Carnival season is ground zero for people who love to have a great cocktail; as drinks are available morning, noon and well into the night.
There is plenty to see and do during this most festive time of year; and it's imperative to get our drinking plan together. With that in mind, we searched out some favorite spots to enjoy great cocktails while catching beads and dancing to our favorite local bands.
Lucy's Retired Surfers Bar (701 Tchoupitoulas St.) has a larger than life drink called the Pirates Punch. We all know punch is a great way to serve a thirsty crowd, and this one is rum-based, red in color and served in an actual fishbowl. They come in 40oz and 50oz containers. It’s new this year for Mardi Gras and bartender Chad Wilson says, “This is the place to be for a dip in the fishbowl.” While there, ask about their balcony access, which has all you can eat food and the coveted private bathrooms.
Emeril’s New Orleans (800 Tchoupitoulas St.) has a special Mardi Gras cocktail menu with four specialty drinks. The King Cake Milk Punch uses E&J Brandy and king cake syrup. The Berry Bacchus is vodka-based with Chambord, ginger-mint syrup and lemon and lime juice. If that hits your
palate’s desire, there is more. Try the Golden Orpheus cocktail, which has blood orange vodka, elderflower liqueur, thyme simple syrup and grapefruit. Now that’s Carnival cocktail creativity.
Meril (424 Girod St.) located in the Warehouse District, is Chef Emeril Lagasse’s newest concept and fourth restaurant in New Orleans. The team there uses the hashtag #everydaysAparty. The special Mardi Gras menu features four specialty cocktails. The Flambeaux Punch has rum, passion fruit, banana and ginger syrup. The King Cake Coquito has white rum, coconut milk and lime. The bourbon-based Purple Knight has Lillette, lemon and blueberry. Assistant General Manager Miki Nikolic says, “coming up with these cocktails is fun and we love doing it. It adds a twist of revelry to an amazing time of year in our fabulous city.”
Nosh (752 Tchoupitoulas St.) has a happy hour that is to die for. The team is offering four different modern craft brews for $4 each and five classic craft cocktails for $5 each. If its wine you love, Nosh has wines of the world for $6 each. Great deals for their social hour which is 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Gordon Biersch (200 Poydras St.) is great for a lot of reasons, but if you are looking for a great grab-and-go this could be fun. They are offering craft beer to-go. This way you can sip your way through Carnival and have a blast doing it.
We all know Mardi Gras is a special time for us and we love all of the rhythm and revelry of the season. Try carving out time for Carnival cocktails, because our beloved bartenders work hard making us specialty cocktails we can enjoy right here in the Big Easy!
These are just a few options for you to try. If you find some wonderful drinks, please share them with us so we can share it with the world. Cheers!
