Whisky City #TIL: New Orleans

Recently, the Weekly Whisky accidentally got on a plane and went to New Orleans. We learned things you should know!

New Orleans: read on for our whisky drinker's guide.

TODAY I LEARNED in NEW ORLEANS:

• Sazerac cocktails are not that great in the city of their birth. It's probably because they're everywhere, and because tourists order them constantly, but they're nearly always too heavy on the Peychaud's bitters and absinthe. You can find good Sazeracs, but 90% of them will not be great.
• Decent bourbon is everywhere. Pretty much anywhere you go will have something for you. Just don't be surprised if it comes as a shot.
• Don't go to Bourbon Street for bourbon. Modern Bourbon Street is all about fishbowls of red liquid you can hang around your neck, hand grenades full of Midori, and blue things called resurrections that you should never drink because they will hurt you.
• Balconies are great to drink on. All buildings should have balconies for drinking.

Best whisky bar: Barrel Proof. Great prices, insane selection (domestic & international), and an open modern saloon atmosphere. Plus their bar snack is a healthy portion of jerky. A whisky lover can't go wrong. Bonus prize: best Sazerac cocktail. http://www.barrelproofnola.com/

Runner-ups: Bourbon House (friendly & knowledgeable staff, classy setting, and a very good American whiskey selection http://www.bourbonhouse.com/), Avenue Pub (feels like a dive bar, has awesome bourbon-barrel aged beers, and an epic rare bourbon selection http://theavenuepub.com/), and Antoine's (too classy for us but the selection was really good http://www.antoines.com/).

Honorable mention: Carousel Bar (invention-place of the Vieux Carre cocktail, which is "like a Sazerac but better"). Warning: this bar spins. http://hotelmonteleone.com/entertainment/carousel-bar/

Have other NOLA tips for whisky drinkers? Share 'em in the comments!

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