Justine, the gorgeous Chartres Street brasserie, has opened Cafe Justine. Located in the restaurant’s front cafe area with its own dedicated bar menu, the sidewalk bar offers specially priced beer, wine and signature cocktails (like the passion fruit daiquiri and Pimm’s Cup) Friday and Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. It’s the perfect spot for grabbing a go-drink before or during the Mardi Gras parades. 225 Chartres St., 504-218-8533, justinenola.com
Hang Ten
Lucy’s Retired Surfers Bar & Restaurant, home of the famed scorpion shot (and a great spot for Mardi Gras revelry), has more than doubled in size after a significant expansion that encompasses the neighboring historic property at 709 Tchoupitoulas St. The $3.5 million expansion project, led by architect Nicholas Musso of Musso Architects, adds 8,000 square feet of additional dining room space, private event space, upgraded courtyard dining, an additional balcony, restrooms and an elevator. 701 Tchoupitoulas St., 504-523-8995, lucyssurf.com
Limited-Edition Whiskey
Proof and Wood Ventures has launched The Cabinet, a limited-edition whiskey that showcases the best of the company’s ryes and bourbons. The Cabinet is part of the award-winning DC Collection, including The Senator, awarded the Best American Rye at the 2022 World Whiskies Awards; and The Representative, dubbed World’s Best Bourbon, at the 2023 World Whiskies Awards. The 2023 edition is now available in more than 30 states across the country (but with a limited run of only about 600 six-bottle cases). The blend includes whiskies aged between five and nine years, and it features flavors of rye, dried fruits, nutmeg and mint. Available at Brady’s Wine Warehouse, 1029 Oretha C. Haley Blvd., 504-662-1488
Thirsty Throwbacks
Kilroy’s, at the Higgins Hotel & Conference Center, has a slew of new cocktails in celebration of “Expressions of America,” the newest attraction at The National WWII Museum. Cocktails include 3 Dots & A Dash (a blend of aged pot-still and silver rums, fresh ginger, acacia honey, cloves and freshly squeezed citrus); Birdsong at Midnight (reposado tequila, chocolate mole, jalapeño, pomegranate molasses and lemon juice); Go For Broke (London Dry gin, sake, apricot, aperitivo, dry vermouth and orange bitters); and Tuskegee Airman (rye whiskey, amaro, applejack, lemon juice, maple syrup and blackstrap bitters). Try them now before the cocktail menu changes again at the end of the month. 1000 Magazine St., 504-528-1941, higginshotelnola.com
Getting Punchy
Criollo, the refined Creole bistro within Hotel Monteleone, has launched a new 2024 special on drinks. Enjoy $3 Caribbean milk punch or brandy milk punch during the restaurant’s weekend Jazz Brunch, held every Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 214 Royal St., 504-681-4444, criollonola.com
Brunch with a Twist
A new bar and restaurant, dubbed Easy Virtue, has opened on Fulton Street in the Warehouse District with a focus on creative cocktails, more than 100 refined bourbons and whiskeys, and an upscale daily brunch. The brunch cocktail menu includes options like the Cereal Milk Punch, Y’all (Buffalo Trace Bourbon shaken with cereal-infused milk, rimmed with crushed cereal) and the Be Patient, Veruca (blueberry vodka with blueberry-infused syrup, fresh blueberries and freshly squeezed lemon). Meanwhile, the bubbly menu offers a selection of Champagnes, sparkling wines and Champagne cocktails. Try the EV Mimosa Party, which includes a bottle of bubbly, assorted juices and fresh berries. In addition to indoor and outdoor seating, Easy Virtue boasts a 36-seat central bar and a large private dining room available for groups of up to 50 guests. 878 Fulton St., 504-613-2844
