Celebrating National Bourbon Day!

Celebrate America’s “Native Spirit” on National Bourbon Day, June 14th! Did you know that all bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon? For a whiskey to classify as bourbon it must be made in the U.S., and it must be between 51 and 79 per cent corn. The other grains used in bourbon include malted barley and either rye or wheat. Bourbon must be aged at least two years in a new, charred American White Oak barrel that may only be used once for bourbon. You are not required to know all this in order to celebrate National Bourbon Day, but now that you do, aren’t you thirsty? Enjoy!

Celebrating National Bloody Mary Day!

National Bloody Mary Day serves up one of the world's most popular hangover cures on January 1st. But, you don’t have to be hungover to enjoy this  cocktail containing vodka, tomato juice, and other spices and flavorings including Worcestershire sauce, hot sauces, garlic, herbs, horseradish, celery, olives, salt, black pepper, lemon juice, lime juice and celery salt. The Bloody Mary was invented in the 1920s or 1930s, and its name is associated with a number of historical figures—particularly Queen Mary I of England, who was nicknamed "Bloody Mary", and with Hollywood star Mary Pickford. Others believe this cocktail was named after a waitress named Mary who worked at a Chicago bar called the Bucket of Blood. Whatever its origin, drink in the New Year with this delectable cocktail!

Happy 89th Anniversary, Pat O'Brien's!

Pat O’Brien ran a speakeasy in New Orleans’ French Quarter, until the repeal of Prohibition, and officially opened the bar on December 3, 1933. Pat O’Brien’s became one of the most iconic nightclubs in the United States, partly by mixing plentiful rum with passion fruit and putting it in a glass shaped like a hurricane lamp, and by originating the popular form of dueling piano entertainment where the audience dictates the show. No visit to New Orleans is complete without a visit to Pat O’Brien’s!

Celebrate National Happy Hour Day!

November 12th is National Happy Hour Day! As if we needed a reason to celebrate…..

Celebrating National Bourbon Day!

Celebrate America’s “Native Spirit” on National Bourbon Day, June 14th! Did you know that all bourbons are whiskey, but not all whiskeys are bourbon? For a whiskey to classify as bourbon it must be made in the U.S., and it must be between 51 and 79 per cent corn. The other grains used in bourbon include malted barley and either rye or wheat. Bourbon must be aged at least two years in a new, charred American White Oak barrel that may only be used once for bourbon. You are not required to know all this in order to celebrate National Bourbon Day, but now that you do, aren’t you thirsty? Enjoy!

Celebrating World Cocktail Day!

World Cocktail Day is a global celebration of cocktails, and the common myth is that they originated in New Orleans in the 1830’s. The story goes that Antoine Peychaud ran an apothecary shop in the French Quarter and sold his own homemade bitters. After a time, he recognized that his bitters tasted especially good mixed with cognac, sugar and water. And, since he measured out this concoction with an egg cup, or "coquetier" in French, the “cocktail” was born.

However, World Cocktail Day marks the date, May 13, 1806, that the first definition of a cocktail was published in the New York tabloid The Balance and Columbian Repository. A cocktail was defined as "a stimulating liquor, composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters".

Whether you believe cocktails originated sometime around 1806, or in the 1830s in New Orleans, I’m just thankful someone created them! Cheers!