• the217
• Food + Drink
• Radio Maria offers whisky drink called 'sazerac'

Related Media

(Carter Henricks, CreativeWorks photographer)

Related Venues

Radio Maria »
Address: 119 N. Walnut St. Champaign, IL 61821
Phone: (217) 398-7729
Show on map

Related Articles

• The 'Horny Monkey' sweetens up any meal at Flat Top
• Celebrate Unofficial with a drink containing Irish whiskey at Seven Saints

Sazerac

By this point, I’ve more or less established my position as a man who most enjoys the “classier” side of cocktails. And by classy, I obviously mean “booze that’s fit for old men.” Well, the Sazerac is one drink just like this. And if you were going to find classy cocktails somewhere, the best place to find them would probably be Radio Maria (corner of Walnut + Taylor St., downtown). This concoction, according to beverage manager Jacob Daughtery, was invented by one of the men whose names adorn one of the liquors in the drink. “The drink was started in New Orleans by Joseph Peychaud, to help the sale of his Peychaud bitters,” says Daughtery, “and when your mixer is bitters, you know you’re in good shape.” This man could not be any more right.

Typically, there are two types of Sazerac – the first contains rye whisky, and the second uses brandy. Thankfully, Radio Maria removes that difficult decision by using both in the same Sazerac. The tastes of both work exceptionally well against the rest of the ingredients, too. The initial taste is very sweet, but still reminiscent of both the bitters and the brandy. As it gets swilled around, the flavor of the rye overtakes the brandy, and a little hint of the bitters continues to float around in there as well. Towards the end, rye continues to dominate until the anise flavor from the Pernod-coated mixing glass dominates the taste buds. The Pernod can be detected across the spectrum of the drink, but it is certainly most pronounced in the initial and aftertastes.

I would highly suggest this drink to anybody with a taste for quality whisky. Daughtery would, as well: “This drink is delicious, and a must-have for whisky connoisseurs.” Although I don’t know how many whisky connoisseurs there are lying around the Champaign-Urbana area (other than myself), but in order to reach out to you all, I’ve made the Sazerac the cocktail of the week.

Ingredients
Rye Whisky
Brandy
Angostura + Peychaud Bitters
Pernod (anise liqueur)
Simple Syrup

Directions
In a tall glass with ice, lightly coat the sides with Pernod. Then introduce all ingredients to the glass and stir quickly. Strain into a smaller glass, garnish with a piece of citrus.