Archive for the ‘Sazerac Bar’ Category

The Best Sazerac in Town

Posted on: March 10th, 2009 by admin 4 Comments

“Hmm … too bad we can’t really go try a Sazerac at every single bar in town.”

“Why not?”

Thus began The Great Sazerac Crawl of 2001, in which Wesly and I, during one of our annual trips back home to New Orleans, decided that we needed to do some comparing and contrasting. We had just finished a gorgeous Sazerac at Bayona, and although it was untraditionally served in a cocktail glass rather than a rocks glass it was really top-notch.

Sadly, my notes from that next few days are long gone, but we had a LOT of Sazeracs — I’d say we probably hit at least 15 different bars and restaurants. Most were just fine, some were spectacular, a few were truly rotten, but of all the spaces where we quaffed them, our favorite space was this one:


Chuck &Wes at the Sazerac Bar, 2001

Alas, the photograph is dim and blurry, a side-effect of eschewing flash in an attempt to preserve some atmosphere. In case you’re wondering, yes indeed, it’s the Sazerac Bar at the former Fairmont and former-and-soon-to-be-once-again Roosevelt New Orleans Hotel. I have to confess that we did want to smack a few of their bartenders at the time — simple syrup premix with bitters added to it does not make for a potable drink — but there was no better space for us to have one of what is undoubtedly my favorite cocktail. (I have no idea why some of their bartenders took that shortcut back then — adding the bitters in properly measured amounts separately from the simple syrup takes all of five seconds extra — but I have no doubt that the reincarnated bar’s standards will be nothing but top-notch, with beautiful Sazeracs made from scratch.)

The bar itself, the gorgeous murals, the banquettes (sadly removed a while back, but due to be restored) and all that history … this promises to rise to becoming one of the finest bars in the country. One really great way to achieve that, in addition to hiring creative, cocktailian bartenders who’d bring their own original concoctions to the bar, would be to look back into their own history.

Sazerac Bar Menu

Here’s an old Sazerac Bar menu from my collection, which I’m guessing dates to the early 1940s – please correct me if anyone remembers the exact years when you could get a Sazerac for 60 cents!

Sazerac Bar menu, Roosevelt Hotel, New Orleans, 1940s

Click on the photos for enlarged versions, and let’s start reading that menu:


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 2

The Sazerac, of course tops the list, with the Grasshopper listed second, interestingly — supposedly invented on the other side of Canal at Tujague’s. Martinis, natch (with a proper amount of vermouth, please; i.e., some rather than none!). The New Orleans staple anisette, Ojen (which is in dwindling supply — it’s actually not made anymore, and New Orleans has all that’s left. Find it at Martin Wine Cellar and Vieux Carré Wine and Spirits, and on the menu at Lüke and Commander’s). Look at those classics … Aviation, Jack Rose … yum. Let’s not forget the classics; everything old is new again.


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 3

More classics, and more locals: The Ramos Gin Fizz, of course, which here should be better than those served at any other bar on the planet. The Bayou Swizzle — anyone still have the recipe for that? Rickeys and Sours and Punch, oh my! Perhaps we’ll see punch bowls appearing in this bar again, as the preferred tipple of the 18th and 19th Centuries makes its way back to 21st Century bars.


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 4


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 5

The Sazerac Company no longer makes the pre-bottled Sazerac Cocktail, but I suspect we’ll see the signature glasses for sale, perhaps a 21st Century version?


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 6


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 7

There’s the Bayou Swizzle again, rather prominently featured. I’d really love to know what was in this (besides the warmth of a Southern sun and the subtle tang of a bayou breeze, of course).


Sazerac Bar menu, Page 8

I imagine the Ramos Gin Fizzes will be more expensive (but worth every penny), and I’ll bet the sandwich menu, if they offer one, will be a bit more exciting. Actually, the reopening of this bar and hotel is tremendously exciting. See you in June for a Sazerac!

Chuck Taggart is the author of the long-running web site The Gumbo Pages and its subsidiary blog Looka!, featuring New Orleans cuisine and culture, with a big serving of cocktails. Though not a professional bartender he’s a dedicated and enthusiastic mixologist whose recipes have been published in the Times-Picayune, Imbibe magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Robert Hess’ recent book The Essential Bartender’s Guide and served in bars from Seattle to Boston to the French Quarter.

New Generations of New Orleanians to be Hosted in World-Famous Blue Room and Legendery Sazerac Bar at The Roosevelt New Orleans

Posted on: February 12th, 2009 by admin 13 Comments

NEW ORLEANS – Feb. 10, 2009 – Through more than a century of operation, The Roosevelt New Orleans served as the backdrop for many historic events and often made history in its own right. Key among plans to restore the property to its previous grandeur and appeal will be the reopening of the hotel’s famed Blue Room and legendary Sazerac Bar.

The smell of Eggs Benedict, musical notes from horns and pianos, and the sound of laughter from receptions soon will fill the air at The Roosevelt New Orleans’ world-renowned Blue Room, scheduled to reopen in the summer of 2009.

The Blue Room – legendary with locals, visitors and celebrities – also will return to the Sunday brunch circuit complete with delights such as mascarpone-stuffed French toast with house-made satsuma marmalade, boiled Gulf shrimp, a carving table featuring the finest roasted meats and much more.

