New Orleans: French Quarter Cocktail History Walking Tour
Your night of cultured imbibing begins as evening arrives in the French Quarter. Head to Patrick's Bar Vin to meet your lively guide and start your tour with a cocktail in the wine bar's lush courtyard. Sip on a Grapefrui Rum Punch as you get an intriguing introduction to New Orleans drinking culture. Pace yourself, as your tour includes four cocktails at four different venues – and more at your own expense. Your second visit will be to 3rd Block Depot. There, try either a classic Sazerac, a recipe attributed to a Creole apothecary in the 19th Century – when cocktails constituted medicine, or a Brandy Crusta. Next, travel along Royal Street to the hippest new addition to the NOLA drinking scene: Peychaud's Bar in the Celestine Hotel, where you will have a choice between two delicious, historical cocktails. Your final stop is at Bourbon “O” Jazz Bar to sample the obscure yet beloved Roffignac cocktail, a nod to the city’s last French‐born mayor. If you’re in need of some tasty nibbles, stay on (where you tour ends) or head to the hip Faubourg‐Marigny quarter nearby. Along the way, learn fascinating histories including the controversy around absinthe, and the cocktail‐related tales of (unexpected) venues such as the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum and Napoleon House. Please note: Some bars have a dress code. Men are discouraged from wearing tank tops.
Highlights
- ✓Savor a Sazerac in a former icehouse that once supplied ice to many New Orleans bars
- ✓Soak up the atmosphere at two of New Orleans’ establishments
- ✓Learn why absinthe drinking was banned for decades in the US and Europe
- ✓Take away tailored tips for the rest of your time in NOLA
What you'll see & do
- ✓Meet your guide inside Patrick's Bar Vin, a luxurious wine bar adjacent to a beautiful courtyard, to start your tour. Your local guide presents a fun and fascinating introduction to New Orleans’ and the world's cocktail culture as you sip your first drink. The tour begins with a refreshing, grapefruit spiced Rum Punch inspired by the English sailors working in the 1600's Indian spice trade.
- ✓Next, turn the corner to visit SoBou, where you sample the official cocktail of New Orleans: the Sazerac, a drink that comes from a 19th-century recipe. Additionally you will be served another pre-Civil War libation known as the Brandy Crusta: a potent concoction of brandy, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice and bitters.
- ✓Travel along beautiful Royal Street to the hippest new addition to the NOLA drinking scene: Peychaud's Bar in the Maison de Ville Hotel, where you will have a choice between two delicious, historical cocktails.
- ✓Pass by one of America's oldest active Catholic churches en route to Pirate's Alley.
- ✓Then continue to your final destination of the tour: the luxurious Bourbon "O" Jazz Bar, located inside the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. Your beverage here is the little-known Roffignac highball cocktail. Made from a 19th-century recipe, the Bourbon "O" Bar makes their refreshing Roffignac with raspberry liqueur and brandy. Expect to walk about one mile during your 3-hour tour in a friendly social atmosphere inspired by your entertaining guide. Four cocktails are included, one at each stop. Your tour ends at the Bourbon "O" Bar, which features nightly live jazz at 8pm as well as a limited food menu. Or you can move on to explore the lively nightlife of nearby Frenchmen Street on your own (or with your new friends!).
What's included
- ✓4 cocktails
- ✓4 venues
- ✓Local Guide
What's not included
- ✓Food (food is available for purchase at some stops)
- ✓Gratuities
- ✓Hotel pickup and drop-off
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 21 years
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
All cocktails are vegan-friendly
Walk is approximately 1-mile
All venues subject to change based on availability
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.
New Orleans: French Quarter Cocktail History Walking Tour
Your night of cultured imbibing begins as evening arrives in the French Quarter. Head to Patrick's Bar Vin to meet your lively guide and start your tour with a cocktail in the wine bar's lush courtyard. Sip on a Grapefrui Rum Punch as you get an intriguing introduction to New Orleans drinking culture. Pace yourself, as your tour includes four cocktails at four different venues – and more at your own expense. Your second visit will be to 3rd Block Depot. There, try either a classic Sazerac, a recipe attributed to a Creole apothecary in the 19th Century – when cocktails constituted medicine, or a Brandy Crusta. Next, travel along Royal Street to the hippest new addition to the NOLA drinking scene: Peychaud's Bar in the Celestine Hotel, where you will have a choice between two delicious, historical cocktails. Your final stop is at Bourbon “O” Jazz Bar to sample the obscure yet beloved Roffignac cocktail, a nod to the city’s last French‐born mayor. If you’re in need of some tasty nibbles, stay on (where you tour ends) or head to the hip Faubourg‐Marigny quarter nearby. Along the way, learn fascinating histories including the controversy around absinthe, and the cocktail‐related tales of (unexpected) venues such as the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum and Napoleon House. Please note: Some bars have a dress code. Men are discouraged from wearing tank tops.
Highlights
- ✓Savor a Sazerac in a former icehouse that once supplied ice to many New Orleans bars
- ✓Soak up the atmosphere at two of New Orleans’ establishments
- ✓Learn why absinthe drinking was banned for decades in the US and Europe
- ✓Take away tailored tips for the rest of your time in NOLA
What you'll see & do
- ✓Meet your guide inside Patrick's Bar Vin, a luxurious wine bar adjacent to a beautiful courtyard, to start your tour. Your local guide presents a fun and fascinating introduction to New Orleans’ and the world's cocktail culture as you sip your first drink. The tour begins with a refreshing, grapefruit spiced Rum Punch inspired by the English sailors working in the 1600's Indian spice trade.
- ✓Next, turn the corner to visit SoBou, where you sample the official cocktail of New Orleans: the Sazerac, a drink that comes from a 19th-century recipe. Additionally you will be served another pre-Civil War libation known as the Brandy Crusta: a potent concoction of brandy, orange liqueur, fresh lemon juice and bitters.
- ✓Travel along beautiful Royal Street to the hippest new addition to the NOLA drinking scene: Peychaud's Bar in the Maison de Ville Hotel, where you will have a choice between two delicious, historical cocktails.
- ✓Pass by one of America's oldest active Catholic churches en route to Pirate's Alley.
- ✓Then continue to your final destination of the tour: the luxurious Bourbon "O" Jazz Bar, located inside the Bourbon Orleans Hotel. Your beverage here is the little-known Roffignac highball cocktail. Made from a 19th-century recipe, the Bourbon "O" Bar makes their refreshing Roffignac with raspberry liqueur and brandy. Expect to walk about one mile during your 3-hour tour in a friendly social atmosphere inspired by your entertaining guide. Four cocktails are included, one at each stop. Your tour ends at the Bourbon "O" Bar, which features nightly live jazz at 8pm as well as a limited food menu. Or you can move on to explore the lively nightlife of nearby Frenchmen Street on your own (or with your new friends!).
What's included
- ✓4 cocktails
- ✓4 venues
- ✓Local Guide
What's not included
- ✓Food (food is available for purchase at some stops)
- ✓Gratuities
- ✓Hotel pickup and drop-off
Good to know
Wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 21 years
Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
All cocktails are vegan-friendly
Walk is approximately 1-mile
All venues subject to change based on availability
Cancellation policy
- •A full refund will apply if you cancel more than 24 hours before the activity start time.
- •No refund is possible if you cancel less than 24 hours before the activity start time.