Imbibing the Night Away at Sazerac House
An Evening with Sazerac
The Sazerac House hosted an exclusive tasting event to kick off its holiday season. The top-floor table-service soirée highlighted a lineup of high-end pours from brands including Sazerac Rye Whiskey and Blanton's Bourbon. The event's purpose was two fold: to kickoff it's new series of tasting experiences and to announce the company's discontinuing their centuries-old Sazerac de Forge Cognac as connoisseurs know it.
Greeting guests with elegant table-clothed seating adorned with Sazerac de Forge Cognac pillar cases with each setting offering a pour of the exclusive brandy in a glass snifter. The drink was set on a place mat on a spot noting the Cognac. Open spaces that promised the pours to come: Sazerac Cocktail, Sazerac Cocktail with Sazerac Rye whiskey, Blanton's Bourbon, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon Cream. The center of the room had a large offering of charcuterie, vegetables, fruit, and cheeses catered by Brennan Restaurants.
After time to socialize and talk along the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Canal Street four stories below, the attendees took their seats as Sazerac House cocktail expert and experience team leader Matt Ray emceed the rest of the night.
Ray's presentation was a mix consisting of one part humor, two parts blended information, and five parts alcohol mixed together for a fun and educational evening for all.
Covering topics from the creation of the Sazerac company in New Orleans from its humble shoppe beginnings to current family-held empire including the venerable Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, Ray waxed poetic on all things Sazerac. His wealth of knowledge and engaging storytelling betrays his past as a former bartender with The Cure portfolio of bars and restaurants. His talent and experience shines through with his enthusiasm.
He explained the origins of the Sazerac de Forge Cognac's French origins in the heart of the Cognac region of France, about 75 miles north of Bordeaux and 50 miles
from the Atlantic Ocean. Bernard Sazerac de Forge founded a Cognac house in France in 1782. The Sazerac Company acquired Domaine Sazerac de Segonzac in order to produce the "Finest Original" Cognac since the 17th to the 19th
centuries.
VIP guests were gifted a bottle of Sazerac de Forge, as this brand was produced in limited quantities and production has now stopped in order to pave the way for a new Cognac innovation, evolving the brandy into a fine Cognac into the 21st century.
Ray did not miss the opportunity to remind the group that the Cognac was also available for purchase in the gift store on the first floor, and how it "certainly would make a fabulous gift this holiday season for any spirits enthusiasts!"
Season of Sazerac
The event introduced the Louisiana-based company's limited-run cognac class that will take guests into the history and heritage of Sazerac de Forge Cognac and its connection to the iconic Sazerac cocktail. The New Orleans-created drink was originally made from Cognac, and later rye whiskey.
Tipplers and teetotalers can both enjoy the class, running from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays through the month of December. Guests will get to taste Sazerac de Forge neat, Sazerac cocktail made with Sazerac de Forge, and a French 75 cocktail made with Sazerac de Forge. Educational aspects will extend into the art of mixology with lessons such as how to make a French 75 cocktail.
This series will be one of the last opportunities for Cognac fans to experience the spirit before it is phased out into another flavor profile, as well as a unique way to celebrate the season.
The limited-time Season of Sazerac Class: Cognac Experience begins Wednesday, December 4 and continues every Wednesday and Friday through Friday, December 27, from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Similar to the kickoff event, the series promises to immerse "students" in the history of the cocktail and its roots in Cognac. This class also offers an opportunity to learn about the rich heritage of Sazerac de Forge cognac, never to be made again. Tickets are $45 per person.
Additionally, on Sunday, December 22 from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m, a special session on Premium Whiskey Grid Tasting (BTAC Collection) will be offered. Bourbon expert Gregg L. Triche will lead patrons on a sensory journey through the world of fine spirits during a 90-minute tasting experience. During the event, guests will be treated to Sazerac's complete BTAC Collection: five, 3/4 oz. pours of the most esteemed bourbons, Sazerac 18 Year Old (Rye), Eagle Rare 17 Year Old (Bourbon - Aged), William Larue Weller (Wheated), George T. Stagg (Bourbon - Barrel Proof), and Thomas Handy. Tickets for this session are $75 per person.
All guests must be 21 to participate. More information may be found at sazerachouse.com/events.
