Food and Drink

Louisiana’s Liquid History

By Chris Johns

Drink in the origins of the modern cocktail, and discover the intoxicating history of New Orleans itself.

Carousel Bar, Hotel Monteleone

Don’t be surprised if it feels like your seat is spinning at the Carrousel bar in the Monteleone Hotel in New Orleans. It isn’t the cocktail kicking in, although that may add to the sensation. All of the stools are driven by a motor and casually revolve around the circular bar.

New Orleans is the birthplace of the cocktail. A Creole apothecary named Antoine Amédée Peychaud is credited with inventing the libation around 1800. The building in the French Quarter that once housed Peychaud’s pharmacy sells antique guns today (which, presumably, pack a punch of their own). Even without the original pharmacy in operation, there’s plenty of living liquid history to discover in this vivacious energetic city.

Peychaud’s first cocktail was a combination of Sazerac brandy, sugar, water and bitters that became simply known as the Sazerac. Most bars in the city claim to specialize in Sazeracs, but this simple combination takes some skill to make well. One of the best versions is found at the French 76 bar, inside the legendary Arnaud’s restaurant. A relative newcomer, Arnaud’s has only been around since 1918, and the bar looks like something straight out of an Édouard Manet painting. The secret to its Sazerac is that all of the ingredients – rye, syrup, bitters, Herbsaint, even the glass – are kept ice cold, resulting in a smooth but powerful drink.

If you’re lucky enough to meet Joe Gendusa, the author of History with a Twist, the ultimate guide to cocktail culture in New Orleans, you’ll have a VIP pass to the best of the city’s great bars. (And you can increase your chances of meeting him by booking one of his tours.) How else would you know that upstairs from the ground floor bar at Muriel’s is a secret room decorated to resemble an old-fashioned brothel? (That’s only one of the many purposes that the building has served in its 300-plus-year history.) Once you’ve sipped one of the bar’s signature pomegranate martinis and sunk into its plush velvet couches, you’ll get the sense that at least some of its hedonistic heritage remains.

The spiritual and aesthetic opposite of Muriel’s is Tujague’s (pronounced “two Jacks”), just a couple of blocks away. Despite the flashy neon sign, this is a local’s place. It was the first stand-up bar in the city, and, to this day, there’s not a bar stool in sight. For better or worse, this bar is credited with inventing the Grasshopper, a rich combination of crème de menthe, crème de cacao and half-and-half that’s basically the ice cream sundae of cocktails.

Built in 1797, the Napoleon House was meant to serve as a home for Napoleon, who was supposed to be rescued from exile and brought to New Orleans. He died before that could happen, robbing history of a great twist but bequeathing it a great bar. Today classical music still plays throughout the elegantly moldering building. The best place to sit is in the courtyard amid the swaying foliage and cool shadows. Order a Pimm’s Cup; it’s the house signature. The combination of Pimm’s, lemonade and 7Up, garnished with a cucumber, is just the thing to refresh on a steamy New Orleans afternoon.

Even when the French Quarter is heaving with revelers, you can find quiet solace in the plush confines of the Bombay Club in the Prince Conti Hotel. Snuggle into one of the curtained booths, and listen to the pianist play swinging arrangements of jazz standards. Perhaps one of the liveried waiters will explain the day’s special, a cocktail from the 19th century. Or you can always order up a nice wet martini (wet is the new dry) with extra olives. Get comfortable; you’ll want to stay awhile.

(Chris Johns writes about food and travel for a variety of English, French and Spanish publications.)

TUJAGUE’S BAR SIGN: BEAU B.
MURIEL’S SÉANCE ROOM: KERRI MCCAFFETY