Several NOLA restaurants and bars have introduced new autumn-inspired libations that will make you feel all cozy inside.
By Misty Milioto
Just when the air starts to crisp, I love to cuddle up in my favorite blanket with a good book and a fabulous cocktail. While we can’t all get out to our favorite restaurants and bars at the moment, it’s the perfect time to try your hand with at-home cocktail-making. Here are a few new releases from some of my favorite spots in New Orleans—also known as the birthplace of the cocktail.
Located within the newly revamped Pontchartrain Hotel, Bayou Bar is serving up a new Duck Fat Sazerac. Duck fat? Yes, duck fat! While we all know it elevates fries to the next level, it turns out the same can be said for cocktails. The cocktail features made with smoked duck fat Sazerac rye, bitters, Herbsaint and sugar. The bar has also introduced the Bubbles & Butter, made with brown butter bourbon, sugar, citrus, Cardamaro and sparkling wine.
Duck Fat Sazerac
Ingredients:
2 oz. Duck Fat Infused Sazerac Rye Whiskey*
1 bar spoon of 2:1 Demerara
5 dashes of Peychaud’s bitters
Herbsaint rinse
Directions:
Stir and strain Duck Fat Infused Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Demerara, and Peychaud’s bitters into a chilled rocks glass that has been rinsed with Herbsaint. Garnish with a lemon twist.
*Duck Fat Rye
4 750 ml bottles Sazerac Rye
1 qt. smoked duck fat
Directions:
Smoke duck fat over hickory for 4 hours at 100℉. Chill to room temp, and vacuum-seal duck fat with rye whiskey at 99 percent. Strain through a cheesecloth, refrigerate and allow to sit for 4 hours. Strain through cheesecloth again. Ready to serve or use in cocktail.
Bubbles & Butter
Ingredients:
1.5 oz. brown butter bourbon
0.5 oz. Cardamaro
1 oz. lemon juice
0.5 oz. simple syrup
Sparkling wine, to top
Lemon twist, for garnish
Directions:
Shake bourbon, Cardamaro, lemon juice and simple syrup, and strain into a coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with a lemon twist.
Also located at the Pontchartrain Hotel, the Jack Rose restaurant is offering Yamz A Make Her Dance (made with Cognac, lemon juice, honey syrup, Amaro, sweet potato puree and sparkling wine).
Yamz A Make Her Dance
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz. Park Cognac VS
½ lemon juice
0.5 oz. honey syrup
0.75 oz. Amaro Nonino
2 bar spoons sweet potato purée
Sparkling wine to top
Directions:
Shake and double strain Cognac, lemon juice, honey syrup, Amaro Nonino and sweet potato puree into a chilled coupe glass. Top with sparkling wine and garnish with flaming marshmallow.
Meanwhile, Toups Meatery—a restaurant offering fine food, specialty cocktails and a charcuterie program inspired by deep-rooted Louisiana family traditions—is serving up the Barbaloma. This citrusy libation features tequila, Barbacoa grapefruit syrup and lime.
Barbaloma
Ingredients:
2 oz. tequila
1 oz. Barbacoa spiced grapefruit syrup*
0.75 oz. lime juice
2 dashes saline
Directions:
Add all ingredients to mixer and shake. Strain into a tall Collins glass with ice and top with a press of soda.
*Barbacoa Spiced Grapefruit Syrup
Ingredients:
5 grapefruits
1 bottle Goya mojo criollo marinade
1 quart sugar
Directions:
Peel five large grapefruits, getting minimal pith. Cut peeled grapefruit into wedges, around 1 inch thick. Cut pith off of outside of wedges. Place peels and wheels in medium pot with one whole bottle of Goya mojo criollo marinade. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add 1 quart of sugar and bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 15 minutes. Strain syrup from solids, save candied grapefruit peels.
At celebrity chef Nina Compton’s Bywater American Bistro, you’ll find the Romagna Fizz. This perfect-for-fall cocktail features Rittenhouse rye, Elizabeth Allspice Dram, simple syrup, lemon, lime, egg white, heavy cream, Angostura bitters and Fattoria Moretto Lambrusco. “I was inspired by New Orleans for this drink mostly,” says Bar Manager Rick Powanda. “The dry aspect of the wine balances out the sweetness from the syrup, rye, and dram, while beautifully highlighting the baking spice notes of the cocktail.”
Romagna Fizz
Ingredients:
1 oz. Rittenhouse rye
0.5 oz. St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram
1 oz. simple syrup
0.5 oz. lemon
0.5 oz. lime
1 oz. egg white
2 oz. heavy cream
4 dashes Angostura bitters
2 oz. Fattoria Moretto Lambrusco (a dry lambrusco)
Directions:
In a Collins glass, pour 2 oz. of Lambrusco. Add all ingredients except heavy cream and dry shake to emulsify egg white. Add 2 oz. cream and ice, and shake for 5 to 7 minutes. Slowly strain the cocktail into the Collins glass with the Lambrusco to the top. Put in the fridge to let cream set (for about 3 minutes). Pour the rest of the drink in to get the classic Ramos Gin Fizz head on it.
And at Compton’s famed restaurant, Compère Lapin, two featured fall drinks are on the menu. The Florio & Fauna ismade withFlorio fernet, Dolin Blanc, Huana Guanabana liqueur, lemon, Bitter Queen’s Thai spice bitters and Drumshanbo gunpowder Irish gin. The Wayward Isles is made with Tattersall Aquavit, Bonal, Miletti Amaro, Benedictine and Peychaud’s bitters.
Florio & Fauna
Ingredients:
2 oz. dashes Bitter Queen’s Thai spice bitters
0.25 oz. simple syrup 1:1
0.5 oz. lemon
0.5 oz. Florio fernet
0.75 oz. Huana Guanabana liqueur
0.75 oz. Dolin Blanc
0.75 oz. Drumshanbo gunpowder Irish gin
Directions:
Shake all ingredients and serve in a coupe. Garnish with candied hibiscus flower.
Wayward Isles
Ingredients:
1.75 oz. Tattersall Aquavit
0.75 oz. Bonal
0.5 oz. Miletti Amaro
0.25 oz. Benedictine
3 dashes peychauds bitters
Directions:
Stir and serve up in a glass sprayed with Herbsaint. Garnish with a dried asian pear.
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