Mix It Up for Mardi Gras
The sickly sweet Hurricanes made from a Kool-aid-like powdered mix don’t hold a candle to the delicious original made with passion fruit syrup.
When I think of New Orleans — as I often do — I think of great music, beautiful architecture, indulgent food, warm and inviting people… and Mardi Gras. And when I think of Mardi Gras and its wonderfully colorful traditions, I can’t help but think of my favorite New Orleans libations. It is, after all, the place where I sipped my first Hurricane (too sweet) at Pat O’Brien’s and my first Mint Julep (I’ve been hooked on bourbon ever since), also at the venerable institution about 10 years later. Indeed, it is a magical place and this is the day to celebrate the carnival season wherever you may find yourself.
This year, I’ll be celebrating in a NYC bowling alley — the site of my friend L’s birthday fete. So, there will be no time for making a king cake or any of my other New Orleans favorites. But, I will mix up a few libations and raise a glass to L, my NOLA friends and to Mardi Gras revelers worldwide! I’ve collected a few traditional drink recipes and am happy to share them with you on this festive day. Laissez le bon temps roulez! Bottoms Up!!
The classic Mint Julep is a cinch to make and has legs well beyond the Kentucky Derby.
Recipe: Mint Julep
Serves 1
2oz. bourbon
1 oz. mint infused simple syrup*
5 - 6 mint sprigs
crushed ice
Fill crushed ice to mint julep or Collins glass to 2/3rds. Add bourbon and simple syrup. Stir. Add more ice and garnish with mint sprigs.
*For simple syrup, boil 1 c. water, 1 c. turbinado (or granulated) sugar and one bunch of mint leaves. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cool and strain. Should keep in refrigerator for up to one week.
Often credited as one of the first “true” cocktails, the Sazerac is a New Orleans original. Traditionally made with rye whiskey, I substitute bourbon.
Recipe: The Sazerac
Serves 1
1 tsp. sugar
3 - 4 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
splash of water
2 oz. Bourbon
1 tsp. Absinthe, Pernod or Pastis
lemon peel
Chill an Old Fashion glass. In a mixing glass, combine sugar, bitters and water. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. Add bourbon and ice. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour absinthe, pernod or pastis into a chilled glass and rotate the glass until the inside is coated with the liquor, discard the excess. Strain liquid from mixing glass into the chilled serving glass. Twist lemon peel over drink and serve.
The Vieux Carre (french for old town and referring to New Orleans’ French Quarter) was invented at the Carousel Bar in New Orleans in the 1930’s. Rye and cognac form the base for this drink, but I substitute (you guessed it) bourbon for the rye.
Recipe: Vieux Carre
Serves 1
1/2 tsp. Benedictine
1 dash Peychaud’s bitters
1 dash Angostura bitters
3/4 ox. bourbon
3/4 oz. cognac
3/4 oz. sweet vermouth
Combine in a mixing glass with ice. Stir well and strain into an Old Fashion glass. Garnish with a cherry.
The famous New Orleans restaurant, Arnaud’s, invented the Arnaud’s Special, a Rob Roy-like cocktail popular in the 1940’s and 50’s. Here, I did not substitute bourbon for the blended scotch whiskey but if you do, you can call it an Old Fashioned (almost)!
Recipe: Arnaud’s Special
Serves 1
2 oz. blended scotch whiskey
1 oz. Dubonnet Rouge
3 dashes orange bitters (I like Fee Brothers)
Orange twist
Combine and serve over ice in a rocks glass. Squeeze orange twist over drink and garnish with a cherry.
Recipe: The Hurricane
Serves 1
2 oz. dark Jamaican run
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. passion fruit syrup (Trader Tiki is my fav)
Combine in a cocktail shaker and add ice. Strain into a hurricane or tiki glass and garnish with a pineapple slice, orange or cherry. Don’t forget the umbrella!
For more on Mardis Gras, New Orleans, a great King Cake recipe and a yummy bourbon pecan ice cream shot, check out last year’s Mardis Gras post.
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