So, you've finished all of your holiday shopping, finalized your Christmas dinner menu and mailed out all of your holiday greeting cards...now it's time to celebrate! Toast to victory with a few festive cocktails. Check out these creative drinks from local bars around the area for a spirited holiday.
I've Been Scrooged
No need to say “Bah Humbug” this holiday season. Salon Restaurant by Sucre — the French Quarter spin-off of local dessert leader Sucré — crafts their signature “Reveillon on the Rocks” holiday-themed cocktail that may lift your spirits. This drink includes Woodford Reserve bourbon, cinnamon-apple syrup, lemon. As a finishing touch, the cocktail comes garnished with a cinnamon stick. The restaurant suggests pairing the drink with its Reveillon menu, as a starter. Photo courtesy: Salon by Sucre
Cajun Toddy
For a spicy spin on the hot toddy, head over to the Empire Bar at Broussard’s. Ask head bartender Paul Gustings to whip up a “Cajun Toddy.” This variation brings the heat with Fireball cinnamon whiskey, Delacour brandy, Bol’s sour apple liqueur and vanilla pudding. If you’re feeling a little under the weather, this hot cocktail might just give you a much-needed kick. Photo courtesy: Broussard’s
Egg Nog
Kick back while listening to live jazz, and sip on this traditional holiday drink at the Bombay Club. This creamy, holiday staple comes spiked with Old Overholt rye whiskey and mixed with nutmeg. Photo courtesy: The Bombay Club
St. Nick Daiquiri
Head over to the Bywater for this spirited treat from Cafe Henri. This neighborhood spot shakes up a nice concoction that pays homage to old St. Nick. In this cocktail, you get a double dose of rum tossed in a shaker with lime, ginger syrup, vanilla extract, egg white and citrus. The mixture is strained, and the glass is then floated with red wine. A few drops of angostura bitters finish off the cocktail. Photo courtesy: CureCo.
Apple Cider Mimosa
Toast to a wonderful holiday season with this fabulous mimosa at Kingfish. This festive variation substitutes apple cider for orange juice. Apple cider and cava brut sparkling wine get poured into a champagne flute with a dash of Demerara sugar. The bubbly cocktail comes garnished with a thin slice of apple for an elegant finish. Photo courtesy: Kingfish
Chartreuse Toddy
Baby, it’s cold outside, but the mixologists at Victory have a drink to keep you warm. Victory boasts a delicious, botanical holiday cocktail that will “stir up” all the nostalgia of New Orleans’ most festive season. This bar’s variation of a hot toddy blends agave, yellow chartreuse and green chartreuse in a mug with hot water, garnished with a clove-studded lemon peel. Grab it as you head for the mistletoe. Photo courtesy: Victory Nola
Hot Buttered Rum
Step in Bar Tonique for a festive drink that packs in holiday flavors. The cozy, Rampart Street spot crafts a housemade hot buttered rum. A couple of bar spoons of compound butter with plugra butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice set the stage for the cocktail. Then, the bartender pours in Demerara rum and fills the drink with hot water. Shaved nutmeg tops the cocktail for the perfect holiday finish.
