Category: Booze

In an industry dominated by plaid shirt wearing, facial hair sporting hipster dudes, New Orleans has an array of female faces behind the city’s many, many bars ready to serve the kickass drinks that The Big Easy is known for

New Orleans is the literal birthplace of tiki, and “Rum Row” – the stretch of Decatur Street with three tiki bars – is the ultimate spot for a tiki tourism trek.

Although I started mixing fancy cocktails at home long before heading to New Orleans (our copy of Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails is MESSED UP, y’all – splattered, stained, ripped, dog-eared) there’s no denying that the history of the cocktails created here cast a heady environment to take this love to the next level.

I arrived in New Orleans around the time the modern craft cocktail movement really kicked into gear. So not only did we have all the beautiful drinks associated with the city – Vieux Carre, Sazerac, Ramos Gin Fizz, French 75 – but bartenders were flexing their muscles to not only do justice to these fine beverages, but also playing with flavors, ingredients, spirits, mixers, and bitters to create something unique.

I love cocktails because the preparation in creating a good one hits all the same buttons as a perfect dish or bite – balanced, exciting, delicious, and maybe even breathtaking.

My cocktail of choice when I first started drinking them was a classic Manhattan. Now I don’t usually get them anymore, since there are all sorts of other cocktails out there to try, but it’s one of my comfort cocktails, along with a good old fashioned or a Campari and soda.

Single malt scotch and I go way back – that’s definitely not a cocktail ingredient, but where I learned to appreciate spirits on their own. Now I enjoy tequila, gin, bourbon, and rum in a similar manner.

And let’s not forget Tales of the Cocktail – a week in July when the entire booze industry descends on New Orleans. It’s a crazy, sweaty mess – but I’ve definitely enjoyed the seminars, tastings, and parties I’ve been to.

In conclusion: three cheers for cocktails!

The lush deltas and fertile farmland of Louisiana support a rich variety of agricultural products. Rice, citrus, sweet potatoes, hot peppers, seafood, and sugarcane have all made indelible impressions on Louisiana’s history and economy over the past two hundred years. Now, a new industry is using and distributing Louisiana’s bounty across the world, thanks to the rising number of spirit distilleries in the state. 

Where to drink in New Orleans for every occasion.