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…
In New Orleans, a party is not a party without two essential things: the food and the cocktails. Signature cocktails made a huge wave in the wedding scene, but have recently died down due to,what we believe to be…
Looks like the corner, finally, has been turned. And not a moment too soon. We went through a period of ego and self-congratulations in the Cocktail World of the early 1990’s and into the new century where crazy drink…
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…
The award-winning, New Orleans-based El Guapo Bitters entered the cocktail scene in 2014 with its line of bitters, syrups and mixers. The company says on its website that each product is made with locally-sourced ingredients traceable to the farm…
Prior to the birth of the current cocktail era, which made a first appearance around 1985, no city on the planet could claim the birth of more styles of cocktails than New Orleans. Even now, those classic cocktails invented…
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…
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…
Agave Week wraps up tonight, hopefully you enjoyed part of the 120 different spirits, 60 restaurants and bars and 48 celebrity judges for the second annual event. This year, Agave week took place at the Ace Hotel. And you can…
NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The city of New Orleans is known for its world-renowned food, music and culture, now add bourbon to that and you’ve got yourself a party! This year during the 3rd Annual New Orleans Bourbon…
Timing is key when it comes to your wedding to-do checklist
The Plane Truth
A look ahead to St. Patrick's Day
Attention Mardi Gras revelers! By now many of us are experts on how to get around town and maneuver through the Carnival road blocks and closures. It takes pre planning and a strategic mindset to get where we are…
Please indulge me for just a bit today. I want to stretch beyond my usual editorial boundaries for this effort. Then afterwards I will bring thoughts to bear that are about adult beverages. To note that New Orleans is not…
New Orleans is gearing up for Valentine's Day and Carnival, and what better way to celebrate than with a cocktail? Flamingo A-Go-Go (869 Magazine St.) will host Galentine's Day on Friday, Feb. 15. They are celebrating women by showing chick flicks galore. You…
If you are fortunate enough to live within a 100-mile radius of Jackson Square, you, no doubt, have multiple opportunities just about every day to enjoy a cherished and delicious Carnival custom, King Cake. The usual is still the…
We are always looking for fun ways to imbibe in New Orleans. Many places have sent us invitations to their festive events. We want to share them with you, so you can get in on the action too. Here…
There are a lot of folks out there, and you may be among them, who claim not to like cognac. And there may be a lot of reasons for why these folks (again, maybe you) don’t care for the…
On the high end
Most places around the world have thrown in the towel. Christmas and New Year’s are now both in the rear-view mirror. But here, we did our best to give those two seasons their due, and now we go into…
We know this is the time of year when we pledge to be kinder, warmer and gentler. It’s a time of renewed spirit and promises of a happy new year. With that said, this is also the time to…
You don’t have to go to the North Pole to get really ‘cool’ holiday cocktails. Luckily we live in a city full of spirits, where imbibing is a past time. We love it especially during the holidays because so…
Now is not the time to be in the "Bah, Humbug" state of mind, because in New Orleans we use the money we saved from bargain holiday shopping to enjoy many of the happy hours that are happening all…
In a city like ours, celebrating 300 years of existence, “new” does not hold the allure for us like it does to citizens of, say, Dallas or Houston or Los Angeles. We tend to be more deliberate and not-so-quick…
All across town there are establishments getting ready for the holiday season. The sound of clinking glasses is loud and clear. We are so excited because that means there are plenty of fun events, tastings and cheer to last…
If you're a returning reader, you know here at "Drink Up, Nola," we love a good happy hour. And, lucky for us, New Orleans is full of them. This week, we have a few new happy hours to mention,…
Happy hours in New Orleans hardly ever get a bad rep. After all, we have some of the best drinking spots on the planet, from cocktail bars to good old traditional long standing restaurants. Here, we are highlighting some places…
There’s an old expression we hear too little of these days. No, it’s not “It is what it is,” which has become trite and way overly used. I would prefer to focus on the expression, “A rising tide raises…
The beauty of New Orleans is that we can enjoy a great cocktail just about anywhere, for any reason. Imbibing doesn’t just have to be at your neighborhood bar or fancy restaurant. We embrace the cocktail culture whole heartedly morning,…
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.
