Bar food menu at Carousel Bar.
By now you've seen the expanded Carousel Bar, with its lusher expanse of light (all the better to catch the weirdness on Royal Street) and a new food list.
The small bites (pizzettes topped with mashed red beans and boudin; muffalettainspired paninis; crawfi sh beignets; and crostini smothered with caramelized onions, blue cheese and beef tenderloin) are meaty enough for lunch, or a decadent snack.
To drink: If you obsessed over the Olympics this summer, try its namesake cocktail; here, it uses Pierre Ferrand amber cognac, citrus and a Creole shrub (a sweet blend of rums and orange peel).
New cocktail menu at Maurepas Foods.
Brad Smith recently launched a trio of cocktails that reflect what's hot in the spirits world: namely, carbonated cocktails on tap, prebatched punches and beer-based cocktails.
The Omergerd pairs apricot-infused bourbon with Belgian blonde ale (and is likely still on the menu), while the punch and draft cocktail will change weekly, if not daily (that depends on what's fresh in the kitchen, and what's on Brad's mind).
This fall, look for an amaro and cola on draft; fi g-infused rye whiskey; and boozy ice cream.
Changing of the guard at iris. After "Bartanica" author and yoga teacher Sharon Floyd departed Iris over the summer, two former Marines - Jimmy Syock and Scot Mattox - stepped behind the stick. Jimmy revamped the list to include more assertive drinks and modifi ers - gin anchored with a porter beer reduction; a jalapeño-infused aged tequila; chorizo bitters.
The guys can be intuitive, too, helping you choose just the right gin to pair with their housemade tonic syrup.
New menu at Cocktail Bar.
Molecular cocktails (an Aviation snoball; indulgent, spirited shakes) and drinks zapped with acid phosphate (which sharpens existing fl avors and adds acidity, without the oft-used citrus) are signatures of the new menu at Cocktail Bar at the Windsor Court Hotel.
Mixologist Christine Jeanine Nielsen also rotated out drinks based on fat-washed vodka and strawberry liqueur, and replaced kumquatinfused tequila with a blueberry-infused version, all following the change in seasons.
Fans of the Firm Handshake, which pairs bourbon with ginger tea and citrus-clove bitters, will be relieved to know it remains on the menu.
Atelier Vie's locally grown wormwood.
The Mid-City absinthe distiller, due to roll out its red absinthe shortly, has contracted with two local growers - High Tail Farms and Vintage Garden Kitchen - to grow wormwood, which will go into its future green and white absinthes. Atelier Vie plans to make those two formulas completely locally sourced.
Sake cocktails at Koi.
This Asian eatery pops up at Twist Lounge on Wednesday and Thursday evenings; pair your sushi, Korean barbecue and Thai noodles (put together beautifully by Chef Mike Fennelly) with equally-gorgeous sake-based cocktails, written by bartender Jacob DeLaune. At the moment, they're offering a happy hour fl ight of sake cocktails for $1 (the varieties are lemon-thyme, ginger-mint, and a pairing with St. Germain).
Atelier Vie, 1001 S. Broad St.
Carousel Bar at the Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., 523-3341
Cocktail Bar at the Windsor Court Hotel, 300 Gravier St., 522-1994
Iris, 321 N. Peters St., 299-3944
Koi at Twist Lounge, Wednesday & Thursday evenings, 628 St. Charles Ave., 523-7600
Maurepas Foods, 3200 Burgundy St., 267-0072
