"The Absinthe Frappé" and "Cure New Orleans Drinks:" Almost 200 years of drinking in NOLA in 2 very different books

A small confession. The first few paragraphs here were provided by ChatGPT. 

"Absinthe and New Orleans cocktail enthusiasts, get ready to add two new books to your reading list! Marielle Songy's "The Absinthe Frappé" and Neal Bodenheimer's "Cure: New Orleans Drinks and how to mix 'em" are two must-read books for anyone interested either in the history and culture of absinthe or New Orleans cocktails more generally.

"The Absinthe Frappé" is a deep dive into the history and culture of absinthe in New Orleans. Songy's book explores the origins of absinthe in the city, how it became popular, and its eventual downfall. The book also includes recipes for traditional New Orleans absinthe cocktails, like the Sazerac and the Absinthe Frappé, as well as lesser-known drinks like the Ramos Gin Fizz (Editor note: The Absinthe Frappé book does not contain a Ramos Gin Fizz recipe but the second book here does!). Songy's book is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the history of absinthe in New Orleans. The author's passion for the subject is evident on every page, and the recipes are sure to inspire readers to try making their own absinthe cocktails at home.

On the other hand, "Cure: New Orleans Drinks and how to mix 'em" by Neal Bodenheimer is a cocktail recipe book that celebrates the unique culture of New Orleans. While the book is not specifically focused on absinthe, it includes several absinthe-based cocktails (actually only one: the Absinthe Suissesse, alongside five with Herbsaint), as well as other classic New Orleans drinks like the Hurricane and the French 75. 

What sets "Cure" apart from other cocktail books is its focus on the history and culture of New Orleans. The book includes essays and stories about the city's bartenders, drinks, and traditions, giving readers a deeper understanding of the unique cocktail culture of the Big Easy. Overall, both "The Absinthe Frappé" and "Cure: New Orleans Drinks and how to mix 'em" are excellent additions to any absinthe lover's book collection. Whether you're interested in the history of absinthe in New Orleans or just looking for some new cocktail recipes to try, these books are sure to satisfy. So, pour yourself a glass of absinthe and settle in for a good read!"

So much for ChatGPT. 

What do I think of these books? 

"The Absinthe Frappé" is a superb addition to the books I have reviewed previously about absinthe and cocktails. It has an excellent history of absinthe, correctly crediting the Henriods with its creation, and then detailing its boom, bust and subsequent re-birth. The book's focus is unashamedly American, mainly on New Orleans as the birthplace of the absinthe frappé. The story of the absinthe frappé is told in great detail and the book concludes with eleven absinthe cocktails and a list of bars in New Orleans where one can enjoy an absinthe frappé. 

Including, of course, The Old Absinthe House.

Followed by a wonderful three page list of sources. Sadly many of these are digital links, which may require a lot of concentration to type in correctly (do not attempt to type in these links after a few absinthe frappés!). Generally typing in the keywords (e.g. a book title) may get you to the link. Google famous new orleans drinks and how to mix 'em to get to a legal digital version of this classic. 

Don't be deceived by the book's size (4.8 x 0.32 x 6.85 inches). The book is very detailed, with a lot of information not assembled together elsewhere and with absolutely no padding. Its size allowed me to take it and to enjoy it on train journeys and will allow those visiting New Orleans to use it as a great guide book while going on a tour of the best absinthe bars in NOLA. It is not a coffee table book (many of those are books that are bought to be displayed and are never read). This is very definitely a book to be read, to be enjoyed and, hopefully, to inspire its readers to perfect their absinthe frappé making skills!   

"The Absinthe Frappé" was written by Marielle Songy, who was born and raised in New Orleans. We've been Facebook friends for a while and I am grateful to her and her publishers for an advance copy of the book for review. When I got the book, I asked her some questions: these and her answers follow: 

Do you have any plans to write more about absinthe and/or any other absinthe cocktails? 

I don't have any current plans to write about any other absinthe cocktails, but I do want this to be the beginning of adding to the conversation and absinthe education. I hope to do what I can to spread the word about absinthe, dispel the myths, and hopefully make it a bit more popular again (or at least get to the point where at least one absinthe-forward cocktail is offered on fine cocktail menus). 

What was the most surprising thing you discovered about absinthe and/or the Frappé? 

