I just have to point out to you that in fact the magnolia is NOT the state tree. The state tree of Louisiana would be the noble Bald Cypress. The beautiful Magnolia is though, Louisiana’s state FLOWER. Keep up the good work, t-boy!
Tanks fo de korecshun. Mais, dats whut I get for not fak chekin’. I’ll go fix dat rite now.
The sazerac has been my family’s drink of choice as long as I can remember. I grew up in New Orleans, and every holiday my grandfather makes a bottle of mix ahead of time to serve everybody.
You rinse out the glass with Absinthe if you have it, Pernod if you dont, and then it is 2 parts rye whiskey, 1 part simple syrup with a dash of Angostura and Peychaud bitters. It was invented by Antoine Peychaud in the French Quarter over 100 years ago. Any Louisiana bartender worth anything can make one.
All you coonasses south of Lafayette need to come to New Orleans so we can give you an edumication in the finer things of life.
Hmmm interesting twist here…which is the first cocktail?
the Old Fashioned from Yankeeville?
or the Sazerac
Very interesting…could be why I as a NYC yankee feel some kinship with the fine cajun people.
See, there’s the rub. New Orleans thinks it IS Louisiana, when there’s alot of land (and character) west. I figured this was a New Orleans contribution from the sear-sucker boys.
Oh and yeah, New Orleans can sure teach us about the finer things in life. 😉
Music Maven, I 100% agree!! New Orleans does NOT a Louisiana make!