Pine Sazerac

From Forest to Glass: The Ultimate Sazerac Recipe

Take a walk on the wild side and try our Pine Sazerac recipe. Made with freshly foraged ingredients, this cocktail brings the essence of the forest right to your glass. The star of this recipe is our Pine Shrub made from pine shoots, offering a refreshing and aromatic twist on the traditional Sazerac. This cocktail has all depth and complexity from the classic spirit-forward cocktail, but with a fresh twist from the Pine Shrub that bring balance and harmony to the cocktail. This is a seasonal cocktail that invites you to go enjoy the great outdoors and provide your own ingredients. But don’t worry, we’ll provide you with alternatives that are possible to make year-round, if you want to make this outside of fresh pine season, late sprint/early summer.

a lowball glass with Sazerac cocktail

Ingredients

Whiskey

We highly recommend a Rye whiskey, because the spice it brings works wonders in this cocktail. Alternatively, you can make a Sazerac with bourbon, though it might yield a more flat flavor profile. It is also possible to use Cognac for Sazerac, but we much prefer Rye.

45 ml

Anise Spirit

We recommend going for the traditional choice of Absinthe, because it brings many important flavor nuances like bitterness from wormwood, other than just the anis or licorice found in other Anise spirits, like Sambuca, Ouzo or Pestis. But you can make a Sazerac without Absinthe, if you only have another anis flavored spirit at hand, though it might yield a different result.

7.5 ml

Bitters

The original recipe calls for Peychaud’s Bitter, which is also our recommendation. It is always fun and interesting to try recipes with different bitter, so feel free to experiment.

2 dashes

Pine Shrub

This recipe is designed around Pine Shrub, but if it isn’t season for fresh pine shoots (late spring/early summer), you can alternatively make a rosemary shrub, by simmering only sugar, vinegar and pepper, and once taking the mixture off the heat, pouring it over rosemary for 5 minutes, like described in our Rosemary Rickey Recipe. As a last alternative, you can change the shrub for normal 1 to 1 simple syrup and make a classic Sazerac.

7.5 ml

Instructions

Prepare Pine Shrub

To make the Pine Shrub, add 150g of freshly foraged Pine Shoots and 1l of water to a pot, and bring it to simmer for 30 minutes. Then strain out the Pine Shoots, and add 500g of sugar, 50ml of apple cider vinegar and 5g of black peppercorn, and let it simmer for another 60 minutes. This should evaporate around half the water, leaving you with a shrub that has a sweetness level approximately the same as a 1 to 1 simple syrup. The vinegar will add a bit of acidity to the shrub that creates balance in the cocktail, and also makes the shrub turn into a beautiful red color.

Add Ingredients to a mixing glass

Add all the ingredients to a mixing glass and add plenty of ice.

Stir for 15 to 30 seconds

Stir the mixture for 15 to 30 seconds, until you see condensation on the mixing glass.

Strain into lowball

Strain into a lowball glass, over ice, preferably one large cube or slower melting.

Garnish and enjoy

Garnish the cocktail with a fresh pine shoot, or alternatively with a piece of lemon peel.

Spirit Recommendations

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Ingredient #1

Whiskey

Rittenhouse

Rittenhouse is a household name in the bartending industry, and with good reason. High proof, spicy character with notes of oak, honey and caramel, that works perfect in a Sazerac.
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Ingredient #2

Anise Spirit

Pernod Absinthe

Pernod is a classic and beloved Absinthe brand. It has anis, bitterness from wormwood, and loads of other herbs and spices, adding tons of depth to a Sazerac.
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Ingredient #3

Bitters

Peychaud's Bitters

Peychaud’s Bitters is the original choice for this recipe, and it makes perfect sense for the Sazerac. Cloves with hefty liquorice notes and cassia bark adds just the spice that the cocktail needs.
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Ingredient #4

Pine Shrub

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History

The Pine Sazerac is a modern twist on the classic, spirit-forward Sazerac cocktail, which holds an important place in cocktail history. The original Sazerac dates back to the early 19th century in New Orleans and is often hailed as one of America’s first cocktails. Named after the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac, the drink originally featured cognac as its base spirit. Over time, due to the phylloxera epidemic that devastated European vineyards, rye whiskey became the primary spirit in the Sazerac. The classic recipe is simple yet sophisticated, combining rye whiskey (or sometimes cognac), a sugar cube, Peychaud’s Bitters, and an absinthe rinse. It’s traditionally served in an old-fashioned glass, without ice, and garnished with a lemon twist. The Sazerac is celebrated for its bold, robust flavors and is a staple of New Orleans culture. Our Pine Sazerac keeps the spirit of this legendary cocktail alive while introducing the fresh, aromatic qualities of a Pine Shrub made from foraged pine shoots. This innovative riff brings a touch of the wild to a timeless classic, offering a unique experience for modern cocktail enthusiasts. The modern Italicus is a contemporary reimagining of this historic recipe. It was brought back to life in 2016 by Giuseppe Gallo, a renowned Italian mixologist and spirits expert, who aimed to revive the forgotten category of Rosolio. He focused on bergamot, a fragrant citrus fruit predominantly grown in the Calabria region of Italy, and blended it with other botanicals to create a unique and sophisticated liqueur. The Italicus Spritz cocktail itself gained popularity as bartenders and mixologists around the world began to embrace the revived Italicus Rosolio di Bergamotto. Its simplicity, combining Italicus with Prosecco and optionally a splash of soda water, made it a hit in bars and restaurants, especially for brunch and daytime gatherings. The cocktail is valued for its delicate, floral taste that perfectly complements light and elegant social occasions. Today, the Italicus Spritz stands as a symbol of Italian heritage and modern mixology, a testament to the timeless appeal of Italian aperitivo culture. Its popularity continues to grow, offering a taste of Italy’s rich history with every glass.

Flavor profile

The Pine Sazerac is a spirit-forward with a complex and powerful flavor profile. At its core, the Sazerac tastes like a robust blend of spice and warmth, primarily from the rye whiskey, similar to other classic spirit-forward cocktails, like the Old Fashioned and the Manhattan. This spiciness is enhanced by the subtle addition of peppercorn in the Pine Shrub, introducing a gentle heat that complements the whiskey’s natural bite. Adding to the depth, the licorice and anise notes from the absinthe and Peychaud’s Bitters add an aromatic quality and unique twist. These flavors define the classic Sazerac experience and is what has cemented its place in cocktail history. However, the real magic of the Pine Sazerac lies in its innovative twist. The fresh pine shoots used in the shrub infuse the cocktail with a refreshing, forest-like aroma, designed to send your thoughts and senses back to the place where you foraged the ingredients. The slight acidity from the Pine Shrub plays an important role in balancing the flavors, keeping the anise notes in check, and ensuring a harmonious blend. The result is a cocktail that is both familiar and novel, offering a well-rounded and memorable tasting experience.

Recipe rating
4.6/5 - (7 votes)

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