The biggest bar and street party in the US known as Mardi Gras is just around the corner, and who wouldn’t want to travel to New Orleans to celebrate in style?

The bourbon street party is an awesome spectacle in itself, but during Mardi Gras it’s over the top. I love to people watch and it doesn’t get any better right here in New Orleans with crowds of people everywhere wearing the famous Mardi Gras costumes and colors of purple, green and gold, while watching the colorful floats and parades with all the flying beads and trinkets, and, of course, not to forget the delicious king cakes and all the fat you can eat starting on FAT TUESDAY, or, should I say, “Shrove Tuesday” or “Pancake day” were I’m from in England.

To enjoy those delicious treats, you obviously need a cocktail to go along with them. Here are a few ideas.

New Orleans Sazerac

Sazeracs are among the oldest cocktails, first served in 1859 at the opening of the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans.

1 tsp granulated sugar

Angostura bitters

2 tbsp Pastis

2 oz bourbon

Lemon peel

Place the sugar in a tumbler, add a couple of drops of angostura and ice cubes. Pour in bourbon and pastis, add lemon peel stir and top up with a shot of ice cold water.

Cajun Bloody Mary

3 tbsp Vodka

5 oz tomato juice

1 dash lemon juice

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1 dash Tabasco

3 tbsp Cajun seasoning

2 tbsp prepared Horseradish

¼ cup liquid from pickled okra of Jalapenos

Black pepper

Salt

Stick of celery for garnishing

Shake all the main ingredients well in a shaker and filter into a large tall glass with two ice cubes. Garnish with a stick of celery.

The Famous Hurricane

The sailors in the French quarter of New Orleans knew how to cope with tropical Cyclones. The regulars took the Hurricane so much to heart that today it is even available in instant powder form.

4 tbs white rum

1 oz dark rum

2 ts pineapple juice

2 tbs lemon juice

2oz Passion fruit juice

2 tbs Simple syrup

Citrus peel for garnish.

Shake all the ingredients in a shaker and pour in to a hurricane glass with crushed ice, and garnish with citrus peel.

Happy Mardi Gras,

Enjoy!