Spirit Magazine - December 2013 - (Page 74)

glass, he might ritualistically hurl himself into some baroque verse written by a 19th-century imbiber: Then comes the zenith of man's pleasure. / Then comes the julep-the mint julep ... Possessing the pleasantly avuncular mien of a Southern Garrison Keillor, McMillian is a drink-stirring reference guide to New Orleans, cocktails, and just about everything in between. On my most recent visit to Kingfish, I witnessed a McMillian lesson on the Croatian origin of maraschino cherries, which suddenly zigzagged, after he spotted a customer's summer-season cravat, into an account on the history of seersucker. Like his encyclopedic mind, McMillian's menu reflects a passionate appreciation for timeless drinks. He preps standard cocktails, but with his own modest, always thoughtful details: His mint julep uses peach simple syrup; his Pimm's Cup, fresh, seasonal berries. But he'd never tinker with the Sazerac- the state's official cocktail, as proclaimed by legislative decree-an old-fashioned blend of rye, bitters, and absinthe that has remained unfussed with since its inception more than a century and a half ago. With my hands sticking to the icy cold of my julep glass, it strikes me that though the city's cocktail first flourished in other neighborhoods throughout New Orleans, it is here within the scant 13-by-six square blocks of the French Quarter (aka the Vieux Carré), the site of so much boozy history and culture, that a truly extraordinary renaissance is occurring. f McMillian is the city's cocktail historian, across the street at SoBou, head bar chef Abigail Gullo is its premier performer, a matchless entertainer behind the bar. She is a recent transplant from New York City, where she worked as a theater teacher and off-Broadway singer and actress. Obsessed since she was a child with drawings of fancy, old-school drinks printed on diner place mats, the grown Gullo began making increasingly elaborate drinks at home. She studied bartenders, entered and won an amateur 74 SPIRIT DECEMBER 2013 contest, and made a name for herself at a hip Brooklyn bar called Fort Defiance. Her trajectory mirrored that of other bartenders I met, especially in one regard: They fell hard for New Orleans and its passion for drinks during the city's Tales of the Cocktail convention. First held in 2002, the annual summer event has grown from a few bartenders to more than 20,000 professionals and aficionados. After attending Tales for three years straight, her enthusiasm for New Orleans compelled Gullo to answer a classified ad posted online by the restaurant group behind Commander's Palace, the champion of haute Creole cuisine. Commander's co-proprietors, cousins Ti Martin and Lally Brennan, launched the city's cocktail resurgence in 2004 with the Swizzle Stick Bar. They had a thing for spectacle; for years it seemed that half of New Orleans would convene BORN in NEW ORLEANS DRINK UP THE HISTORY OF THESE HOMETOWN HEROES, THEN DISCOVER WHERE TO TRY THEM Ramos Gin Fizz Favored by famed Louisiana politician Huey Long, this frothy concoction, consisting of gin, egg white, cream, orange-flower water, lemon and lime juice, sugar, and seltzer, was first shaken in 1888 by jovial barman Henry Ramos. TRY IT Long's favorite spot for sipping one, and the best place to go still today? The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel. 123 Baronne St. Sazerac The first iteration of this cocktail (a blend of rye, sugar, Peychaud's bitters, and absinthe) appeared around 1850. TRY IT Each year, the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society bestows its Seal of the Sazerac to a handful of establishments, creating a growing archive of locations where you're guaranteed an unadulterated version of the drink. Among this year's inductees: Cane & Table (1113 Decatur St.), Kingfish (337 Chartres St.), and Galatoire's 33 (215 Bourbon St.). Hurricane This fruity cooler emerged during World War II, when whiskey was rare and rum flowed freely. TRY IT The site of the drink's creation, Pat O'Brien's (718 St. Peter St.), is a fine place to start. (But it's now produced using a proprietary mix.) For a taste of the original, made with fresh lemon juice and housemade passion-fruit syrup, head to Tiki Tolteca, an island escape located upstairs from Felipe's Taqueria (301 N. Peters St.).

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Spirit Magazine - December 2013

Spirit Magazine - December 2013
Contents
Gary's Greeting
Gary's Greeting en Español
Star of the Month
Freedom Story
From the Editor
Your Worlds
Your Pictures
Media Center
Spice up your drink repertoire
Eat Drink Sleep
Cook with chickpeas
Stay Overnight in Nashville
The Numbers
Make a Case for Paper Maps
Look out for Bigfoot
Plan Interplanetary Trek
Wise Guide
Co-opt Criticism
Business
Meet your New Favourite Travel Buddy
Provoke Productivity
Tales of a Tippling City
Rediscover Sin City
The Other Side of Vegas
Your Adventure In Albuquerque
Promotional Series: Spirit of Florida
Focus On: Health Resolutions
Calendar
Fun!
Spotlight
Community Outreach
Products & Services
Flight Services
Terminal Maps
Information
Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards Partners
Route Map
The "If" List

Spirit Magazine - December 2013