Everything Is Better With Booze
"Work hard, play hard" – the phrase so many of us in New Orleans have lived by for years. COVID-19 has made the mantra a bit harder. Now, finding a place that offers drink specials and happy hours is…
Author: Daniel Victory
Where Are We drinking This Week?
Many of our favorite bars are still closed, and government orders may make the waiting game a bit longer. So, where do we grab a great drink? Several places have reached out to us about what they’re offering and…
Wanna Grab A Drink?
Baby, it’s hot outside and many of us are looking for cool cocktails to beat the heat. Finding a place that is open might be a bit of a challenge these days, but if you call ahead and ask around,…
Hold Up, Where’s Happy Hour?
We are currently experiencing a bitter taste of COVID-Blues. Typically, in the heat of the summer, we are craving a good gathering with wonderful cocktails at some of our favorite places. My, how times have changed. COVID-19 has no…
Hone Your Bartending Skills at Home
It’s the heat of summer and we recently had a quick taste of getting things back to normal, or somewhat normal. We grew accustomed to walking into a bar masked up, sitting apart at a same distance... Then BAM,…
Missing The Bar?
While restaurants across New Orleans continue to reopen, many of us have been patiently waiting for bars to open their doors, too – safely, of course. Recently, the city has allowed bars to open at 25 percent capacity during…
Minding Your Manners
For months now, many of us have either hosted - or - attended a Zoom or virtual happy hour. We didn’t know we would be on lockdown this long, so we had to get creative with staying connected to…
Become Your Own Bartender
As the global pandemic strikes us all, it leaves bars with closed doors and quiet registers. Owners, servers and bartenders are forced to find alternative ways to survive. And bars don’t even have the option to adopt the now…
Cocktail Cravings?
Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. How do we socialize and sip our favorite cocktails if we have to social distance? Many people are using social media platforms to gather online, which has proven to be a fun time.…
Happy Hour at Home
Locked in, feeling anxious and ready to explode? Well, join the club where most of us are doing the right thing, but are still ready to be social. We have a few ideas for you to stay in touch…
Corona, Corona, Cocktail
With all the talk these days surrounding the dreaded coronavirus, we wanted to keep things a little lighter, take you to places that will offer great drinks and great specials. It’s hard to not think of the frenzy surrounding…
Wine Not?
No matter where you end up during this year's biggest free party of the year, you are sure to find fun, festive wine and cocktail events inspired by revelry and royalty. Bacchanal Wine (600 Poland Ave.) is turning 18.…
Make Me Something Mister
This is the best time of year for imbibing and enjoying the Carnival season. We have a few places that are serving up festive cocktails that are sure to get you in the mood. Toups Meatery (845 N. Carrollton…
Let’s Get This Party Started with Carnival Cocktails
It’s the greatest time of the year for us, Carnival season making us feel and see the magic of the city. Let’s start with what’s happening around town. Several of our favorite places are celebrating with their Carnival-inspired cocktails.…
Holiday Hops & Pops
It is the time of year when we start to enjoy the smells of the season. A deep breath may stimulate your senses with peppermint, spearmint, and berries. A quick hop around town and you’ll find several seasonal happy hours…
Are You Ready For Holiday Sippin’?
Yes, the holiday season is not far away. That means many local spots are doing their best to conjure up some of the best holiday happy hours around. SoBou (310 Chartres St.) is hosting its Holiday Sippin’ wine tasting…
Crisp Cocktails for a Crisp Day
The weather we love is finally here. So, lets get out and enjoy some fun and exciting happy hour specials. Bartenders all over town are pulling out the stops to make some delicious libations for us. Martin Wine…
Just Sip Back, and Relax
There is no doubt we are enjoying the fall/football season. It’s the time of year when groups get together and pass a good time. Often, cocktails are involved and who doesn’t love a great drink? There are so many…
Pigskin and Perfect Cocktails
Football Fans, we are here for you! There are so many amazing happy hours around town to get a good deal and watch the game while sipping your favorite libation. But some may argue that the best seat in…
Out-Of-The-Box Happy Hours
New Orleans is so full of bargain happy hours that you'd have to try really hard not to find one. You can check nearly every street corner, restaurant or your favorite watering hole and there is sure to be…
Happy Hour Mania
August is the perfect time to head out to some of our great local spots for great cocktails. There are plenty of great happy hours to enjoy this month, so grab a friend, make a list and sip something…
Tales of the Cocktail - Is It Still Worth The Buzz?
