New Orleans may be the birthplace of jazz, but it’s also where the cocktail was born, created by a local apothecary in 1838 using a measuring cup then known as a “coquetier,” from which the word “cocktail” was derived.
Combine that fact with French/Cajun fare and a plugged-in bar scene, and it’s no wonder that food and drink are right up there on many to-do lists here.
Just as you might want to take home recipes for crawfish etouffee and jambalaya, you might want to learn to make your own Crescent City cocktails. The following two venues can help:
- The Hilton New Orleans Riverside offers hands-on mixology classes in Public Belt, the speakeasy-style piano lounge hidden on the hotel’s second floor. The crash course begins with a history lesson of the cocktail followed by an interactive demonstration crafting the city’s signature drink, the Sazerac—a concoction of French brandy and bitters and holding the distinction of being the first “branded” cocktail.
- Set in the heart of downtown, the New Orleans Drink Lab was founded by master bartender Daniel Victory, who together with his team offers two-hour sessions for six to 20 people on creating everything from the Sazerac to the Hurricane and the Ramos Gin Fizz.
- “Our classes are hands-on, fun and interactive,” said co-owner Camille Whitworth. “Guests learn the history, tradition and culture of New Orleans cocktails and then get behind the bar and make their own. It’s great for corporate teambuilding. We try to keep the lessons to New Orleans classics, but are always open to customizing based on the guest’s request,” she added.
