Patrick Van Hoorebeek
Our Own Bon Vivant Extraordinaire
Patrick ’ s Bar Vin , located in the heart of the French Quarter at 730 Bienville St , takes sipping a glass of wine to a whole new level . The colorful , larger-than-life personality of Brussels-born Patrick Van Hoorebeek has gained him top posts for over 35 years . He even threw his hat in the ring to serve as Mayor of New Orleans with the slogan , “ More Wine , Less Crime !” Always fashionably dressed , Patrick has been in the hospitality business most of his adult life and has worked locally in several famous hotels and renowned establishments . Having worked as a sommelier , an award-winning maître d ’, and a charming bar owner , he is a maestro at making his customers happy . He founded his namesake wine haven for both local wine enthusiasts and curious visitors , but offers a wide range of libation sensations .
Among the many spirits served , Patrick is proud to offer Beattie ’ s Vodka , a premium farm-to-bottle potato vodka . At his recent ten-year anniversary celebration for Patrick ’ s Bar Vin , he fell in love with what is now his favorite cocktail , Beattie ’ s Belgium Iced Tea . This refreshing and simple concoction is made with iced tea , lemonade , and Beattie ’ s Vodka .
Beattie ’ s is an award-winning family-run distillery , farming the same land for over a century in Southern Ontario . Beattie ’ s was born out of five generations of farm-crafted experience , beginning with their great-grandfather Roland Beattie , who came over from Scotland in 1876 . He instilled the core values the family and business live by to this day : work hard , love what you do and give back to your community .
Today , Beattie ’ s Farms & Distillers is led by founder Ken Beattie and a passionate team of family , farmers , and distillery staff who all wake up every morning with one simple ambition : Make the world ’ s best tasting spirits through hard work , devotion , taste , and originality . Many connoisseurs think it is the best-tasting vodka in the world . Their distillery now distributes sweet potato vodka , strawberry vodka , blueberry and lemongrass vodka , potato gin , and Poitín , an aged , Irishstyle potato moonshine aged in white oak barrels .
Beattie ’ s is the official sponsor of the Krewe of Cork and they make a wonderful Bloody Mary , a real eye-opener for Fat Tuesday ! “ It ’ s good to be King !” Patrick proclaims . He is founder of the Krewe of Cork and serves as their “ King for Life .” Each Mardi Gras day , he leads fellow Corkians on their annual wine-fueled jaunt through the French Quarter . Oh , what a joy it is to behold the Bacchanalian revelers costumed in corks , wine labels , champagne bottles , and Marie Antoinette-style bouffants with bunches of grapes dripping among their curls . They stroll and imbibe , enjoying the camaraderie that only a good bottle can bring , all while celebrating all things wine . They are quite the spectacle , even on Fat Tuesday , as they saunter and dance down the streets to the rhythm of the Freddie Alonzo and the Cork Poppas jazz band , while their “ wine police ” assure that no glass is left unattended .
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