One thing I discovered in my research is just how versatile absinthe is! Before I started the book, I hadn't really tried many absinthe-forward cocktails. The book changed that. Of course there's the Frappe, but all of the cocktails in my cocktail guide are drinks I have tried throughout this process. My favorites are Bitter Party of One and Death in the Afternoon. 

How many absinthe frappés did you have to consume while researching/writing the book? Do you make this great cocktail at home or do you prefer to drink it in the great bars of NOLA? 

I tried many absinthe frappes throughout my research and I was surprised at how different they are, depending on the bar! My favorite is still the classic with the crushed ice and simple syrup, but Mr. B's had an interesting one served in a martini glass with egg white in it. I was also surprised at how many bars serve the frappe "neat" with no ice. I have made the cocktail at home because it's quite easy, but I do prefer to enjoy it at a nice bar. 

Would you be brave enough to specify the best absinthe frappé you had? What was so great about it? And which bar? Or would you prefer not to answer that? For me, it was at Cure and, of course, it contained La Clandestine! 

My favorite is definitely Cure. I just think it's made perfectly with the dome of ice and is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds!

.....................

Marielle and I agree on a lot. Notably on the role of the Henriods and on the best place in NOLA to enjoy the absinthe frappé. I hope to get to NOLA again soon to enjoy this superb drink at Cure with Marielle. Santé!

When I told Marielle that her book was going to be reviewed at the same time as "Cure: New Orleans Drinks and how to mix 'em,"  she wrote "I am beyond flattered to be included in the same universe as Neal's wonderful book, of which I also have a copy."  Here is Cure NOLA:

I first made it to Cure and met Neal Bodenheimer on July 15th, 2013, which was also my first day ever in New Orleans. I was staying at The Monteleone for Tales of the Cocktail and was just a few yards from The Old Absinthe House, so Cure was not the first NOLA bar I visited. But it made a big impression on me, so I was thrilled to be given Neal's new book as a present a few months ago.

For those of my readers who want to read about absinthe, you may be a little disappointed to note that there are not many absinthe recipes in this book. There is a recipe for Absinthe Suissesse (which has been one of my favourites recently) and, in the food recipe section, 

you'll find Mussels in Absinthe. Gorgeous!

This being New Orleans, there are, of course, several recipes with Herbsaint and, since absinthe and Herbsaint are more interchangeable here than anywhere else, that's understandable.

Neal's book is, indeed, a gorgeous and highly practical cocktail book with an amazing collection of almost every classic New Orleans cocktail. The Sazerac, 

the French 75, Ramos Gin Fizz. the Hurricane etc. Every New Orleans classic apart from the Absinthe Frappé. It's almost as if Neal knew Marielle's book was on the way!

It's a superb cocktail book, detailing Cure's style, spirits selection criteria, and techniques. As examples of the care and love that goes into making a Cure cocktail, there's almost a whole page about how to express citrus and another on whether or not to chill glassware!

From then on, Cure follows a straight-ish historical line through New Orleans cocktails from the Sazerac (and variations), the Old-Fashioned (and variations) etc.

The cocktails are interspersed with sections on the New Orleans Cocktail Bucket list (the best bars in town), the best music venues, classic dive bars, Black bars, Mardi Gras, and a page on the Green Fairy! This is a book to bring back memories of Tales of the Cocktail and NOLA (yes, it's time I returned post-Covid), with mentions of many people I have met there or elsewhere. This is a book with, it seems, hundreds of short stories (some of these are cocktails, some are Neal's anecdotes about NOLA). It's a book you dip into for inspiration or an idea, and half an hour later you're still reading about a cocktail's variations or the technical issues involved. For example, Cure used to use 21 drops of Peychaud's in a Sazerac but now uses 23 drops!

................................

I love both these books: Marielle's for the deep dive (thank you, ChatGPT) into the history and culture of absinthe in New Orleans, Neal's for the memories it evokes, for reminding me of the places I still have to visit in NOLA and for the amazing cocktail knowledge. This is clearly a must-have cocktail book, even if you're mainly interested in absinthe.

If you're visiting NOLA, you may find The Absinthe Frappé more portable and convenient to carry from bar to bar; alternatively you may want to splurge out on the Ebook version of Cure to take with you. 

I'd recommend both! Santé, Marielle and Neal!

Swiss Absinthe Day, meet Mardi Gras!