The annual spirit conference has officially hit the Crescent City and people far and wide are enjoying every thing the event has to offer. Traditionally, thousands of people from around the country, and even…
Cocktails are of the Essence
For the next few days thousands of people will converge on New Orleans for the festival some refer to as the party with a purpose. Essence Festival is celebrating 25 years and pulling out all the stops with its…
Cocktail Crawls, Women in Wine and Other Events This Weekend
In New Orleans, fun and cocktails go together like a hand in a glove. There are so many events where we can sit back and enjoy the amazing things the city has to offer. If you are looking for…
4 Places For A Summer Cocktail
We are always in the mood for great cocktails and fun things to do. Even though summer doesn’t officially start until June 21, it’s hot enough to quench our thirst and find some of the best deals around. Brennan’s…
Creative Cocktails And Where To Find Them
There is no question that we live in the best city in the world when it comes to the thrill of drinking great cocktails. This Memorial Day weekend get out and enjoy what bartenders have to offer, as we…
Sip Something Special
Who doesn’t love a great cocktail? We certainly do! If you are in the mood to hop around town and enjoy what several venues are doing to help quench our thirst, we've got you covered. We have visited several…
Where Are You Drinking Tonight?
It is one of our favorite times of the year when we all have fun feeling the festival spirit. If you are taking part in one of the various outdoor activities, we applaud you. Not only does New Orleans…
Sit And Sip On These Cocktail Specials
Finally, it’s festival season and time to pop into some of our favorite places for cocktails in between all of the activity in the city. We checked out some great happy hours and think you should too! Grab a friend…
Sip and Stroll Into Spring
We are in the most beautiful time of the year in New Orleans. And it’s time to step into many bars and restaurants for fun springtime sipping. We recommend enjoying this time of year with a cocktail in hand…
Drink Up, NOLA
Changing the way you cocktail in the Big Easy
about
Daniel Victory is creator and owner of Victory and New Orleans Drink Lab. He has been lauded as a pioneer of the New Orleans "craft cocktail" emergence and is considered one of the most engaging ambassadors of the Crescent City.
His dedication to preserving the artistry and sophistication of classic cocktail creation, as well as the ambiance and high standard of service set forth by many generations old bartenders, sets Daniel Victory apart from the rest.
Daniel Victory said, “If bartending was a science then every martini would be the exactly the same (at least everyone using the same brand). Exact measurements of all the ingredients would yield exactly the same drink. It’s simple scientific method — a system of repeatable experiments that yield the same results. However, anyone who has ever had martinis will tell you, they are not all the same.”
To Victory, bartending is an art form.
By 2009 Victory garnered international acclaim after being recognized as one of the top 5 bartenders in GQ Magazine/Bombay Sapphires “Most Inspired Bartender” contest. After appearing in the December 2009 issue of GQ, Daniel traveled the world as a National Ambassador for Bombay Sapphire. After a year of never being in the same place more than 3 nights and a whirlwind of knowledge he decided it was time to return home, plant his roots and explore cocktail consulting.
In an effort to preserve everything he learned, Daniel became one of the founders and lead educators of the Crescent City School of Bartending and influential in establishing The Flo Woodward Memorial Scholarship.
Daniel is a graduate of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business Program and the Goldman Sachs & Bloomberg LP Business Coaching program.
The next step in leaving his imprint on his hometown is Victory. Nestled in between the Central Business District and New Orleans’ famed Canal Street, stands the physical combination of his aesthetic, travels, smarts & history. Victory has high standards and is often found molding the next generation of bartenders.
In 2015 Victory expanded his vision and yet again put his skills to work. The Old New Orleans Drink Lab is born. A groovy, old world feel where cocktail history and education are his top priority. Here you'll learn to make Crescent City classic cocktails and get the history along with it.
With Victory constantly mixing things up, there’s no sign of slowing down.
