My husband and I just came back on Saturday from a glorious week-long vacation in New Orleans. And since New Orleans is famous for being a great city to drink in, I thought I’d kick off this blog with a review of some of the noteworthy drinks we had during our time there.
Before I dive into it, a disclaimer: We are not the types to go to Bourbon Street and get smashed, so if you’re looking for those kinds of recommendations you won’t find them here. We’re serious cocktail appreciators who drink responsibly. In our everyday life, we don’t drink every day, but this was vacation! Having said that…
Our very first stop after we got off the plane and checked into our Airbnb was the Sazerac Bar (not to be confused with the Sazerac House). This bar is located inside the Roosevelt Hotel, and as the name suggests, the Sazerac is their signature cocktail. My husband wanted a Ramos Gin Fizz, which you can see him holding on the right, but I had to go with the classic Sazerac, which is a blend of rye whiskey, bitters, and sugar in an absinthe-rinsed glass. This drink was on the pricier side, but as you can see, it was also a very generous drink–I am petite and had an empty stomach, so I was thoroughly buzzed by the time we left the bar to find some dinner! Toasting with these two delicious cocktails was the perfect way to unwind from traveling and start our vacation in New Orleans.
The next day we were scheduled for Sunday jazz brunch at Commander’s Palace, which I can’t recommend enough to anyone who visits New Orleans. We took the St. Charles Ave. streetcar to the beautiful Garden District and arrived about 45 minutes early for our reservation. We were planning just to pop in and confirm our reservation before walking around the Garden District for a bit, but the host invited us to visit the bar for a drink instead while we waited for our table, which struck us as a great idea. This is the French 75 I ordered. It can be made with either gin or Cognac, but I opted for gin. It was a lovely, bright, zingy cocktail–ideal for brunch if you’d like something stronger than a mimosa but with that same sunny vibe.
While we were at the bar, we began chatting with a lovely couple who ended up sitting near us in the restaurant, and they kindly shared their bottle of delicious Chablis with us. Such a lovely surprise! We had a lot of friendly encounters with other travelers in New Orleans. Something about the city just encourages conviviality. Might be the delicious cocktails.
Another day we visited Napoleon House for their famous muffalettas and Pimm’s cups. Unable to decide which of the three Pimm’s cups we wanted to try, we opted to share the flight. And I’m glad we did, because Paul’s favorite was the Satsuma Citrus variation, and my favorite was The Englishman’s. The Original was delicious and refreshing too, but the extra touch of gin in The Englishman’s made it a perfect summer cocktail in my opinion. (The muffaletta was outstanding as well!)
Another day we headed to the famous Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone. I regret to say that we did not manage to get a seat at the actual carousel bar. It fills up fast, but we found seats at a normal, non-spinning bar on the other side of the lounge and ordered the signature drink here, the Vieux Carré (which is French for the Old Square, referring to Jackson Square in the French Quarter). This drink is a blend of whiskey, Cognac, sweet vermouth, Benedictine, and bitters. Another big, strong drink, as you can see. I enjoyed it, but not as much as the Sazerac or the French 75. I’m not especially fond of sweet vermouth or Benedictine, but I had to try the classic cocktail they invented at this bar.
Now for something completely different. My husband loves tiki drinks, so we went one evening to Latitude 29, a fun tiki bar with great atmosphere. I felt like I was at a party in the 1960s at a tropical beach. Here I decided to try the Pontchartrain Pearl Diver, which the menu described as an “iced buttered rum.” To be truthful, I didn’t taste the butter, and the drink was way too sweet for me. But that’s been my typical experience of tiki drinks. I have a weird aversion to most sweet drinks, so tiki drinks almost never impress me. Paul, whom you can see leaning to the side in a desperate attempt to not be in my photo, enjoyed his Pandan Painkiller though.
This drink was one of the pleasant surprises of the trip for me. Thursday night we popped into Arnaud’s French 75 Bar for a drink before seeing a show at Preservation Hall (Amazing! A must-do if you like jazz!). Everyone at the bar had ordered French 75s, but having had one of those earlier in the week, I felt like trying something different. I wanted something unique, a drink I could only find here. On a whim, I decided to try the Camellia, even though I was concerned about the “lightly sweet” descriptor on the menu.
But they really know what they are doing at Arnaud’s. This cocktail was lovely. Balanced, light, smooth, refreshing, and exactly what I wanted: unique. I had never tasted anything quite like it. The strawberry- and ginger-infused gin made it very special. It tasted like a distillation of springtime! Paul tried the St. Miranda, which I did not like as much, but he was happy with it.
The last stop on our tour of New Orleans cocktails was at Emeril’s, for another French 75 to accompany Friday Lunch. A French 75 just feels to me like a great brunch/lunch cocktail, so I went ahead and ordered it again, but this time with Cognac instead of gin. And to my surprise, gin-lover that I am, I actually preferred the Cognac version. The Cognac brings extra depth and complexity, and I really savored this cocktail. It was an ideal opener to one of the most decadent lunches I’ve ever had!
And the final item I must highlight for you is not a cocktail at all, but the delicious café au lait we enjoyed several times at Café du Monde, alongside piping hot beignets which were covered with snowdrifts of powdered sugar. I am already missing these, and I’ve only been home for two days!
Cameron Tries Everything 
Leave a comment