(Photo from The Old Absinthe House, New Orleans) 

March 1 is an important date in Switzerland, well for some of Switzerland. It is Republic Day in the canton of Neuchâtel: the Val-de-Travers is located within this àrea and this is where absinthe was born and where most Swiss absinthe is made today. March 1 2005 was chosen as the date on which absinthe was re-legalised in Switzerland: I guess the authorities assumed, correctly, that many people would be drinking a lot of absinthe that day, so choosing a holiday for re-legalisation seemed a good idea. I know that my distiller had good cause to celebrate in 2005 when he was finally able to move out of his clandestine distillation facilities!

I have written previously about absinthe being re-legalised in Europe by mistake in 1988, meaning that other countries in Europe do not have a date to celebrate. European action and the clearer action in Switzerland were part "door openers" for the next re-legalisation which is celebrated on March 5 in the USA. This marks the date in 2007 when the first Lucid label was approved. I have suggested that countries should take these two dates and use them as the basis for an "Absinthe week" from March 1 to March 5, but right now may not be the best time for such an event.

Mardi Gras, of course, doesn't have a fixed date as it depends on the date of Easter which depends on the phases of the moon. This year, however, marks the first time that Swiss Absinthe Day and Mardi Gras have fallen on the same day (interesting to note that the dates also align in 2033 and 2044, but not again until the 22nd century).

Mardi Gras can be celebrated anywhere, but it is most closely associated within the drinks trade with New Orleans which is the historic American centre of absinthe consumption and absinthe cocktail creation.  The histories of the Sazerac and the Absinthe Frappé are well-known but there are other less appreciated absinthe cocktails from New Orleans that are definitely worth trying. The Suissesse is described in the first  Dead Rabbit cocktail book as "the culmination of absinthe in the mixed drink format ... a simple and delicious beverage that many (especially in New Orleans) select for their daily eye-opener."

More about this cocktail, including different recipes on Instagram.

New Orleans may have a strong connection to France but, as this newspaper ad in Le Meschacébé from February 1898 shows, New Orleans also enjoyed Swiss absinthe.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans has suffered during the pandemic but 2022 looks set to be a special event.  If you are there this year, you shouldn't be reading this! You should be with the people in the picture at the top which shows the view from the Balconies above The Old Absinthe House. Or you should be in the picture like the one below which is one of my favourite shots from inside The Old Absinthe House (original here).

The last time I was in New Orleans, I selflessly devoted myself to absinthe cocktail research and creation. I don't recall what all of these were ..

I do recall Jackie at The Old Absinthe House making me a very nice Clandestino:

And I also recall some excellent Bloody Fairies at Pirate's Alley Café/Absinthe House. This photo with Virginia was taken a few months later:

Still to return to New Orleans, post Covid, is the Belle Epoque bar within The Old Absinthe House. The Belle Epoque looked set to be the most exciting new absinthe bar in the USA and we hope it will return soon. In the meantime, there have been some exciting absinthe bar openings in San Diego and in New York.

In San Diego, autumn saw the opening of Wormwood: they have a great absinthe selection, all served beautifully. This photo shows Chris Hampson from my US importer enjoying a glass of Butterfly, served with chilled water from one of their fifteen absinthe fountains! 

Also opening in the autumn was New York's Café de L'Enfer. From the team behind Amor y Amargo. 

We've heard some great reports about this and hope to bring more news from these new absinthe bars on West and East coasts soon.

Remember: 2022 gives you two good reasons to celebrate with absinthe. Swiss Absinthe day and Mardi Gras combined. You won't have an excuse like this for another 11 years. So, santé and laissez les bons temps rouler! 

  

In search of the Bloody Fairy

Virginia Davis, manager, Pirate’s Alley Café/Absinthe House, New Orleans

The ”Bloody Fairy?” Gimmick or classic? Let’s explore this..

By “Bloody Fairy,” of course, I mean an absinthe equivalent of the “Bloody Mary.” Sounds simple, or so I thought.

But it turns out that there are different directions this could go: it could be a standard spicy Bloody Mary with a few dashes of absinthe as seen here:

Or it could be a completely different (and not spicy) drink using absinthe, cranberry juice and tonic water as seen here:

Or it could be a drink in which absinthe completely replaces vodka as mentioned here:

I believe the last option included here fits far better with the "Bloody" proposition and is clearly more "Fairy" related.

