Peychaud ' s
When my friends come to town , invariably their first question is “ Where is an interesting and unique place to go for a drink ?” shortly followed by “ Will you meet us there ?” Therefore I thought it may be helpful to share two of my favorite new bars , as well as one of my most beloved staples from the past decade .
Tucked away in the heart of French Quarter , Peychaud ’ s at the Maison Deville is an elegant respite , offering classic and signature cocktails prepared by head bartender Nick Jarrett . Honoring the legacy of the bar ’ s namesake and location , Peychaud ’ s is housed in what was formerly the 1830s residence of Antoine Peychaud . He opened a legendary Creole apothecary in 1832 where he prescribed and dispensed his patented herbal bitters , Peychaud ’ s Bitters . Originally , they were medicinal , brought by Peychaud to New Orleans as he and many others fled the slave revolts in Saint-Domingue , on what is now Haiti . This mass migration deeply changed the fabric of the Crescent City : the colorful Creole cottages , iconic foodways , Second Line parade traditions , and famous wrought-iron balconies , all developed thanks to the influx of Haitians in these decades . Purportedly , it was Peychaud who began splashing his bitters into a popular brandy of the day , Sazerac de Forge & Fils , creating the first cocktail . The recipe has morphed into a concoction of Sazerac rye whiskey , Peychaud ’ s bitters , a sugar cube , and a glass rinsed in absinthe . We now know this as the Sazerac , the official cocktail of New Orleans . Today , those same bitters are an essential ingredient in hundreds of classic and modern cocktails , yet only in New Orleans can it be sipped in Antoine Peychaud ’ s former home .
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