New Orleans' Legendary Bar Is A Timeless Beauty Where America's First-Ever Cocktail Reigns Supreme

New Orleans is blessed when it comes to great bars. This moody, decadent, vibrant city knows how to have a good time and is very much not afraid to let loose and forget about tomorrow. From the pulsating jazz that oozes out of almost every door and window on Frenchmen Street and the adult playground of Bourbon Street to the brass blasts that hang in the air in the Garden District, you can barely move in the Big Easy without bumping into a fantastic nightspot. In addition to being the world's number one music destination, New Orleans is the city of the Hurricane, the Geaux Cup, and "laissez les bons temps rouler." Devilish cocktails, hard liquor, and luxury drinking establishments are part of the soul of the city. 

So when it comes to highlighting a particular bar in New Orleans, it is wise to tread lightly. Statements like "finest bar" or "best cocktails" are often overblown and quickly disputed or disproved. But the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel, where visitors can sip on its namesake and America's first-ever cocktail, deserves its place among the legends of the NOLA drinking scene.

The history of the Sazerac could very well be a parable of the history and culture of the Crescent City itself. As a cocktail, it's similar to an Old Fashioned, but uses rye whiskey instead of bourbon. The cocktail has been enjoyed since at least 1838, and is said to be the creation of a Haitian pharmacist named Antoine Amédée Peychaud, who came to the city to open an apothecary and sell his concoction, originally as a medicinal tonic!

Although not where the cocktail was first mixed or drank, the Sazerac Bar in the Roosevelt Hotel could easily be considered its first true temple. Named in honor of this iconic drink, the elegant, historic bar is a New Orleans landmark and one of the finest places to drink in the city. 

Located in the stunning Roosevelt Hotel, the Sazerac Bar is a magnificent Art Deco treasure. From the grandeur of its eye-catching chandeliers and elegant wood-paneled walls to the beautiful murals by artist Paul Ninas, it is a sight for sore eyes and a superb place to spend an evening. It also comes with its fair share of stories and legends. As well as being the spiritual home of America's first cocktail, it was built on top of the first nightclub in America, the Cave. It was also supposedly the favorite watering hole of Governor Huey Long, "The Kingfish," a populist politician and one of New Orleans' most notorious public figures.

While the Sazerac Bar is a timeless beauty and one of the best bars in New Orleans, fans of the Sazerac itself might want to make a short pilgrimage across town to visit the place where the cocktail is said to have been born. The Sazerac Coffee House is where, according to New Orleans legend, the first Sazerac was mixed, this time as a cocktail rather than a medicinal tonic. This blend of Sazerac de Forge et Fils brandy and Antoine Peychaud's special bitters was an immediate hit. 

While the coffee house is long gone, in 2019, the Sazerac House opened its doors just a stone's throw away from the original site. An immersive experience more than anything else, Sazerac House offers a 90-minute tour dedicated to Sazerac rye whisky and the iconic signature cocktail of the Crescent City. Visitors can explore the museum, enjoy whiskey and cocktail tastings, learn about how rye whiskey, French brandy, and the Sazerac itself are made, and immerse themselves in innovative technological exhibits. The combination of history, fun, and booze makes it one of the best things to do on vacation in New Orleans.