Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans

By Chris McMillian and Elizabeth M. Williams

The Sazerac, the Hurricane, and the absinthe glass of Herbsaint are among the many well-known creations native to New Orleans's longstanding drinking culture. But more than vehicles for alcohol, the cocktails and spirits that complement the city's culinary prowess are each a token of its history. In every bar-side toast or street-corner daiquiri you can find evidence of the people, politics, and convergence of ethnicities that drive the story of the Crescent City. In Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans, Elizabeth M. Williams, founder and director of the Southern Food and Beverage Institute, and world-renowned bartender Chris McMillian illuminate the city's open embrace of alcohol, both in religious and secular life, while delving into the myths, traditions, and personalities that have made New Orleans a destination for imbibing tourists and a mecca for mixologists. With over 40 cocktail recipes interspersed among nearly three hundred years of history, a sampling of premier cocktail bars in New Orleans, and a glossary of terms to aid drink making and mixing, Lift Your Spirits honors the art of a good drink in the city of good times.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807163260
• ISBN13: 9780807163269
• Release Date: May 2016
• Publisher: LSU Press
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 7.4"