Laissez les bons temps rouler!! (Let the good times roll!)
When Margaret told me that the March issue of Got Rum? was going to be Mardi Gras themed I was thrilled. As many of you know I spend 2 weeks every summer in New Orleans running the Cocktail Apprentice Program for Tales of the Cocktail, and have grown to love that city like it is my own. What you may or may not know, is that New Orleans is the epicenter of classic cocktails in the United States. So many of the classics were invented there, and as you walk through the streets of the French Quarter you can literally FEEL the history and culture. Now I will say that I have not been in NOLA during Mardi Gras, but can only imagine how much fun it must be. Since my column is based on cocktails and mixology, I won’t be writing about beads and topless ladies, I would instead like to focus on those iconic cocktails and how they relate to RUM.
Mardi Gras and the Hurricane
The majority of those original cocktails are NOT made with rum, with the exception of the Hurricane. I wrote about that a few months back, and when made properly, it is a damn fine drink. It originated at Pat O’Briens, a bar that is still a staple in the French Quarter, and has rich history. During the 1940’s (about 10 years after Prohibition ended), spirits like bourbon were hard to find but rum was being transported up and down the Mississippi River. The only way to acquire it, however was to purchase it in BULK, so Pat O’Brien concocted the Hurricane and it quickly became the bar’s signature drink. You can still enjoy one today and I highly encourage you to do so if you make a trip to New Orleans.
Some of the other famous drinks created originally in NOLA are names you’ll surely recognize- - Sazerac, French 75, Vieux Carre, Ramos Gin Fizz. I am certainly all for keeping the recipe integrity of the classics but I also love to switch out spirits in drinks and make my own twist on them. Any of these can be made with rum, especially since the rum category is so incredibly vast and unique. Here are a couple of my “ twists”, and as always, be creative and
follow your own rules!!
Classic Cocktail Recipes
-Article written by Cris Dehlavi-
Cris Dehlavi
My name is Cris Dehlavi and I am a native of Arizona, but have lived in Columbus, Ohio for the past 13 years with my daughter, Desi. I have been running the bar program at “M”, of the Cameron Mitchell Restaurant group since 2005. I am currently the President of Columbus USBG as well as a consultant for bars and restaurants nationally. In 2013, I attended the rigorous B.A.R. 5 Day Spirits Certification and have been recognized as one of the top mixologists in the U.S.A. I am one of the senior managers of the prestigious apprentice program at Tales of the Cocktail and work as a mentor to many bar tenders around Ohio. My contribution to "Got Rum?" magazine will include everything from reviews of national cocktail events, articles on mixology, garnish trends, recipes and techniques, to interviews with some of the leading bartenders in the industry.