I used this starting point on my 2018 visit to New Orleans and later at home. I now believe I am close to the perfect Bloody Fairy, loved by bars, using tweaks from famous cocktail experts, and indulging my own preferences too. It’s been a tough journey but someone had to do it!

Firstly I see little need to tamper with the "Bloody" element, For bars serving very spicy or alternatively more mellow Bloody Marys, you know what works for your customers, so don’t tamper with that element. That’s what your customers want, whether it be a brunch cocktail, aperitif or even digestif (a good Bloody Mary can indeed be all of these). So I will not detail or define here the spicy tomato element of this cocktail: what works for your customers in your bar or for you at home in a Bloody Mary will work for you in a Bloody Fairy.

Moving onto the absinthe element, it is clear that absinthe can be a polarising taste. While vodka can be somewhat blander. I believe less bitter absinthes work much better in this cocktail, complementing the tomato juice and the spicy elements, rather than fighting with them. For me, and the New Orleans bartenders we tried this with, Butterfly Classic Absinthe worked really well, with respectable strength (65%), little bitterness, and a flavour profile that complements tomato and spices. Butterfly has a traditional recipe base of herbs and spices which complement the spices used in Bloody Mary; it also has hints of citrus and mint that sit well alongside tomato juice.

Butterfly's US heritage makes it a perfect ingredient in this Bloody Mary twist, given that the Bloody Mary may have been born at the New York Bar in Paris in 1921 or in New York itself in the 1930's, and it is certainly a cocktail which is most popular in the USA.

So this was the start of the drink: a traditional tomato/spice mix and Butterfly Absinthe. A prototype Bloody Fairy that I drank in bars in New Orleans in September 2018. Firstly in The Old Absinthe House with Jackie and her team:

(yes, I know the Bloody Fairy glass is empty: a clear indication that this was the most popular of the three cocktails we shared)

at other bars around New Orleans:

and at Tony Seville's Pirate's Alley Café and Absinthe House (see photo with Virginia Davis at the top). We all loved it.

However I recognise that the slight element of bitterness in any good absinthe may not work for everyone, and after consideration I realised that an extra ingredient I had enjoyed in Bloody Marys a few years ago would really be the icing on the cake,

Sherry.

I researched further and I found that some of the world’s most celebrated cocktail experts have used sherry to complete their Bloody Marys. If this idea is good enough for Erik Lorincz (formerly of The Savoy)

and for Simon Ford of Ford's Gin

there must be a reason.

Manzanilla or Fino didn’t seem quite right, so I was interested to consider a cream sherry. I was not alone, judging by this article from a British newspaper:

So there we have it. The perfect Bloody Fairy recipe:-

1. Tomato juice and all the usual spices and garnishes: exactly how you would combine them in your Bloody Mary.

2. Spirit:

Either replace all the vodka with Butterfly Absinthe, an American-style absinthe. Noting that this comes in at 65% alcohol, then you could perhaps reduce the amount of absinthe to around two-thirds of the amount (of vodka) you would use in a Bloody Mary.

Or replace half of the vodka with  Butterfly Absinthe, so a smaller amount of Butterfly and half of the vodka.

3. The icing on the cake: float Cream Sherry on top.

We hope you love this Bloody Fairy as much as we do! It is much much more than a gimmick and deserves to become a new classic cocktail. And, as it's Oscar season, I'd like to thank Bernie for all her help in New Orleans and for sharing a few Bloody Fairies! Cheers!

Ladies drinking absinthe

I've posted about ladies and absinthe jokingly before, and have also highlighted the more serious role of women in making absinthe.

So it was interesting to discover recently two artistic treatment of women drinking absinthe: from Paris in 1905 and from New Orleans in 2017.

The first of these is probably more interesting!

Gustave Poetzsch was a Swiss artist who lived from 1870 to 1950. Born in Neuchâtel, he moved to Paris to develop his painting skills. His painting of L'Élégante au verre d'absinthe may surprise absinthe historians. It seems to show a fashionable French lady drinking absinthe on her own in a Parisian café or bar. She's drinking from a glass that doesn't look like an absinthe glass and seems to be on her third drink (count the saucers used to help keep count of how many drinks a customer would need to pay for). There seems to be no stigma associated with this: she is indeed an elegant lady. Marie-Claude Delahaye has written in some detail about the painting and the unusual glass. This painting seems, in summary, to debunk the myths about absinthe in Paris at the start of the 20th century: it is a long way from "absinthism."