Many big-band fans around the world will warmly recall turning to WWL radio at night and hearing the sounds of the Leon Kelner Orchestra, the house band, live from the Blue Room. With gleaming chandeliers and carefully restored architectural details, the renovated Blue Room once again will host live entertainment that appeals to all ages.

“The Blue Room is a household name not just in New Orleans but across the country and even around the globe,” said Mark Wilson, sales and marketing director at The Roosevelt New Orleans. “For decades, the Blue Room was a place for family and friends to enjoy good music and food and to celebrate life’s special occasions. We’re excited to reintroduce this pastime to new generations of New Orleanians and visitors.”

In the golden era of supper clubs from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Blue Room played host to some of the best-known names in entertainment and big bands – including Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, Marlene Dietrich, and Sonny and Cher – as well as to elaborate floor shows.

In addition to hosting Sunday brunch and frequent entertainment, the Blue Room again will be available for the most special of special events, including weddings and carnival balls. For more information about booking the Blue Room for events, contact Earl Lizana, director of catering, at (504) 648-1200 or at earl.lizana@hilton.com.

The Sazerac Bar, a Roosevelt landmark for decades, again will serve its signature Sazerac cocktail and Ramos Gin Fizz – both invented in New Orleans and made popular worldwide by The Roosevelt – among other delights. In addition to beverages that stimulate the palate, patrons again will be able to enjoy the Art Deco-style murals by artist Paul Ninas and woodwork once held in awe by visitors.
When The Roosevelt New Orleans reopens, it will offer 504 guest accommodations, of which 135 will be suites, and 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space, including the spacious 20,000-square-foot Roosevelt Ballroom, 12,000-square-foot Crescent City Ballroom and the 7,000-square-foot Waldorf Astoria Ballroom, along with a total of 23 distinctive meeting and event rooms. For more information, visit www.waldorfastoriacollection.com.

Memories of the hotel’s meeting rooms, the Blue Room and the Sazerac Bar can be logged at the hotel’s blog site: www.therooseveltneworleans.com/blog.

The Roosevelt New Orleans To Host Tales of the Cocktail Opening Reception

Posted on: December 3rd, 2008 by admin No Comments

NEW ORLEANS, LA—December 1, 2008 – Tales of the Cocktail, a cocktail and culinary festival celebrating the history and culture of dining and the cocktail in New Orleans, has chosen The Roosevelt New Orleans as the site of the July 8, 2009, opening-night reception for its seventh anniversary event.

Tales of the Cocktail runs through July 12, 2009.

The historic downtown New Orleans property, a Waldorf=Astoria Collection property shuttered since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, opened in 1893 as the Grunewald. In 1923, it was rebranded The Roosevelt in honor of President Theodore Roosevelt and retained its distinctive moniker until the hotel changed hands in 1965 and was renamed The Fairmont. The grand hotel will reopen in late spring 2009, reborn as a Waldorf=Astoria Collection® hotel.

The summer’s most spirited event, Tales of the Cocktail explores the history and contemporary life of the cocktail at various locations in the New Orleans French Quarter. The event welcomes celebrities, mixologists, chefs, authors and cocktail experts as presenters and special guests from around the globe for seminars, dinners and galas. Top spirits names such as Dale DeGroff, Tony Abou-Ganim, Robert Hess and Kevin Brauch once again will take part in educating industry and consumers alike about the cocktail.

In more than a century of operation, The Roosevelt served as the backdrop for many historic events and often made history in its own right. Key among plans to restore the property to its previous grandeur and appeal will be the reopening of the hotel’s famed Blue Room and legendary Sazerac Bar. In the golden era of supper clubs from the 1930s to the 1960s, the Blue Room played host to some of the best-known names in entertainment and big bands – including Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong and Sonny and Cher – as well as to elaborate floor shows. The Sazerac Bar, a Roosevelt landmark for decades, again will serve its signature Sazerac cocktail and Ramos Gin Fizz – both invented in New Orleans and made popular worldwide by The Roosevelt – among other delights.

“Hosting our opening night in conjunction with the newly restored Roosevelt is an honor,” said Tales of the Cocktail founder Ann Tuennerman. “Tales of the Cocktail celebrates the history of the cocktail, and what better way to introduce visitors to our city than with the city’s official cocktail, The Sazerac, at the original Sazerac Bar,”

The New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society, a non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds to benefit hospitality industry members, produces Tales of the Cocktail annually. Its mission is to preserve the rich history of the restaurants and bars of New Orleans and the unique culture of dining and drinking famous to the city, while educating locals, visitors and the hospitality industry about this culinary heritage.

Tales of the Cocktail, a culinary and cocktail festival, allows the connoisseur or amateur to fully experience (taste, see and learn about) cocktail culture in New Orleans and around the world. The event’s annual components are Spirited Dinners, a Seminar Series, Cocktail Hour, Cocktail Luncheons, walking tours of the French Quarter, and classic and contemporary cocktail parties — all presented by the country’s hottest chefs, authors, bartenders and cocktail experts.

For more information on Tales of the Cocktail, visit the Web site at www.TalesoftheCocktail.com and register to receive email updates, or call 504-948-0511.