Now that legacy has a new focal point - a magnificent new temple to the art of cocktail-making, located on the edge of the French Quarter: Sazerac House.Ī palatial, three-story edifice, the grand, airy museum, on the corner of Canal and Magazine Streets, contains all manner of interactive exhibits exploring the beloved rye whiskey sazerac itself - which became the official cocktail of New Orleans by state decree in 2008 - as well as the city’s revered bar culture.
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Throw in the invention of the first ice-making machine right here in Louisiana’s biggest city, plus the presence of innovators like Peychaud - ready to mix ‘restorative’ herbal bitters with booze to help the medicine go down - and you have the perfect environment for the birth of one of the world’s finest cocktail scenes. Kiah Darion, general manager of Bar Marilou, serves a la luz cocktail through a hatch in the wall of the ‘speakeasy’ room. People used to joke that New Orleans was the Caribbean’s northernmost city.” Particularly every type and taste of rum, from places like Jamaica, the Bahamas and Barbados. We’re a port city too, of course, which means all kinds of different influences - and all kinds of different spirits - were arriving from all over the world, all of the time. “The French ruled Louisiana back then, and they had a certain laissez-faire attitude to the rules here in New Orleans, which created a psyche that’s still alive and well today. “We’ve been a celebrated destination for drinking, partying and generally having a good time since the early 18th century,” she says, as we drain our sazeracs and sway down the court steps together. After all, this is the Big Easy, famously America’s most laid-back city.īut New Orleans isn’t just renowned for its relaxed attitude it’s also the spiritual home of the cocktail, a fact that Elizabeth - a drinks historian and author, as well as the owner of the Drink & Learn tour company - is at pains to point out between her captivating tales of rum and rebellion. To be frank, we look like a bevy of boozy builders - all we need is a few screwdrivers to complete the look - but nobody seems to mind in the slightest. Over the past couple of hours, we’ve explored the historic, labyrinthine lanes at the heart of this city, with their squeeze of Creole townhouses, hidden courtyards and cast-iron balconies with intricate, filigree detailing - walking with increasing confidence as we slip each pre-prepared drink from our ingenious, tool belt-style cocktail carriers. This is our third delicious, cooling cocktail on a sweltering summer afternoon in New Orleans, as we wind towards the denouement of The Cocktail Tour, which zigzags through the city’s hectic French Quarter. Now grab the green container in your bag, and let’s all drink a sazerac in his honour.” “If you look across the street, you’ll see the exact spot where apothecary Antoine Peychaud first mixed his famous bitters, and the sazerac cocktail began. “Congratulations, you made it!” says Elizabeth Pearce, our tour guide, as we stand in a slightly sloshed semicircle near the entrance. Over the years, plenty of plaintiffs have toasted victories on the steps of the Louisiana Supreme Court, but few like this. This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK).
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