Jasper James Cocktails
New lounges around the world are putting their own spin on traditional cocktails. Here are four of our favorites.
Le Phare
523 Gravier St.; 504/636-1890; drinks from $7.
Sazerac
Absinthe, rye, or bourbon; simple syrup; Peychaud’s bitters; lemon twist.
Local ingredients—Sazerac rye, Peychaud’s bitters—are both made in the Big Easy.
Native New Orleans bartender Jonathan Creighton gives impromptu history lessons on the Sazerac.
Cantina
580 Sutter St.; 415/398-0195; drinks from $9.
Sidecar
Cognac or brandy, Cointreau, lemon twist.
All ingredients are local—Qi White Tea liqueur, Osocalis brandy, and lemons handpicked from the owner’s mother’s backyard.
If you want to try another cocktail, Cantina has the city’s largest selection of Peruvian pisco.
Artesian at the Langham
1C Portland Place, Regent St.; 44-20/7636-1000; drinks from $26.
Hot Buttered Rum
Dark rum, simple syrup, apple cider, butter, cinnamon stick, and nutmeg.
A splash of clove-infused apricot brandy is added to dark rum, while spiced honey lends an extra-sweet kick.
This modern, lilac-hued salon stocks more than 50 types of rum.
Experimental Cocktail Club
37 Rue St. Sauveur, 33-1/45-08-88-09; drinks from $19.
Old-fashioned
Bourbon or rye, Angostura bitters, lemon twist, maraschino cherry, sugar.
Instead of traditional orange bitters, grapefruit peel is mixed with Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey.
The rustic-chic space was designed by New Yorker Cuoco Black, whose restaurants include Gin Lane.
