December
8 marks an important day for New Orleanians: National Bartender Day. Not only
do we love our drinks here, but with the service industry having suffered
significantly during the pandemic, this is also the perfect opportunity to get
a cocktail while supporting a local business—and a local bartender. So mask up
and mosey on over to these places to indulge in delicious cocktails. Don't
forget to tip your bartender.
Junior's on Harrison
Junior's on
Harrison
not only serves delicious appetizers, such as a mouthwatering Thai peanut salad
and classic rigatoni mac-n-cheese, but they also serve delicious specialty
cocktails. Order any one, and you won't be disappointed. The Oaxaca Sunset
features Vida Mezcal, lemon, and sparkling rosé; the Best Seat on the Plane
includes Sazerac Rye, Aperol, lemon, and honey; and the Fountain of Youth
provides a unique combination of Three Olives Vodka, prickly pear, and
aquafaba. Junior's will certainly satisfy your needs on National Bartender Day;
click here
to view the rest of their cocktail menu.
Claret Wine & Cocktail Bar
Claret offers more than 25 wines by the
glass, over a dozen cocktail options, and approximately 30 local and regional
brews, including domestic beers. Order the Flip Side with Lillet Blanc, New
Amsterdam Gin, Cocchi Americano, mint, lime, cucumber, and chartreuse. The Eye
of the Hare presents a unique twist on cocktails by mixing cold brew coffee
with mezcal, pink peppercorn, cardamom, and Tempranillo. The Mood Ring masterfully
combines TLC Vodka, vanilla bean lemonade, and butterfly pea flower. Click here to read the rest of the
must-have cocktails offered at Claret.
Palm & Pine
Palm & Pine's Happy Hour lasts from 5:30 p.m.
to 6:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday, featuring specials on three specific
cocktails: the Ranch, the Paloma, and the Royal Scam. The Ranch combines
Cimarron Blanco tequila with lime and Topo Chico, a sparkling mineral water.
The Paloma also features Cimarron Blanco tequila but includes grapefruit in
place of lime, with Squirt soda. The Royal Scam blends Plantation five-year
rum, Pelotón de la Muerte Mezcal, PX Sherry wine, and Cuban bitters. Click here to view the rest of Palm &
Pine's offered cocktails.
Napoleon House's first owner was Nicholas Girod,
who was mayor of New Orleans from 1812 to 1815 and who offered his house to
Napoleon in 1821 during his exile. Once this house became a bar, it became
extremely popular among artists and writers in the 20th century. Come to
Napoleon House to indulge in tasty cocktails, such as the Sazerac with Sazerac
Whiskey, simply syrup, Peychaud and Angostura bitters, and Herbsaint; the Dark
& Stormy cocktail with Kraken Black Spiced Rum, Gosling's ginger beer, and
fresh lime juice; and the Bourbon Milk Punch with Benchmark Bourbon, sugar,
vanilla, half and half, and a sprinkle of nutmeg. Click here to view the rest of the
cocktail menu.
Cure
Cure is a renowned bar and was even the
recipient of the James Beard Foundation's "Outstanding Bar Program" in 2018.
Cure offers an extensive and delectable list of cocktails, ranging from the
Champagne Cocktail with sparkling wine and sugar to the Tom Collins with Old
Tom Gin and lemon to Tommy's Margarita with blanco tequila and lime. These are
only few of Cure's offered specialty cocktails; click here
to view the rest of their cocktail menu.
Felipe's
Felipe's has announced that on National
Bartender Day, all of the New Orleans locations will match guest tips. To
support your local bartenders, head over to a Felipe's, indulge in some
delicious and authentic Mexican dishes made by hand, and order some of this
restaurant's specialty margaritas. The house on the rocks version combines
Pueblo Viejo tequila, key lime juice, and triple sec; the frozen combines
tequila, fresh-squeezed orange and lime juices, and triple sec; and the
Felipe's premium margarita expertly features Camarena Reposado, key lime juice,
and Patron Citronge. You will surely want more of these margaritas and will be
satisfied with the fact that your bartender is getting paid double your tip!