Category: Travel

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Sazerac House Tour: Great Free Tourist Option in New Orleans

We had a great time on the complimentary tour of the Sazerac House on Canal Street in New Orleans. There are a couple cocktail tasting tour packages but we chose the free experience that does include little tastes of three cocktails based on the history of the Sazerac company and New Orleans traditions. Reservations for time slots can be made online, though I think that walk-ins are unlikely to need to wait long.

The House tour covers three floors and includes historical displays and artifacts covering Peychaud’s Bitters and some of Sazerac’s spirits including Buffalo Trace Bourbon and Sazerac Rye. Production and cocktail recipes are well covered in this facility that was acquired and completely renovated in the last ten years, so everything looks fresh and includes some modern high-tech displays. The best of these are some stations where you have a bartender on screen in front of you making one of New Orleans’ many classic cocktails, such as Ramos Gin Fizz or Sazerac.

The cocktail samples included the Sazerac cocktail, made now with Sazerac Rye rather than cognac that was used in the original cocktail. There were also rum and bourbon-based cocktail samples provided. Pretty informative and enjoyable to spend an hour or so.

There’s a small distillery on the first floor making Rye, plus a well stocked and very reasonably priced souvenir shop. You can pick up basically anything in the Sazerac portfolio, including Myers’s Rum and Jung & Wulff luxury rums Trinidad, Guyana and Barbados. I picked up a nice little bottle of Herbsaint.

Sazerac House is a fine option in the tourist corridor of New Orleans and is far from a tourist trap. Be sure to check it next time you’re in NOLA.

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Dive Bar Fun at NOLA’s Aunt Tiki’s

Part tiki bar, mostly dive bar, Aunt Tiki’s is on Decatur in the artsy but slightly rough portion of the French Quarter. We approached in mid afternoon to see a leather-clad man with wild hair and beard enter the venue with a guitar slung over his back. Loud music was heard well in advance of the door. This was not the kind of place for Mrs Mai Tai but when she went shopping at the eclectic Disco Warehouse next door I popped back in to take a look.

There are actually a few tikis in here, plus other Hawaiian and tropical elements mixed in with sticker walls and neon signs. A friendly female bartender asked what I wanted and I looked over the menu and asked for a Mai Tai. While I waited a young woman entered and talked to the bartender as if she was a regular. Mr. Guitar lurked in and out while another local regular in a souped up wheelchair nursed his drink. So, this was an eclectic crowd, just as the Swifty Spouse Sign indicated.

The moment of truth arrived in the form of a coconut rum-laced blue cocktail, “here’s that Mai Tai.” Sigh. I looked at the menu later and saw the ingredient list appeared to be a standard recipe but I didn’t want to stir the pot by correcting the bartender.

Aunt Tiki’s is open 24 hrs and may be an okay place to wait out the opening of better bars in the area, or just to have a beer and shot with interesting people.

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Pat O’Brien’s – Great Fun but Skip the Hurricane

After lunch we decided to see if the hype was worth it by visiting New Orleans institution Pat O’Brien’s. This place is famous for popularizing the Hurricane in the 1940s (a Ronrico Rum recipe predates it, though) and features a main bar, piano bar, and a large courtyard with bar. The place was packed and we sought refuge in the quiet piano bar room only to find we were a few minutes early for the 1 pm show start, and the room was quickly packed.

David and Amy enjoying a Hurricane

The older lady played to the crowd and opened with a Taylor Swift song but soon stated taking requests. Some of these were really fun, but others were kind of ruined by a bad arrangement and an unfamiliar pace. Later a young man joined and the two took turns, but I thought his shtick was wildly uneven and he kind of had a “I hate my job” expression. A mixed bag but fun if you’re in the mood.

Does the Hurricane live up to the hype? No, it’s actually pretty terrible no thanks to the artificial Hurricane mix, though David and Amy seemed to enjoy theirs. I had a much better time with the Mint Julep, made with fresh mint and very refreshing. Service here was pretty friendly, including the outdoor bar and wait service inside the piano bars. It’s nice to visit these historic places and see them still pulling in the crowds.

Mint Julep
Hurricane
Main Bar
Indoor Mint Julep
Patio
Patio Bar
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The Hand Grenade – New Orleans’ Favorite Cocktail?

Landed in the French Quarter and decide to kick off the evening with this fan favorite.

I decided to go with the “light” version which was on crushed ice rather than frozen. And you that this drink doesn’t really have a great rep among cocktail snobs but for a limeade cocktail this wasn’t bad at all, and not so unbalanced that the booze overpowers. Way better than the Hurricane at Pat O’Brien’s if you’re looking to choose which tourist cocktail to try.

Wasn’t nearly the “most powerful drink” I had. The Navy Grog at Latitude 29 was way boozier.

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Witchy Good Time at The Cauldron 

We enjoyed the ambiance and cocktails at The Cauldron Spirits and Brews, a witch and black cat themed bar and restaurant located across the street from Knott’s Berry Farm. This was a perfect starter before our evening at Knott’s Scary Farm last Saturday, with many of the guests as elaborately dressed as the staff! Wearing black would be a smart choice.

The main room features ornate decor with a few special effects. Not too dark and spooky but plenty nice to get you in the mood. We were seated on the enclosed patio that has conservatory vibes and the music was dark leaning classic modern rock for the most part.

I enjoyed a pumpkin ale and others tried the cocktails with thematically appropriate names. Mrs Mai Tai enjoyed the Knotty Kid Martini that is a lemon drop riff featuring Boysenberry Cotton Candy. The cocktail even featured a ghostly apparition!