Mardi Gras, which translates to “Fat Tuesday” in French, has always been a time for excess and indulgence, before the pious and restrictive Lenten season begins. Though most associated with the city of New Orleans, the celebration, which marks the end of the Carnival season, has roots in medieval Europe. You can still find elaborate Carnivals in France, particularly in the southern city of Nice. So if you’re looking to combine the best of both worlds between France and NOLA, get the party started with these delicious cocktails.
Ti’ Punch
Ti’ Punch, the first part of which is a abbreviation of “petite,” is, indeed, a “little punch,” made with just three ingredients: rhum agricole, lime, and cane sugar or syrup. The drink is a product of France’s colonial reign, during which rum-producing cane sugar plantations in the Caribbean were plentiful. These days, it’s still enjoyed across the region, and is the national drink of both Martinique and Guadeloupe. In honor of Mardi Gras, making this simple refreshment with a Louisiana rum is a given, so I’d turn to Oxbow Rum Distillery and their Rhum Louisiane Cane Juice Agricole.
Ingredients:
2 oz Rhum Louisiane Cane Juice Agricole
1 teaspoon Sugar Cane Syrup
Wedge of Lime
Squeeze lime into rocks glass. Add sugar cane syrup and rum, and stir to combine. Add ice if desired. Maple syrup can be used as a substitute for sugar cane syrup.
All Betts Are Off
Mezcal isn’t something you’re likely to find in a typical French café, but if you want to party like a New Orleanian this Mardi Gras, you’re going to have to kick it up a notch. This unique cocktail is named for Richard Betts, the creator of Sombra Mezcal and Astral Tequila, and was invented by Matt Lanning of The Bitter Bar in Boulder, CO. It uses Dolin Blanc (a personal favorite), Yellow Chartreuse, and grapefruit bitters to create an accessible drink for those who don’t usually go for mezcal’s smoky intensity. I prefer to use Del Maguey Wild Jabali Mezcal to pack that perfect punch.
Ingredients:
0.75 oz Dolin Blanc
0.75 oz Yellow Chartreuse
1.5 oz Del Maguey Wild Jabali Mezcal
2 dashes Grapefruit Bitters
Stir your ingredients with ice until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with an expressed grapefruit peel. (Note: If you can’t find Chartreuse, Faccia Brutto Centerbe is an excellent substitute.)
Sazerac
Few cocktails are as associated with New Orleans as the Sazerac. While this cocktail is typically made with rye today, it was traditionally concocted with Cognac. For a French twist, opt to go classic on this one, with something like Cognac Park’s VS Carte Blanche.
Ingredients:
2.5 oz Cognac or Rye
1 Sugar Cube
4 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters
Absinthe (to rinse)
Rinse a rocks glass with absinthe, and toss out the remainder. Muddle the sugar cube and bitters in a shaker, then add ice and Cognac and stir until chilled. Strain into the rocks glass and garnish with a lemon peel.
Catherine Rickman is a writer, professional Francophile, and host of the Expat Horror Stories podcast. She is currently somewhere in Brooklyn with a fork in one hand and a pen in the other, and you can follow her adventures on Instagram @catrickman.