As the painting debunks myths, so Hollywood continues to spread myths about absinthe. Below I present the "absinthe" sequence from the trailer for Girls Trip. While it may be true that tourists to New Orleans enjoy drinking the Green Fairy in The Old Absinthe House and elsewhere, and some may over-indulge, they do not get the kind of absinthe effects depicted here. The most active ingredient in absinthe is alcohol. Drinking too much absinthe, and hence too much alcohol, does not lead to experiencing anything more remarkable than seeing the sidewalk (pavement) close-up.



This is shared here to show how Hollywood continues to exaggerate the effects of absinthe. Something that reputable absinthe distillers will never do.

Absinthe Days and Mardi Gras

I blogged about Absinthe Days in 2012, noting that March 5 had been designated National Absinthe Day in the USA at Lucid's instigation and that March 1 was being celebrated in Switzerland as their Absinthe Day.

March 5, 2007 was the day when Lucid got their final US approval, and coincidentally March 5, 2013 was the day when Pernod got their final label approval for their new "original recipe."

Neither of these dates were celebrated at the time for a variety of reasons, including the fact that products were not actually available in the US to celebrate with.

How very different from March 1, 2005: the day when absinthe was re-legalised in Switzerland after a 95 year absence. There was extensive press and TV coverage ...

The articles above feature both Claude-Alain Bugnon, the first illegal/"clandestine" distiller to go legal, and Yves Kubler.

Parties were held and many green fairies were observed that day in the Val-de-Travers (there may be some videos of the event on YouTube). All in all, it was a crazy day, and judging by videos of the Mardi Gras, it seems the Swiss and the citizens of New Orleans have a lot in common!

So it seems appropriate that in the space of 5 days this year, we can celebrate the Swiss Absinthe Day, Mardi Gras and then the US National Absinthe Day. With all those opportunities to drink, I probably don't need to suggest any more absinthe cocktails!

In fact on Mardi Gras I will be running a consumer event on absinthe in cocktails at London's famous Milk and Honey, and sadly I will not be able to go to London's Mardi Gras event at the NOLA Bar. NOLA, London is the first bar outside North America to win the coveted Seal of the Sazerac. Obviously a Sazerac - or an Absinthe Frappé - would be great way to celebrate any or all of these dates. In fact I will be drinking at least two different versions of the Death in the Afternoon that evening to see how different absinthes work in different ways in the same cocktail. That will be an interesting experiment - and one that I would urge any absinthe lover or bartender to consider.

My own distiller has progressed somewhat since 2005, and thankfully he now has some slightly larger alembics!

Happy Absinthe Days! Happy Mardi Gras!

New Orleans, Tales of the Cocktail, Absinthe. And more absinthe.

"Ranked #1 in the Nation in Liver Transplants?" Yes, that's the sign at New Orleans Airport. We can't claim we weren't warned!

"New Orleans has always been the centre of absinthe culture in the United States." (Source: The Absinthe Encyclopedia). That sounds more like it.

New Orleans: the home of Tales of the Cocktail, probably the world's biggest event for bartenders, drinks brand ambassadors and owners, and anyone else who is interested in cocktails. The word "probably" may not be needed there.

Yet after more than 20 years in the drinks business and after nearly nine years promoting absinthe, 2013 sees my first visit to Tales and my first visit to New Orleans. And for my first visit, I'm privileged to have been chosen to run a seminar in front of 170 people who probably know a whole lot more about cocktails than me. Luckily I will have help for that!

MONDAY

I arrive in New Orleans a full three days before our seminar, because I want to absorb the atmosphere, see some of the bars (especially those selling absinthe), and attend a couple of other seminars to see how the more experienced Tales presenters handle the event.

I start slowly.

The Old Absinthe House is about 100 yards from my hotel (the Monteleone) and I don't want to exert myself in the legendary New Orleans July heat and humidity. I'm pleased to say it was hotter in both New York and in London, and NOLA had nothing like the humidity I experienced living in South East Asia.

