13 Best Mardi Gras Drinks That Are Famous in New Orleans (2024)

Hear us out: Yes, the official co*cktail of NOLA is the Sazerac, but if there was an official drink of Mardi Gras, it'd be the Hurricane. And that's exactly why no Mardi Gras party (yes, eating beignets on your couch counts, too!) is complete without the bright and boozy co*cktail, which includes two types of rum, passion fruit juice, orange juice, freshly-squeezed lime juice, simple syrup, and grenadine. (Bonus points if you serve it in the tall glass—that resembles a hurricane lamp—that it was named after.)

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If your festivities are starting bright and early, this peppery and piquant co*cktail is virtually guaranteed to kick start your day. It's made with most of the same ingredients as your standard Bloody Mary, but also has a dash of zippy Creole seasoning and a sprinkle of spicy cayenne to really turn up the heat. (Prefer Bloody Marias to Bloody Marys? Feel free to use tequila instead of vodka.)

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Get a taste of the celebratory Carnival confection, with this king cake-inspired daiquiri. The refreshing co*cktail replicates nearly ever aspect of the decadent dessert—from the hint of cinnamon and vanilla to the gold, green, and purple sprinkles—with one exception: You won't find a plastic baby hidden inside.

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Shake things up with this deeply refreshing drink—created by co*cktail professor Anthony Baker—which combines the famously frothy texture of a Ramos Gin Fizz with the mint-chocolate flavor of a Grasshopper co*cktail. Fair warning: Whipping up this drink can be a labor-intensive process (it requires a whole lot of shakin’), but it's well worth the arm workout.

Ingredients:

0.5 oz. Agave nectar
1.5 oz. Fresh lime juice
1 oz. Egg white
2 oz. Heavy cream
1 oz. Creme de menthe (green)
0.5 oz. Creme de cacao (light)
5 oz. Barr Hill Gin
2 oz. Fevertree Club Soda

Directions:

Combine all ingredients (except soda) in a shaker and add ice. Shake really hard for three minutes (really!) and strain into a tall Collins glass. Wait two minutes for the foam to develop, before topping with club soda and grated dark chocolate.

Yes, the Pimm's Cup is a quintessential British co*cktail—but in the late 1940s, it made its way to the Big Easy (via New Orleans institution Napoleon House) and has since become the toast of the town. For a holiday-inspired twist on the classic co*cktail, try this insanely refreshing blend of cranberry juice (or pomegrante juice), lemonade, ginger beer, and, of course, Pimm's No. 1.

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Embrace one of the traditional colors of Mardi Gras—with this smoky, sweet co*cktail. The green drink, which was created by Deena Sayers for Doña Vega, combines an equally earthy and fruity pineapple matcha juice, a peppery mezcal, and refreshing lime juice for a truly unique flavor profile.

Ingredients:

For pineapple matcha juice:

30 oz. Fresh pineapple juice

5 oz. Giffard banana liquor

5 oz. Agave syrup

5 tsp. Matcha powder

1/8 tsp. salt

2.5 tsp. ground cardamom

For co*cktail:

2 oz. Doña Vega Mezcal Espadin

2.25 oz. Pineapple matcha juice

.25 oz. Fresh lime juice

Mezsal Holy Hemp salt

Pineapple wedges

Directions:

To create the pineapple matcha juice, blend all of the ingredients, making sure all the matcha powder has dissolved. (Note: The juice will stay fresh for up to seven days.) Then, rim a rocks glass with Mezsal Holy Hemp salt and set aside. In a shaker, add all of the ingredients as well as some ice. Shake well, strain into the salted rocks glass over fresh ice, and garnish with pineapple wedges.

Warning: This New Orleans brunch staple packs, well, a real punch. Though it can be made with brandy, this take on the creamy, dreamy drink (think no-egg eggnog poured over a mound of crushed ice) includes Kentucky bourbon, as well as whole milk, vanilla extract, honey, and freshly-grated nutmeg.

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This fruity twist on the Southern classic is pretty sweet: Just combine bourbon with homemade mint simple syrup and blueberry mint puree and—most important—pour over a mountain of crushed ice. (To make it extra refreshing, serve the cool concoction in a chilled pewter cup.)

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You can have your king cake and drink it too—thanks to this delicious dessert martini. A blend of cinnamon vodka, hazelnut and liquers, white crème de cocoa, and club soda re-creates the taste of the New Orleans' local delicacy, while a green, purple, and yellow sugar rim replicates its look. (Pro tip: If you really want to raise the bar, try making your own batch of cinnamon-infused vodka. All you have to do is add a couple cinnamon sticks to your favorite vodka and let it sit for five to seven days.)

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Get ready to pop some bottles: This fizzy drink feels fancy (just consider the name: French 75), but it's surprisingly simple to make. All you need is gin, simple syrup, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and, yes, some bubbly.

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More than 180 years after it was first stirred up, the Sazerac is still one of NOLA's most popular drinks (not to mention it's official co*cktail)—and it's easy to see why. Not only is the classic drink quite easy to make (all you need is rye whiskey, Peychaud's bitters, Angostura bitters, abstinthe, and a sugar cube), but it's also just about as stiff as they come.

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If you prefer shots to co*cktails (no judgement), then you'll want to whip up a round of these small-but-mighty libations. The mix of king cake vodka and RumChata tastes exactly like the signature ring-shaped, sugar-coated danish, while a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of colorful sugar makes it even more festive—not to mention irresistible.

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Trust us: You'll raise a glass to this decadent—and insanely delicious—dessert co*cktail. Though the Grasshopper—which was born at the historic New Orleans bar Tujague's—is typically made with heavy cream, this blended one is made with vanilla ice cream and a splash of milk, so it's essentially a boozy McDonald's Shamrock Shake. Even better? There's also a non-alcoholic version, so kids and nondrinkers can also enjoy the glorified minty milkshake.

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