A New Orleans Cocktail

I began writing my debut novel in the fall of 2019, starting with a kernel of an idea about a young woman (perhaps a little like me) who was a former newspaper reporter and a little obsessed with craft cocktails. I was only a few chapters into it when my family and I made a trip to New Orleans for a short, fall break. When looking around for an Airbnb, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to stay in the former childhood home of author Lillian Hellman. Her play, The Little Foxes, was one of the first live performances I remember seeing as a child, and of course, I absolutely love the movie adaptation with Bette Davis.

As I sat in the little kitchen of the apartment, working on a few scenes in my novel, I hoped that there was a little of Lillian’s magic left inside the apartment to inspire me. In honor of that stay, I’d like to recommend a New Orleans cocktail, The Battle of New Orleans, a variation on the Old Fashioned, with a touch of absinthe. 

To make it, add 2 and ½ ounces of bourbon, ¼ ounce of simple syrup, a dash of absinthe, a dash of orange bitters, and two dashes of Peychaud’s bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir it until cold and strain into an old fashioned glass over ice (I like to pour it over one big ice cube). Rub the peel of a lemon around the rim of the glass, drop it into the drink as a garnish, and enjoy.