The Mardi Gras countdown has begun as celebrations ramp up prior to Fat Tuesday, the last day of unbridled gluttony before Lenten abstentions.
Can’t make it to Bourbon Street this year? Fret not, my friends. I scouted out some Augusta bars with cocktails that will make you feel like you’re smack dab in the middle of the French Quarter (sans the crowds + excessive debauchery + questionable hygiene).
[adrotate banner=”72″]
????Jerry at Vance’s Bakery Bar makes a sultry Vieux Carré, the quintessential New Orleans cocktail. According to liquor.com, the Vieux Carré is like many of the city’s classic cocktails in that the “recipe represents the crosscurrents of America at the time: brandy and liqueur from France, vermouth from Italy, and rye whiskey from just up the Mississippi.” And to this global conglomeration Jerry adds a dash or two of je ne sais quoi, his indescribable flair that makes his drinks so magical.
????The House of the Rising Sun at Craft & Vine is a delicious concoction of Plantation Rum, orange juice, strawberry-mint simple, and a strong garnish game. The pièce de résistance, however, is the addition of Cherry Heering. This rich liquor is sweet yet tart like cherry jam with subtle notes of almond that whisper seductive sweet nothings.
????You might be remiss in your celebration without a Sazerac, the official cocktail of the Crescent City. One legend attributes this cocktail to Antoine Peychaud (of Peychaud’s Bitters), who used bitters from his apothecary business. Those bitters are integral to this recipe, as is absinthe. The best Sazerac in town is at Craft & Vine where the glass gets a rinse of absinthe before the pouring + stirring commence. This boozy, rye whiskey-forward drink will make your bones tingle.
????The story behind the Zombie cocktail is that when Donn Beach first served this drink in the 1930s, his patrons’ hangovers lasted for days (making them feel like zombies). With three types of rum on the list of ingredients, this citrus-y Tiki tipple packs a serious punch. At French Market Grille West, Josh’s Zombie is no exception. It feels like a Mardi Gras party in your mouth.
????Perhaps one of the most iconic cocktails to come out of NOLA is the Hurricane–a hit since its inception in the 1940s. Legend has it that Hurricanes could only be procured by using the password “storm’s brewin.”
Josh makes one that is afflush with color. It’s tangy + sweet + juicy but also tres potent: this rum-dense drink will get you prettyyy tipsy.
You don’t have to wait until March 1 for these cocktails. Start the good times rolling this weekend by raising a glass to Fat Tuesday. And don’t forget to use the password “nakedepicurean sent me.” ????
Ann Beth Strelec is known around town as the Naked Epicurean, sampling the finest cocktails known to Augustans. Find out about adult beverages at The Augusta Press on the first and third Friday or on Instagram @NakedEpicurean
