Though the drink itself dates back to 1830s New Orleans (when it was made with cognac and absinthe), this 1940s version reflects the recipe’s evolution over the years, blending rye whiskey, bitters, cane syrup, and Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur made in the Crescent City following the nationwide ban on absinthe in 1912. “The Sazerac is a perfect metaphor for a Southern gentleman,” says chef Paul Fehribach, who grew up just across the river from Louisville, Kentucky, in Indiana, and now serves heirloom Southern fare at Big Jones restaurant in Chicago. He turned to that recipe to inspire the one in his recently released The Big Jones Cookbook.