Stormin’ of the Sazerac
The historic moment that signaled a break with tradition.
Reserve Your Seat
For a century, the Sazerac Bar was a men’s club. In September of 1949, the women of New Orleans claimed their seat.
A Brief History
1850
The Sazerac Coffee House opens on Exchange Alley, in the French Quarter. For the next hundred years, women are admitted only on Mardi Gras Day. Exchange Alley, c. 1900. Detroit Publishing Co., Library of Congress.
1938
Seymour Weiss commissions New York architect Jack Lester to design a modern bar for the hotel. The Main Bar opens August 1st — the room the Sazerac Bar occupies today.
1949
Weiss buys the rights to the Sazerac Bar name and builds a second bar inside the hotel, on Baronne Street, where the Roosevelt Emporium now stands.
September 26, 1949
A group of New Orleans women stormed the bar demanding to be served. That day, Stormin’ of the Sazerac was born.
Today
Stormin’ of the Sazerac is still commemorated annually with a ladies luncheon, fashion show and second line into the Sazerac Bar.
“Gone are the days of the exclusive masculine sanctuary, the Sazerac marches with the times.”Trade press · November 1949
The Tradition Continues
Each year, one New Orleans lady is honored as the Spirit of the Sazerac — a recognition given to someone who challenges the status quo and shapes positive change in her community, in the spirit of the women who stormed the bar decades ago.
What to Expect
Doors to the Blue Room open at 12:45 p.m., and the celebration begins with the traditional ladies’ luncheon at 1:00 p.m.
- The Luncheon
- A ladies-only three-course lunch in the Blue Room, with a welcome champagne on arrival.
- Entertainment
- Live music and a fashion show, with a juried best-dressed competition.
- The Second Line
- The Spirit of the Sazerac joins the band in leading the group down the Roosevelt lobby to storm the bar.
- What to Wear
- Post-war New Orleans style — hats, veils, gloves and peep-toe shoes.
Join the Next Stormin’ of the Sazerac
The tradition returns to The Roosevelt on Friday, September 25, 2026. Reserve your place and raise a glass to the ladies who defied tradition.
Reserve Your Seat