The BIT (Beverage Industry Trends): New Orleans, Louisiana
Written by Danny Ronen
Photos by Jenn Farrington

The New Orleans cocktail scene finds itself caught between two worlds: the classic old melting-pot society of the region, raised on local concoctions and classic cocktails, and the tourist-inspired Hand Grenades, blended Daiquiris and other sugary drinks associated with the spring break/Mardi Gras visitor. What’s amazing is that since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, after an estimated 50% of the population of New Orleans left the city, there have been more new restaurants opened per year than ever before, and an incredible and vibrant classic cocktail culture has emerged.

A great example of the down-home feel of New Orleans is at a place whose original location is, strangely enough, in New York City. The BIT’s first muggy evening in town is spent at d.b.a., a live-music bar primarily focused on esoteric beers from around the world (20 draft and 100 bottled beers), but also with an extensive spirits collection.

Modest bartender John Lopez, who worked at the NYC locale for over six-and-a-half years and moved to the NOLA location in time for New Year's 2004–05, says that although the original has more tequilas and bourbons, he prefers the New Orleans bar’s selections, not to mention the feel of the place.

Always wanting to learn more about beer and spirits, John constantly reads, goes to tastings and converses with the brewers and experts he connects with while managing bar shipments and orders. John credits some of his knowledge and enthusiasm to folks like Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and John Hansell of Malt Advocate, which John declares is a direct benefi t for bar-goers. "I like to think that I’m a pretty attentive bartender," John says. "I might not be the fastest, but I have a smile, and I like to help everyone with their selection," something which The BIT feels he does quite well.

Another gentleman who chose New Orleans over New York was Arnaud Cazenave, a Parisian who moved to the Big Apple, but then to the Big Easy because it was more easy-going like home. He opened Arnaud’s Restaurant in New Orleans' Vieux Carré, or French Quarter, in 1918, and the place remains a local favorite.

Also a local favorite is Chris Hannah, bartender at the French 75 Bar, the separate bar at Arnaud’s that bears the name of its founder’s favorite cocktail. Chris used to run a college bar in Raleigh but decided he’d rather come to a cocktail town. He started spending time making Brandy Alexanders, Manhattans and Grasshoppers and then found his true calling when faced with cocktails he didn’t know, like the Sazerac, Ramos Gin Fizz, Pimm's Cup, Milk Punch and other old classics. Chris has moved far beyond that now, restoring lost cocktail recipes such as the Rouffignac, preparing his own ingredients (like Amer Picon and pimento dram) from scratch, and even creating his own cocktails.

Chris is on a mission to learn all about the NOLA cocktails because as he says, "If a couple comes in from Ohio, I want to be able to make them a drink they can’t easily find at home. I want to share something new with them, hopefully with some local history."

"It’s hard to go back," says Lu Brow, talking about how once you know good cocktailing, there’s just no excuse to return to pre-fab mixes and boring drinks. Lu noticed that many establishments with amazing wine lists and unbelievably high-quality foods somehow had undrinkable cocktails. Since the Swizzle Stick Bar is located within the Loews New Orleans Hotel, Lu makes it a point to provide amazing hospitality and attention to detail at her bar, giving the patrons and guests the respect they deserve.

Lu tells The BIT that she hopes the well-crafted beverages receive reverence from the patrons in return. In July at the annual Tales of the Cocktail event, the Louisiana legislature granted the Sazerac status as "the official cocktail of New Orleans," which Lu feels is a first step toward respecting the city’s cocktails and their origins.

At a small bar in the back of the living room in an uptown New Orleans neighborhood, The BIT found Alan Walter. Alan is the bartender at Iris restaurant, whose focus on California cuisine–style fresh produce in the kitchen also applies to Alan at the bar. Alan truly exemplifi es the qualities associated with the term "bar chef" and makes fresh juices from fruits, vegetables and herbs to get just the right angle for an interesting cocktail.

With an MFA in theatre and writing, Alan bartended at night merely because it allowed him to play with flavors and entertain people, an extension of his studies. Although not classically trained as a bartender, Alan brings an important energy to drink creation, like making a syrup from pineapple leaves he found at a Vietnamese market, using food ingredients like beet juice and fresh turmeric or including spirits like Galliano and calvados.

"The palate is a fast-moving train," Alan declares, "and it’s going to take people elsewhere, so it may as well be the bartender conducting rather than some dessert."

Iris is moving to the French Quarter’s Bienville House Hotel, with an expected re-opening date of October 15. They will probably allow you a cocktail and a dessert if you so desire. The BIT's method: a spirit-based cocktail and a small cookie on the side.