Rosemary Grapefruit French Gimlet
Grilled Pineapple Vanilla Daiquiri
Sparkling Blueberry Basil Lemonade
Nothing is more refreshing in the summertime than a Pimm’s cup. This quintessential cocktail of Louisiana boasts refreshing cucumber and lemon as the primary flavor notes.
Ingredients:
juice from 1 lemon
4 oz. pimm’s liquor
ginger ale
cucumber slices
lemon slices
Directions:
1. Fill glass with crushed ice.
2. Squeeze half of the lemon juice per glass.
3. Add 2 oz. of Pimm’s liquor to each glass.
4. Top with ginger ale.
5. Garnish with cucumber slices and lemon slices.
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4 sprigs of thyme, plus extra for garnish
juice from 4 meyer lemons, about ½ cup (can substitute regular lemons)
4 oz. vodka
club soda for topping
Directions:
1. In a small saucepan, make a thyme simple syrup by combining sugar and water and bring to a boil. Add thyme sprigs and turn off heat. Let sit for 5 minutes.
2. Strain the thyme simple syrup and chill thoroughly.
3. Combine lemon juice, vodka, and 2 tablespoons of the thyme simple syrup.
4. Shake and pour over crushed ice.
5. Top off the cocktail with club soda and garnish with extra lemon slices and thyme sprigs.
Ingredients:
¼ cup blackberries
1 oz. lemon juice
1 oz. lime juice
1 egg white
1 oz. heavy cream, or half-and-half
ice cubes
1 oz. gin
soda water for topping
Directions:
1. Muddle blackberries and strain the juice into a cocktail shaker.
2. Add lemon juice, lime juice, egg white, heavy cream, ice cubes, and gin, and shake 100 times until the egg white is frothy.
3. Pour into a cocktail glass and top off with soda water. Serve immediately.
Satsumas are my favorite of the citrus varieties grown in Louisiana. They taste similar to a mandarin, but slightly sweeter, making them perfect for cocktails of all varieties.
Ingredients:
8 sage leaves + more for garnish
1 cup fresh satsuma juice (or clementine juice)
2 oz. vodka
1 ginger beer
Directions:
1. Muddle sage leaves in the satsuma juice in the bottom of a cocktail shaker until flavors are released.
2. Add vodka to the juice, along with a couple of ice cubes, and shake vigorously until chilled.
3. Pour satsuma sage mule over ice and top off with ginger beer.
4. Serve immediately and garnish with extra sage leaves and satsuma slices.
Ingredients:
1 bottle cabernet sauvignon red wine
¼ cup brandy
juice from 1 lemon
2 sliced pears
1 lemon, sliced
Spiced Simple Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 star anise
10 whole cloves
Directions:
1. Make simple syrup by combining sugar, water, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Strain the simple syrup.
3. Combine wine, brandy, simple syrup, lemon juice, sliced pears, and sliced lemons in a large pitcher.
4. Chill thoroughly overnight to let flavors combine.
5. Serve the next day over ice with extra slices of pears and lemons for garnish.
Cocktails have taken on their own culinary excellence. The classics like gin and tonic, whiskey sours, and vodka martinis still exist, but the new age of cocktails have me more excited than ever. With endless possibilities, cocktails are one of my favorite ways to express myself in the kitchen.
In Louisiana, the same rings true, maybe even more so. As people who pride themselves on the fact that they know how to have a good time, cocktails are at the center of every gathering just as much as the food is. On top of that, you’ll find an endless supply of fantastic watering holes where you can drink to your heart’s content.
New Orleans is one of my favorite cities to explore local bars and eateries featuring signature cocktails that make your taste buds swoon. Walking down streets lined with beautiful Spanish-inspired architecture, you’ll discover a neighborhood bar, a hotel lounge, or a swanky upscale establishment where you can find the classic and new age cocktails Louisiana is known for.
While on Bourbon Street, I would suggest sipping on a hurricane daiquiri while soaking in the sights around you. With a drink in hand, you can explore local shops, art galleries, and street entertainment throughout the entire city.
For a different feel, try walking down my favorite street, St. Charles, and stopping in at The Columns Hotel. They have a bar downstairs that serves up all the classics including Ramos Gin Fizzes and Sazeracs. From there, I would suggest hopping onto the street car and hitting up a dinner spot nearby.