Absinthe fans have been rather dismissive about the Old Absinthe House which apparently has a record of burning absinthe. I came back here several times during my stay, and I didn't have or see a single burnt absinthe all week. The range available is not enormous, but there are two or three higher quality absinthes ...

As well as the classic drip, the Old Absinthe House offers absinthe cocktails, including the Absinthe Frappé that was created here.

but I decided to have my first NOLA Absinthe Frappé at one of the most famous mixology bars in New Orleans: Cure.

A great bar with wonderful cocktails and a good selection range of quality absinthes: La Clandestine, Vieux Pontarlier, Nouvelle Orleans and Ridge Blanche.

TUESDAY

A working day, finalising my presentation. Later I had my first Sazerac in NOLA at Sainte Marie. Made with Herbsaint as seems to be the norm in New Orleans.

Later that evening we went to the Copper Monkey Grill in the French Quarter. Quite a big range of absinthes including La Clandestine, Nouvelle Orleans, Lucid and Kübler. They also carry Grande Absente, Mata Hari, and La Fée. Classic drip used.

WEDNESDAY

The first day of Tales, so I attended a couple of seminars, mainly to learn from other presenters how they managed the combination of entertainment and content. The Art and Philosophy of Hospitality had a star-studded cast, led by Jacob Briars. The cast were both entertaining and very interesting, and I saw a lot of notes taken by the audience. Midnight in Paris: Cocktails of the lost generation closely ressembled the theme of my seminar, and I enjoyed seeing how Philip Greene made the seminar highly relevant to a bartender audience AND interesting to a student of Hemingway and Paris.

In between these two seminars, I had a very liquid lunch with some customers at Stanley. Since the 1900's Butterfly Absinthe is on the page facing New Orleans in the Absinthe Encyclopedia, this was a fitting place to break open one of the first US-legal bottles of the re-launched Butterfly (now made in Switzerland),

as well as the very interesting barrel-aged version of La Clandestine (not yet legally available in the USA).

Wednesday evening: no bars visited. I was inspired by the seminars I had seen to amend our own presentation, so had too much work to venture out. Or maybe I went out for a quick drink at the Old Absinthe House? Much of this week has become a blur when looked at two weeks later, so maybe I did ..

THURSDAY

More than 8 months after submitting our seminar proposal to Tales of the Cocktail, the day to deliver it had finally arrived. Hundreds of emails, Facebook messages, texts, conversations, and meetings; hundreds of hours of research; all would all come down to 90 minutes that afternoon. And I was doing just one seminar. Imagine all the work done by Ann Tuennerman and her team at Tales to put on more than 50 seminars and hundreds of other events..

But first one more seminar to watch: Modifiers: Eternal Life for Cocktails, led by the irrepressible Philip Duff, followed by the Indie Spirits that Rock mini-exhibition. How strange to run into Simon Difford here, and to have the opportunity to discuss my absinthe with him briefly: we'd both had to fly in from London to meet up in NOLA! And, of course, that's what makes Tales so special: the meetings planned and unplanned with colleagues, customers, and competitors: I met customers - and prospects - from all over the USA and the UK at Tales (and from a few other countries I won't reveal here since my competitors may be reading).

I've already covered part of the seminar I presented with London's Savoy Hotel in a previous post, In addition to the Maid in Cuba, we tasted three relatively unknown 1930 Savoy cocktails presented by Erik Lorincz: the Blackthorn, the Atty and the Jeyplak.

The Blackthorn is one of several Savoy absinthe cocktails I had not tasted before: the ingredients worked well together.

The ATTY and the Jeyplak are just two of many absinthe cocktails from the Savoy that also have gin and vermouth. The addition of Creme de Violette in the former enhanced the cocktail from both taste and visual standpoints, and hopefully inspired the audience to think again about many of the cocktails in the Savoy: as fresh and original today as they were 83 years ago.

Some of my readers will know that our seminar was sponsored by Pernod as well as by Plymouth Gin and Drink Up New York. I told our audience that Harry Craddock didn't make as much use of lemon/lime juice with absinthe as he could have. Modern mixologists agree with both Pernod and La Clandestine in making some great cocktails with absinthe, lime juice and sugar or simple syrup.

In Pernod's case: the Green Beast. In La Clandestine's case: the Clandestino.

