Sazerac matures Peychaud’s bitters in rye casks

US drinks group Sazerac has released a rye whiskey barrel-aged version of Peychaud’s Bitters, to help give cocktails a spicy twist.

The new addition to Sazerac’s bitters range takes the original Peychaud’s recipe and matures it in ex-Sazerac Rye Whiskey barrels for 140 days.

Harlen Wheatley, master distiller, Buffalo Trace Distillery, said: “We thought it would be an interesting experiment to age our Peychaud’s Bitters in our Sazerac Rye barrels. We weren’t quite sure what to expect, but after a few months, we were surprised by how well the experiment was turning out.”

Sazerac claims the expression was inspired by Antoine Amedie Paychaud’s use of his original bitters recipe in rye-based cocktails in New Orleans in the 1870s.

It is available now in limited quantities, with an RRP of US$16.99 for a 150ml bottle.