Friday, March 4, 2011

Exhibit #22 revisited - Cocktails of New Orleans

Our annual tribute to our sister city's significant contributions to the cocktail canon:

Arnaud’s Special Cocktail $7

Black Bottle scotch, Dubonnet Rouge, orange bitters, up. Essentially a Rob Roy with Dubonnet stepping in for the sweet vermouth. A specialty of Arnaud's restaurant in the 40s and 50s. A brooding, smoky cocktail that rewards the palate from start to finish.
La Louisiane $8
Equal parts rye whiskey, Benedictine liqueur, and sweet vermouth with a little absinthe, Peychaud's bitters and a cherry. Make no mistake, this cocktail is sweet - but it is also dense with herbal flavors, does not cloy, and begins to finish more dryly once the fire hits your belly. Sinful! A specialty of the Restaurant de la Louisiane in the 30s and 40s.

Ramos Gin Fizz $10
Ahhh the Ramos, the best gin milkshake that ever walked the land. We’ll be shaking, and shaking, and shaking Carl Ramos’ original recipe to the letter: Old Tom gin, cream, lemon and lime juices, sugar, egg white, orange flower water, club soda, crushed ice. We’ll also include a couple drops of vanilla extract, as is customary among some NoLA bartenders, and according to legend the one ingredient old Carl left out of the public recipe.

Le Roffignac $6.50

Cognac, homemade raspberry syrup and club soda on the rocks. Count Louis Philippe de Roffignac was a French exile, hero of the Battle of New Orleans, progressive mayor of the city from 1820-1828 as well as a ten term state senator. He liked his cognac with a little raspberry and bubbles. This may be New Orleans' oldest drink.

Antebellum Sazerac $9
A generous pour of cognac, a sugar cube muddled in Peychaud's bitters and water, absinthe rinse, lemon peel, up, ice water back. The king of New Orleans cocktails, prepared and served in early 19th century style, neat and with cognac instead of rye. See back of menu for some history.

Vieux Carré $7
Cognac, rye whiskey, and dry vermouth with a little Benedictine, Angostura, and Peychaud's bitters, on the rocks. The name translates to the "old square," an older French term for the Quarter. An early 1930s Walter Bergeron recipe and a specialty of the Monteleone Hotel, it is still served today in their slowly revolving Carousel Bar. Most recipes call for sweet vermouth, but we'll be using the dry, as they do at the Carousel.

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