With Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts playing Drew Brees' New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV both football lovers and whiskey enthusiasts will have a reason to celebrate. No matter whether you are hosting a Super Bowl party full of hard-core Colts or Saints enthusiasts, or just having a casual gathering during the Super Bowl, here are two drinks guaranteed to please your guests and provide an authentic experience during the game.
For Saints fans, nothing but the Sazerac cocktail will do during the big game. I've been making Sazerac cocktails for years, and the very best that I've ever tasted all had one thing in common; great ingredients. There are three key ingredients to a good Sazerac cocktail. Sazerac rye and Vieux Carre absinthe both match very well with the unique flavor profile of Peychaud's bitters. This cocktail recipe is a bit more complicated than most, but I think you'll find it is well worth it.
The Sazerac cocktail
- 2 oz Sazerac rye whiskey
- 1/4 oz Vieux Carre absinthe
- 1/4 oz simple syrup
- 4 dashes Peychauds bitters
- lemon twist
- In a small rocks glass, add ice to chill.
- One the glass is chilled, dump ice and add 1/4 oz absinthe.
- Roll the absinthe around the inside of the glass to coat the inside fully. Pour out any additional absinthe.
- In a mixing glass, combine rye whiskey, simple syrup and Peychauds bitters over ice and stir vigorously for 30 seconds.
- Pour mixture into absinthe lined glass, making sure to keep ice out of the final drink.
- Rub a lemon twist around the edges of the glass and express the oils from the zest over the cocktail. Discard zest.
For Colts fans, what could be more appropriate than the whiskey distilled in Indiana, Seagram's 7 Crown? Seagram's 7 is a light, fruity whiskey that is commonly mistaken for Canadian whisky because of its light flavor profile. The classic way to enjoy Seagram's 7 is in the iconic "7 & 7", a mixture of Seagram's 7 and Seven Up soda. This is an easy drink to make, one part Seagram's 7 to two parts Seven Up is standard, but feel free to use three or even four parts soda in this drink for those who like a milder cocktail. For a more sophisticated take on the classic 7&7, try adding an orange twist to the drink, or perhaps a splash of pomegranate or cranberry juice to your drink. The great thing about the 7&7 is that it is a very forgiving drink and just about any twist you give it will taste great and please your fans.
The 7&7 cocktail
- 2 oz Seagram's 7 Crown Whiskey
- 4 oz Seven Up
- In a glass, combine ingredients, add ice and stir to incorporate