Talking of which, it was nearly time to let my hair down and celebrate the completion of our seminar and turn to some refreshments. But firstly I had the opportunity - and the pleasure - to meet and share a drink or two with César Giron, Mathieu Sabbagh and Anne-Louise Marquis of Pernod, along with Brian Robinson, Review Editor of the Wormwood Society and Maxwell Britten from Maison Premiere, probably the best absinthe bar in the USA.

Brian and I tasted the "Original Recipe" Pernod Absinthe; the Pernod team tasted La Clandestine. 

As others have commented elsewhere, Tales is the type of event where one puts aside all competitor issues, so it was good to put faces to names and to have a good chat and share drinks with the team at Pernod. Santé!

After that, it was off to a Spirited Dinner, organised by my friends at Montanya Rum. I couldn't resist the opportunity for some low key branding!

Not too sure about what happened later that evening. It definitely included a visit to the Carousel Bar at The Monteleone and the Old Absinthe House ...

FRIDAY

My last working day in NOLA, and two more very interesting seminars.

Grape's gaint leap towards immortality featured a stellar cast, while Camper English presented Water World: Water in Spirits and Drinks by himself. I had mistakenly thinking that a seminar on water would give me a chance to "dry out," but walked into the seminar room to find a 4.5 oz glass of Bowmore Single Malt in front of each place! Oh well, duty calls ...

Between seminars, I went to Cane and Table (at the old site of Pravda), and owned by the owners of Cure, featuring a pop-up bar operated by the team at Dead Rabbit, NYC. I had had the opportunity to go to Dead Rabbit twice the previous week and loved it: so it was great to meet new/old friends again. The Dead Rabbit would go on to deservedly win several awards at the Spirited Awards dinner the following night. Cane and Table currently stocks Pernod, while Dead Rabbit NYC stocks Pernod, La Clandestine, Duplais Verte, Vieux Pontarlier, Kubler, Lucid and Nouvelle Orleans.

My work in NOLA, however, wasn't quite finished. I found Pirate's Alley Café and Absinthe House in the French Quarter

and enjoyed a drink or two there ..

Nice to see that they can get some great theatre into absinthe without resorting to fire. Pirate's Alley stocks a good range including La Clandestine, Kubler and Lucid, and prices are very reasonable.

For my last evening in New Orleans, I joined Brian Robinson, Kris (also from the Wormwood Society) and Chrissie, and later Ted Breaux and Jenny Gardener for a tour of famous bars. We started at the Roosevelt, 

 with its famous Sazerac Bar:

Now what did you expect me to drink?

Again served with Herbsaint.

Next stop was the Boubon-O Bar run by the amazing Cheryl Charming.

Creativity is very much alive here: we enjoyed a bucket of pre-mixed, carbonated Sazeracs. Cheryl tells me that the Sazeracs are "CO2 carbonated Perlini Sazeracs in 1960s - 1970s Coca-Cola bottles dug up in the grounds of NOLA. It took several cleanings and sanitizing to get them ready for the Sazeracs!"

Bourbon-O only carries Lucid "in honor of Ted (Breaux)'s hard work and money getting it into the US." So it was good to enjoy Bourbon-O with Ted himself.

Cheers, Cheryl!

We headed back along the famous Bourbon Street

to the Monteleone's famous Carousel Bar. Photos don't really do this justice: I enjoyed this time lapse video (a 360 degree trip in fact takes 15 minutes):

We enjoyed Macallan and some more barrel-aged absinthe, and I thought briefly about packing for my early departure the next morning. And had another drink ...

................................................

So that was my working week in NOLA. Delta seemed determined to extend my stay in the USA, so I returned from NOLA via Nashville, Atlanta and JFK to Heathrow. My suitcase took another 3 day holiday in Boston. Maybe we just couldn't bear to leave.

NOLA and Tales were amazing. The best experience of my 24 years in the drinks business in a great city with wonderful food and even better company. People I had never met before became life-long friends. And the Tales team from Ann and Paul, the full-time staff and then the Apprentices: all played their part in making the event unforgettable.

And the absinthe in NOLA? Lucid, Nouvelle Orleans and La Clandestine were in most of the bars I visited, although some of the more traditional bars prefer to serve Herbsaint. There is nothing like the element of burning absinthes that I had been led to believe. Maybe the battle to get good absinthes served correctly has nearly been won in NOLA.

Maybe I'll go back in 2014. Just to check.