King Cakes, Carnival, & Cocktails...Oh My!!

HAPPY 12TH NIGHT EVERYONE!!!

We often find it funny how during Advent, people are all about the Christmas Spirit & even pontificate to us about the reason for the season or how it should be year round.  What a great concept, yet as soon as Christmas Day passes, its all over. Well, here in New Orleans we know differently and keep the celebration going.  That is right, Happy 12th Day of Christmas Everyone!!! We hope you spent the past 12 days preparing for the Epiphany and Carnival Season.

So what does 12th Night mean?  Is it just a day for 12 Drummers to be Drumming?  Not for us in New Orleans.  It is the first official day for King Cakes and Carnival, a time to get together with friends and celebrate faith, friendship, and a little release from stress brought on by all that Christmas shopping.  To help, the New Orleans Modern Drunkards have 3 wonderful cocktails to get you in the spirit of Carnival and to bring to your King Cake Parties or out to the 12th Night parade at 7pm on January 6th on St. Charles, with the Phunny Phorty Phellows!!

Our first cocktail was created by Rachael Gray from Storyville Bar on Bourbon Street and our friends at Absolut Vodka and incorporates the traditional colors of Mardi Gras and King Cakes: Purple, Green, & Gold.

          King Cake Martini

• 1 1/2 oz of Absolut Citron
• 3 oz of Pineapple Juice
• 1/4 oz of Agave Nectar
• 1/2 oz Chambord
• Green Confectionary Sprinkles or Green Sugar

Combine Absolut Citron, Pineapple Juice and Agave Nectar in an ice filled mixing glass. Shake and Strain into a cocktail glass rimmed with green sprinkles. Take a bar spoon and drizzle ½ oz Chambord so that it settles at the bottom of the cocktail glass.

Our second cocktail we are sharing is the King Cake Cocktail developed last year by Mike Genard & Ralph Brennan.  Last year, Ralph's on the Park had developed a Charity Cocktail of the Month and Mike had developed this Tasty treat to help raise money for "Bayou District Foundation."  & "Live Strong Foundation".

KING CAKE COCKTAIL


1 1/2oz New Orleans Spiced Rum
1/2oz Butter Scotch Schnapps
1/2oz Vanilla Schnapps
1 1/2oz Cream
Purple,Yellow and Green sugar
King Cake Baby. You can get Plastic King Cake Babies 6ct here.
**Mike also had an optional "secret ingredient" which was a splash orange & cinnamon infused simple syrup

Mix all ingredients in shaker over ice and shake vigorously.  Then take martini glass and coat lip in simple sugar or the "secret Ingredient" and rub in 3 colored sugar.  Strain cocktail into glass and attach Baby to lip.

For our final concotion, we asked Eric Gamble, our resident New Orleans Modern Drunkard to come up with a fun tasting toddy that would warm up your soul on those cold parade nights or for breakfast with a slice of your favorite King Cake.

12th Night Toddy

~ 1 1/4 oz Old New Orleans Cajun Spiced rum

~ 6 oz hot apple cider
~ 1 tsp Domino brown sugar
~ 1 tsp cinnamon
~ Cinnamon Stick

 Sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on a plate. Moisten the rim of a glass with water. Then turn the glass upside down onto the plate to rim the glass with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Turn the glass over. Add the hot cider and rum and stir with Cinnamon Stick.

So Happy 12th Night to all of our New Orleans Modern Drunkards.  Don't forget to Herald the Arrival of Mardi Gras with the Phunny Phorty Phellows this thursday Night on St. Charles at 7pm!! 

Did you like our cocktail suggestions or did you make any of these?  Let us know what you think by leaving us a comment below.