The Sazerac is one of the oldest cocktails in the United States, and its exact origin is a bit of a mystery. The first recorded recipe for the drink appeared in the 1869 edition of Jerry Thomas’s Bartender’s Guide, and it called for equal parts rye whiskey, cognac, and absinthe. The drink was originally named after the Sazerac de Forge et Fils brand of cognac that was used in the original recipe.

Over the years, the recipe for the Sazerac …