Sazerac State Cocktail Of Louisiana?

From the Times-Picayune:

BATON ROUGE -- The world-famous Sazerac, a cocktail conceived in 19th century New Orleans, picked up its first round of legislative support Wednesday as the state's official cocktail.

Without objection, the Senate Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs toasted Senate Bill 6 by Sen. Edwin Murray, D-New Orleans, sending it to the full Senate for debate.

Murray added a provision that the bill would go into effect when Gov. Bobby Jindal signs it. Murray said he does not foresee any opposition to the measure.

What a relief to know that the Louisiana legislators are up in Baton Rouge doing serious business and not wasting time and money or anything. In truth, the citizens of Louisiana are probably better off with the legislators focused on this sort of thing, rather than making mischief in ways that could actually affect our lives.

The ingredients in the cocktail were not spelled out in the bill. Some contend the drink should be made with rye and others say it must be made from bourbon.

Murray said the drink is one of the oldest in the nation and the oldest created in New Orleans.

The drink was concocted in the 1830s by Antoine Amedee Peychaud, a pharmacist who fled from Haiti to New Orleans.

He used bitters he created as part of the drink and mixed it with Louisiana cane sugar and imported French brandy.

Peychaud's bitters is still a key component of the drink.

There you have it. Go make yourself a Sazerac, put on some good music, sit back, relax, and let your imagination rove where it will.

UPDATE: For a taste of the mischief cooked up by the Louisiana legislature in its last session, see Jim at JindalWatch. Of course, they were stirred up to do this bit of mischief by Governor Clean, who chooses as his example the Bush maladministration, the masters at doling out money to their cronies.