Split-Base Sazerac Recipe: Rye + Cognac Together

The split-base Sazerac answers the rye-or-Cognac argument by refusing to pick: rye leads, a smaller measure of Cognac fills in behind it, and the drink gets rye's pepper up front with Cognac's fruit and roundness underneath. When PUNCH put fourteen Sazeracs in front of a blind panel in 2018, Tom Macy's split-base version from Clover Club in Brooklyn tied for first, the only Cognac-containing entry to place.

This page gives Macy's spec as PUNCH published it, Difford's Guide's three-way split for comparison, how the drink sits against the classic rye Sazerac and the all-Cognac build, and which rye and which Cognac to split. It belongs in the variations rather than the recipe room because it is a modern bartender's answer, not a historical standard.

Why Split the Base

A Sazerac is a dressed-up spirit: sugar, bitters and an anise rinse around a single whiskey. Change the whiskey and you change the whole drink, which is why the rye-versus-Cognac question has run for a century. The split is the bartender's compromise. Rye at three parts keeps the drink dry and peppery, so the Peychaud's and the absinthe still read as spice rather than sugar; Cognac at one part softens the edges and adds grape and dried fruit on the finish. The demerara syrup and the dash of Angostura in Macy's spec do the same job from the other side, adding molasses weight and a bitter backbone so the Cognac does not make the drink sweet.

Difford's Guide, in the history on its Sazerac pages, says Thomas Handy kept a dash of Cognac when he moved the drink to rye in the 1870s. Whether or not that happened as described, the split is the one build that honors both halves of the traditional story.

Two Split Specs

Macy's is the one to make. It keeps rye in charge at 3:1 and won a blind tasting. Difford's three-way split is a different drink: equal thirds of Cognac, 100-proof rye and bourbon, sweeter at ⅓ fl oz of rich syrup, and thrown between two vessels rather than stirred; Difford adds 10 ml of chilled water if the ice comes straight from the freezer. It is worth trying once for the bourbon third, which pushes the drink toward the bourbon Sazerac. Both specs agree on the bitters, four Peychaud's and one Angostura, which is more bitters than the Sazerac House uses and the reason the split stays dry.

How It Compares with the Classic Rye Sazerac

Against the classic, the split is a touch less sweet (a teaspoon of syrup rather than a quarter ounce), more bitter and rounder on the finish. Against the all-Cognac IBA build it is drier and spicier, and it keeps the rye PUNCH's 2018 judges said possessed the ideal flavor. Macy's spirit measure totals 2 oz, the same as the classic, so the strength is close to it. The classic build itself is the rye Sazerac recipe; the Cognac version is the Cognac Sazerac; and the two are tasted against each other in Cognac vs rye Sazerac.

Choosing the Rye

Macy names Hochstadter's Vatted Rye, a blend of ryes, and the point of a blended rye in a split is that it already has some roundness of its own. RyeCentral's nearest reviewed equivalent is High West Rendezvous Rye (92 proof, guide price $73.99), a blend of two ryes with the spice to lead. For a cheaper, higher-proof lead, Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye (100 proof, $26.99) is the bottled-in-bond default and matches Difford's 100-proof call; Pikesville Straight Rye (110 proof, $41.99) has the extra weight to carry a full-bodied Cognac. Sazerac Rye (90 proof, $26.99) keeps the drink in the Sazerac Company's family. The whole shortlist is ranked in the Bottle Library.

Choosing the Cognac

Macy specifies Louis Royer Force 53, the Cognac he trusts to register at half an ounce behind a rye. Sazerac de Forge & Fils is the historic namesake brand, relaunched by the Sazerac Company, and the obvious choice if you want the split to tell the traditional story. Hennessy V.S.O.P is the one Hennessy uses on its own Sazerac page. At half an ounce the Cognac is a modifier, not the base, so it needs body more than age; a light V.S. will vanish behind the rye.

Syrup, Bitters and the Rinse

Macy's teaspoon of rich demerara syrup is among the lightest sweetenings of any spec in this corner, and it is deliberate: Cognac brings its own fruit sweetness, so the sugar is turned down to make room. Make the syrup 2:1 and keep it in the fridge; the sugar guide covers demerara against white sugar and the cube. Four dashes of Peychaud's plus a dash of Angostura is the bitters pattern Macy shares with Difford's own split base; PUNCH's 2024 winner also pairs Peychaud's with a dash of Angostura (six and one); the Peychaud's guide explains what each bottle contributes. For the rinse Macy wants absinthe, preferably Pernod, rather than Herbsaint; the difference is in absinthe vs Herbsaint, and the coat-and-discard technique is in how to rinse a glass with absinthe. The peel is expressed from 4 to 6 inches above the drink so the oil mists rather than floods; too much lemon oil marred a few entries in the same tasting.

Related Builds

• Cognac Sazerac: the IBA's all-Cognac spec and the 'original' story, in Cognac Sazerac.
• Vieux Carré: rye and Cognac in equal parts plus sweet vermouth and Bénédictine, served on the rocks. See Sazerac vs Vieux Carré and the Vieux Carré recipe.
• Every base spirit: rye, Cognac, bourbon and the split compared in Sazerac by spirit.
• The method: the two-glass chill, the stir and the strain, step by step in how to make a Sazerac.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a split-base Sazerac?

A Sazerac made with two spirits in the base, usually rye and Cognac. Tom Macy's version is 1½ oz rye and ½ oz Cognac with a teaspoon of rich demerara syrup, 4 dashes Peychaud's, 1 dash Angostura and an absinthe rinse.

What ratio of rye to Cognac?

Macy uses 3:1, 1½ oz rye to ½ oz Cognac, which keeps the drink dry and peppery. Difford's Guide's split is equal thirds of Cognac, 100-proof rye and bourbon, a sweeter and rounder drink.

Who created the split-base Sazerac?

No single creator. Tom Macy of Clover Club, Brooklyn, published the best-known spec, which tied for first in PUNCH's 2018 blind tasting; Lynnette Marrero and Jim Kearns of Rye House and Tim Miner of Long Island Bar entered split-base Sazeracs in the same tasting, and Difford's Guide has its own.

Does a split-base Sazerac use Herbsaint or absinthe?

Macy's spec calls for ¼ oz absinthe, preferably Pernod, to rinse the glass. Herbsaint works the same way and is the New Orleans standard; it is sweeter and lower in proof.

Why does it use both Peychaud's and Angostura?

The extra dash of Angostura adds a bitter backbone that keeps the Cognac from making the drink sweet. Stanley Clisby Arthur's 1937 recipe, the Oxford Companion's reconstruction and PUNCH's 2024 winner all use the same pairing.

Is the split-base Sazerac served over ice?

No. Like every Sazerac it is strained into a chilled, rinsed glass with no ice. Difford's serves a small shot of absinthe and water alongside; Macy does not.