La Louisiane
Rye, sweet vermouth and Bénédictine under Peychaud's and absinthe
Ingredients
- 2 ozRye WhiskeyThe PDT proportion; Arthur's original pours it at a thirdSubstitute: Bourbon, though it lands sweeter
- 3 dashesPeychaud's BittersThe New Orleans half of the drink, floral and anise-led
- 3/4 ozSweet VermouthItalian sweet vermouth, as Arthur specifiesSubstitute: Carpano Antica
- 3/4 ozBénédictineA full measure here, against the teaspoon the Vieux Carré takesSubstitute: Yellow Chartreuse, drier and more herbal
- 3 dashesAbsintheDashed into the mixing glass, not rinsed round the glass as in a SazeracSubstitute: Herbsaint
Instructions
- Add 2 oz rye whiskey, 3/4 oz sweet vermouth, 3/4 oz Bénédictine, 3 dashes Peychaud's bitters and 3 dashes absinthe to a mixing glass
The absinthe goes into the mix, not round the glass
- Fill with ice and stir until well chilled
- Strain into a chilled coupe
Served up; no ice in the glass
- Garnish with three brandied cherries on a pick
Technique Notes
Stirred and strained up, with no ice in the glass. Bénédictine and sweet vermouth are both sweet and both herbal, so the absinthe is doing structural work rather than decoration: it dries the finish and stops the drink reading as a liqueur.
Why the La Louisiane Works
Peychaud's and absinthe are both anise, and the overlap is the point rather than a redundancy. The bitters carries a cherry-red floral edge and the absinthe a dry wormwood one, and between them they bracket everything the Bénédictine sweetens. Rye is the only dry thing in the glass and it has to hold all of it up.