Summertime Sip and Stroll
By Kim Welsh
“ Summertime , and the livin ’ is easy ,” goes the first line of George Gershwin ’ s amazing 1934 aria “ Summertime ,” one of the most popular jazz standards of all time . Summer is a wonderful time for evening strolls to take in the sights and sounds of New Orleans , dipping in to cool your heels and treating yourself to a refreshing sip and live music now and then .
A good start to any stroll begins on Frenchmen Street to take in a variety of top-notch music from jazz to reggae to blues . Located on a quiet corner overlooking a public park , the newly reopened and renovated Frenchmen Hotel at 417 Frenchmen St . is a charming place to chill . Midnight Revival is their intimate in-house bar and live music venue that is perfect for relaxing and imbibing . The only thing more spirited than the music here are the New Orleans and Caribbean-inspired cocktails . Hosting jazz music multiple nights each week , this is the place to soak in the sounds of the city while sipping on an expertly-crafted cocktail . When you need some fresh air , there ’ s a place for you under the stars at their rooftop mezzanine bar . Try one of their signature tropical drinks including my favorite , the frozen , floral and refreshing , Garden Party . It has Rumhaven Coconut Rum , Chareau Aloe Vera , mint syrup , and lemon juice . You may think you are in Tahiti ! Dr . Funk mixes together Myers ’ s Dark Rum , Don Q Silver , Herbsaint , fresh lemon and lime juice , and grenadine . The Privateer is a delightful combination of Pusser ’ s British Naval Rum , Giffard Banane du Bresil , St . Elizabeth ’ s Allspice Dram , simple syrup , and Bittermen ’ s Blackstrap bitters . The refreshing Decatur Street Spritz is another one of Midnight Revival ’ s signature cocktails . It features Peychaud ’ s Bitters , Malfy Blood Orange gin , simple syrup , prosecco , and lemon . Grab a cocktail , find a seat and take in the sights and rhythms that await . At Midnight Revival , the night is always young !
Effervescence is a sparkling wine lounge and restaurant located on the edge of the French Quarter at 1036 N . Rampart St . It combines the fun , vibrant spirit of New Orleans with the
www . FrenchQuarterly . com luxury of Champagne . Owner and Operator , Crystal Hinds , opened in 2017 as a way to bring her lifelong love for celebration and hospitality to fruition . The upscale casual dining room invites guests to come as they are to enjoy sparkling wine and celebrate the everyday !
The sparkling wine list spans the globe , and offers a curated list of exceptional bubbles at all price points from affordable sparklers to renowned Grande Marque Champagnes . The menu boasts over 200 sparkling wines by the bottle , more than 30 sparkling wines by the glass , and six unique sparkling flights that invite guests to explore regions , themes , styles or producers of bubbles . All sparkling by the glass selections are offered as full or half pours , to tempt guests with an indulgent taste of exceptional wines . Effervescence is focused on sparkling wines rather than exclusively Champagne to leave space for varieties from plenty of other regions and countries , including Spain , Italy , Germany and relative newcomer to the scene , Great Britain . Hinds sees this variety as essential ; it allows for different price points and thus demographics . “ Champagne is expensive . I
Midnight Revival
Summer 2022 | 41