New Orleans is the birthplace of many iconic cocktails—think Sazerac and Ramos Gin Fizz—but it’s also home to lesser-known gems like La Louisiane, a drink that truly deserves a spotlight.
La Louisiane: The Story Behind This New Orleans Cocktail
La Louisiane is a recipe from the past, and as is often the case with vintage cocktails, its exact origins remain a mystery. Historically, it’s reasonable to believe that the drink predates Prohibition, though we don’t have definitive proof.
What we do know is that the first written mention of La Louisiane appeared in 1937 in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em, a book by Stanley Clisby Arthur. In this text, Arthur reveals some fascinating details.
He notes that La Louisiane was the signature cocktail served at the Restaurant de la Louisiane, one of the most famous French restaurants in New Orleans, renowned for its exceptional Creole cuisine. The restaurant, which opened in 1881, remained a key part of the city’s culinary scene until its closure in 2005.
Two Names, One Drink
Stanley Clisby Arthur refers to the cocktail by two names: Cocktail à la Louisiane and the shorter La Louisiane. The latter eventually became the standard name. The French influence on this drink isn’t limited to its name. Ingredients like absinthe and a Normandy digestif reflect its roots. When combined with the other components, Arthur describes the cocktail as an “extraordinary mix, much like the unique dishes”, served at the Restaurant de la Louisiane.
Prohibition dealt a serious blow to La Louisiane’s popularity, and it took years for the cocktail to reemerge in bars. Even then, it didn’t regain the fame it once enjoyed. The cocktail’s revival came with the publication of The PDT Cocktail Book by Jim Meehan in 2011. The book is a tribute to the legendary New York speakeasy Please Don’t Tell (PDT), where Meehan serves as a leading force behind the bar.
The La Louisiane Cocktail Recipe
Here’s the original recipe for La Louisiane as published in Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix ’Em (1937). It calls for equal parts rye, vermouth, and liqueur. For a more modern take, The PDT Cocktail Book (2011) adjusts the proportions to tone down the sweetness, increasing the rye to 60 ml and reducing the vermouth and liqueur to 22.5 ml each. The absinthe and bitters remain unchanged.
Ingredients
- 15 ml rye whiskey
- 15 ml Italian vermouth
- 15 ml Normandy digestif liqueur
- 3–4 dashes absinthe
- 3–4 dashes bitters
Method
In a mixing glass, add a handful of ice cubes along with all the ingredients. Stir gently and patiently to chill and combine the flavors. Strain into a pre-chilled coupe glass.
Garnish
A maraschino cherry.
Image credits: Coqtail and Julie Couder, location Gesto Milano. All rights reserved.
