From absinthe cocktails to sazeracs, this spirited drinks guide offers more than sixty recipes from famous New Orleans restaurants, clubs and mixologists, along with stunning photographs, history, musings, and stories. These classic Big Easy cocktail recipes are knockouts for the eye and the taste buds. It is the sixth book in Wohl's acclaimed Classic series. No place does celebrations better than New Orleans, and most celebrations call for a cocktail. Celebrations and cocktails naturally go together. New Orleans lays claim to many things-jazz, Mardi Gras, the best festivals, beignets, and the country's finest food-so we'll include the first cocktail. It's only fitting. More than sixty recipes from the city's legendary and quirky establishments are included, such as the Sazerac, Ramos Gin Fizz, Absinthe Suissesse, and dozens more. Each is stunningly photographed and accompanied by recipes, both traditional and unconventional. From highfalutin to down home, the Big Easy's mixologists and bartenders take great pride in well-crafted cocktails designed for lazy afternoons, early excursions, before or after meals, at cocktail parties, or to top off an evening. We know what a cocktail means; a proper one is an attitude. Swagger into a joint or sashay into a swanky establishment-at either end of the spectrum, cocktails are sipped and savored. Combine libation and service, ambiance, and spirited companions (preferably accompanied by music), and a drink becomes magical. A cocktail. An experience. Conviviality is a New Orleans custom. Let's discuss it over a cocktail. Kit Wohl is an award-winning author, photographer, and fine artist. New Orleans Classic Cocktails is her ninth book. Her other Pelican titles include Arnaud's Restaurant Cookbook: New Orleans Legendary Creole Cuisine and The P&J Oyster Cookbook. Wohl's acclaimed New Orleans Classic Series includes Desserts, Appetizers, Seafood, Gumbos and Soups, and Brunches and Celebrations. “In New Orleans we love a good story and a good drink. This book brings them together beautifully.” —Ann Tuennerman, founder, Tales of the Cocktail Praise for Kit Wohl’s other books: NEW ORLEANS CLASSIC GUMBOS AND SOUPS , A GOURMET MAGAZINE COOKBOOK CLUB SELECTION THE P&J OYSTER COOKBOOK NAMED NEW ORLEANS MAGAZINE’S COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR “Any time you need reassurance about the state of New Orleans, you can renew your faith at the city’s famous restaurants . . . or, equally as reviving, simply look through and cook from Kit Wohl’s mouth-watering book.” —Saveur magazine on New Orleans Classic Desserts “Only a few [Creole and Cajun cookbooks] strive to capture the full breadth of multi-cultural New Orleans; a city with Spanish, French, British, African (slave trade), and Caribbean roots. New Orleans Classic Seafood compiles signature recipes from the beloved restaurants in New Orleans that embrace this multitude of influence. Any food lover is sure to love the results.” —ForeWord magazine on New Orleans Classic Seafood “Wohl, an artist and author, was determined to assure everyone that the cuisine of New Orleans was still very much alive. And this winning book, photographed and designed by Wohl herself, pays enthusiastic homage to her beloved city. She tirelessly shakes down New Orleans’ culinary kings and queens (John Besh, Susan Spicer, Leah Chase . . . ), combs through some of the grandest kitchens (Antoine’s, Commander’s Palace, Arnaud’s, Galatoire’s), and even travels outside the city limits for John Folse’s bayou specialties.” —Gourmet magazine on New Orleans Classic Gumbos and Soups “Wohl’s informative background notes offer intriguing morsels on each dessert’s uniqueness. . . . The author’s own vividly appetizing full-color photographs rendered in extreme close-up may seduce readers into virtually licking the book’s pages.” —Booklist on New Orleans Classic Desserts Kit Wohl is an award-winning writer, photographer, and artist. She has authored nine cookbooks that celebrate chefs and cuisine. New Orleans Classic Cocktails is the sixth in her series with Pelican Publishing. The James Beard Foundation's Best of the Best: A 25th Anniversary Celebration of America's Outstanding Chefs with Chronicle Books is her eighth book.