D W.
Yelp
For the cocktailian, and for quiet good times with friends and loved ones. But don't look for a beer. New Orleans is a city of contrasts, and in no other feature is this more evident than in its drinking. On the one hand, there are drinks like the Hand Grenade, which is, to be kind, not subtle, and designed for maximum effect upon the undiscriminating, rather than for taste. On the other hand, there are the cocktails of Loa, which are subtle, locally sourced, utterly delicious, and a privilege to savor, preferably with those you love best. For example, there is the Marguerite, an anejo tequila and cointreau-based drink, infused with pine needles, thyme, and lemon grass, and bay leaf, shaken with egg white, and served up in a sea salt and sassafras rim. It's soft and sweet as a mother's kiss, with flavors of the bayou infusing old, familiar flavors and transforming them into Southern poetry. How creative, but also how local, with that ghost of sassafras tickling one's tongue.
There were two Mardi Gras special cocktails. "Lupa The She-Wolf," a brandy milk punch, is an example of innovation. It is tied to International House's Mardi Gras decorations: Calvados, infused with Calimyra and Kalamata figs and lemon zest, "clarified with goat's milk"--a bit more involved than the usual cocktail. The theory behind this one is that Carnival is derived from the ancient Roman Lupercalian rites, though in that case wolf's milk might have been better; but first milk your wolf.... All theorizing aside, it's not something you'll find anywhere else, and though not cheap, tasty. The free 5 O'Clock tea (rum, green tea, lemon juice, Demerara sugar, nutmeg) is really good at its best (the first sips, where the nutmeg is heaviest), and refreshing in all cases.
Among the regular menu items my group tried, in addition to the Marguerite, Hickory Wind was really good, and the La La Louisiane was nice for someone who likes Manhattans. The carte de boisson evolves with the season, so this is one place that promises always to be a discovery.