Maria’s Oyster & Wine Bar, now open in the Warehouse District, celebrates the flavors of the Gulf with sustainably sourced oysters (served both raw and roasted), crudos and Caribbean-inspired dishes. Beverage Director Lindsay Dukes leads the globally inspired beverage program, which shines a light on funky, natural wines and playful tiki-inspired cocktails, all curated to complement the seafood-centric offerings. Guests may enjoy 22 wines by the glass, more than 75 bottles and happy hour wine flights. The wine selection spans the globe with biodynamic bottles hand selected by Dukes, with an emphasis on smaller producers.
Big Easy Whiskey
Big Easy Spirits Company (BESCO) believes it is time to put the whiskey back in flavored whiskey. Now available in New Orleans, Big Easy Whiskey starts with 100 percent American whiskey. BESCO ages the whiskey for five years in used bourbon barrels for a softer taste, less influenced by the fresh wood of newer barrels. Big Easy Whiskey is then infused with two dozen herbs, spices and fruit chosen by Master Blender Kieran Walsh to accentuate the whiskey’s flavor, not compete against it.
Big Easy Whiskey brings depth and complexity to cocktail recipes, whether that’s over the rocks or in the coffee-centric Easy Like Sunday Morning, featuring cold brew, strawberry preserves and mezcal. “Big Easy Whiskey is the best of New Orleans in a bottle,” says COO and Master Blender, Kieran Walsh. “New Orleans always adds a unique flavor to everything it touches, much like the carefully crafted infusions in our whiskey ensuring that the essence of the whiskey remains front and center.”
Emeril’s 34
Emeri’s new restaurant 34 offers a variety of Portuguese wines not often seen on local menus. Sommelier Nicole Maddox’s favorites include wines from the Colares region, south of Lisbon on the coast, produced from centuries old vines that survived the European phylloxera infestation in the 1860’s. The intensely concentrated wines have the ability to age for decades, and the restaurant has a few releases from the 1960s and 1990. Another favorite from winemaker Susana Esteban is the Tira o Véu, an unusual blend that is fermented and aged in a clay Talha, then allowed to age under flor (a layer of yeast) similar to how sherry is aged.
Maddox’s favorite fortified wine from the Carcavelos region starts with a white base wine, unlike traditional ports that are made from red base wines. The result is a fresher, slightly drier, fortified wine. Villa Oreiras is the sole remaining producer of this wine, and 34 carries their 15 year blend, which Maddox notes that pairs perfectly with the dessert Pasteis de Nata.
Seawitch cocktails
Visitors to the French Quarter find beverages served in all manner of enormous vessels, from footballs to fishbowls. Folks seeking something a little classier (but still sharable) should head over to the Seawitch, a lively new seafood and oyster bar known for its delicious chargrilled oysters and fresh seafood. Now you can add their shareable cocktails to the list and one of their standouts stars blood orange juice, Aperol, prosecco and club soda. Guests who prefer their beverages in smaller portions can enjoy robust wines by the glass featuring many options to pair with their locally sourced oysters. Warmer weather makes this perfect spot for sipping on their dual balconies.
Bittermilk
Bittermilk’s New Orleans Style Old Fashioned Rouge, a non-alcoholic cocktail mixer that can craft three-ingredient cocktails, is now locally available at NOLA Boards, as well as online. The Old-Fashioned Rouge mixer is aged in Willett Family Reserve Rye Whiskey barrels. It features the flavors of wormwood, fennel and gentian root that evoke the flavors of absinthe and bitters. The red “rouge” is provided by a traditional coloring technique using Cochineal, a red beetle from Peru. In addition to mixing a classic Old-Fashioned, Old-Fashioned Rouge can be added to sparkling wine to create Death in the Morning or mix it with Coke and bourbon to create the No.1 Cola.