Old world charm, gorgeous architecture, and fabulous food and drinks galore are just a few reasons why New Orleans is one of my favorite cities. Louisiana happens to believe that drinking is appropriate starting with breakfast, and brunch happens to be the one of the best ways to get the weekend started. Who wouldn’t want to indulge in a spicy Creole Bloody Mary to kickstart any Saturday or Sunday? In more cases than not, natives will always find a good reason for cocktails to become a part of any equation.
There is a magical quality to New Orleans incomparable to any other place that I have visited. The people are friendly, proud of where they come from, and the city is a mix of all ethnicities. The cocktails mimic this quality in that they are just as eclectic and are a very important part of the culture.
Rosemary Grapefruit French Gimlet
Ingredients:
1 grapefruit
1 oz. St. Germain
1 oz. gin
1 sprig rosemary
Directions:
1. Juice grapefruit.
2. Combine grapefruit juice, St. Germain, gin, and one sprig of rosemary in a cocktail shaker.
3. Muddle the rosemary sprig to release the flavors of the herb.
4. Add a few ice cubes and shake the cocktail until chilled thoroughly.
5. Strain into a cocktail glass and serve immediately.
Ingredients:
1 mango
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 oz. bourbon
ginger ale
Directions:
1. Cut up mango and purée with lime juice until smooth.
2. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the mango lime purée into each cocktail glass.
3. Pour 1 ounce of bourbon into each glass.
4. Top off each glass with ginger ale and stir to combine.
5. Serve immediately.
Grilled Pineapple Vanilla Daiquiri
Ingredients:
½ pineapple
¼ cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup rum
1 cup ice
¼ cup Simple Syrup (see page 3)
Directions:
1. Heat grill to medium heat, around 350 degrees.
2. Cut pineapple into strips and grill on each side for 2 to 3 minutes, just charring the outside but not cooking the inside.
3. Remove the pineapple from the heat and let cool.
4. In a blender, combine the grilled pineapple, lime juice, vanilla, rum, ice, and Simple Syrup, and blend until smooth.
5. Pour into cocktail glasses and serve immediately.
Ingredients:
4 strawberries, stems removed and cut in half
10 fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp. sugar
juice from 2 limes (about ¼ cup)
3 oz. clear rum
ice cubes
soda water for topping
lime wedges, strawberries, and mint, to garnish
Directions:
1. Purée your strawberries, mint leaves, sugar, and lime juice together.
2. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer into a separate glass.
3. In a cocktail shaker, combine your strained strawberry purée, rum, and a couple of ice cubes, and give it a good shake.
4. Pour into two cocktail glasses filled with ice.
5. Top off glass with soda water.
6. Garnish with fresh lime wedges, strawberries, and mint leaves. Serve immediately.
Sparkling Blueberry Basil Lemonade
Ingredients:
¼ cup blueberries
2 lemons, juiced
5 leaves fresh basil
2 tbsp. Simple Syrup, (see page 3)
crushed ice
prosecco
blueberries, lemons, and basil, to garnish
Directions:
1. Smash blueberries, lemon juice, basil leaves, and Simple Syrup in the bottom of glass.
2. Add crushed ice.
3. Top with prosecco.
4. Garnish with blueberries, lemon wedges, and a fresh basil leaf.
Ingredients:
2 cups low-sodium spicy tomato juice
2 tbsp. horseradish
1 tsp. Louisiana Hot Sauce
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. steak seasoning
1 tsp. olive juice
juice from 1 lemon
juice from 1 lime
1 tbsp. worcestershire sauce
¼ cup vodka
vegetables for garnish, such as pickled okra, lemon wedges, and olives.
Directions:
1. In a pitcher, mix all ingredients together and stir well.
2. Fill glasses with ice and pour Bloody Mary mixture over top.
Ingredients:
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup Bing cherries
2 oz. gin
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
ice cubes
prosecco
lemon peel and cherries, to garnish
Directions:
1. Make a cherry simple syrup by combining sugar, water, and pitted cherries in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let sit for 15 minutes, strain, and chill thoroughly.
2. In a cocktail shaker, combine cherry simple syrup, gin, and lemon juice with a couple of ice cubes. Shake for a few seconds.
3. Pour into two cocktail glasses and top off with prosecco.
4. Garnish with lemon peel and a fresh cherry.
