32
MY
ROUSES
EVERYDAY
JANUARY | FEBRUARY 2014
KING CAKE VODKA
by
Sally, Rouses Wine & Spirits
Director
There’s a krewe of new king cake
flavored vodkas for Mardi Gras. Lucky
Player launched in 2012; Taaka in
2013. Lucky Player’s version is 80 proof;
Taaka’s 60. Both are good served plain
or on the rocks. Now before there were
king cake flavored vodkas, there were
king cake cocktails make with juice
(orange, pineapple or grapefruit), milk
and various spirits. I’m partial to two versions – the
one whipped up by intoxycologyst Bill deTurk, wine
expert at our Tchoupitoulas store in New Orleans, and
on-air talent for community radio station WWOZ; and
the King Cake Bevvy, a frozen drink served at Dickie
Brennan’s Bourbon House.
King Cake Cocktail
by
Bill deTurk, Rouses Wine Manager,
Tchoupitoulas
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
Purple, green and gold colored sugar
1
ounce 30-proof cinnamon schnapps
½
ounce amaretto
½
ounce pineapple juice
¾
Irish cream liqueur
¾
Rouses whole milk
HOW TO PREP
Cover the bottom of a small plate with a little
cinnamon schnapps. Pour sugars onto another
small plate. Fill mixing glass one third full of ice.
Add all ingredients and roll drink back and forth
into another mixing glass as you would for a
Bloody Mary. Dip the rim of a chilled cocktail glass
into plate of schnapps and then the colored sugars.
Strain drink into decorated glass. Garnish with a
plastic king cake baby.
King Cake Bevvy
Dickie Brennan's Bourbon House
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
1
cup vanilla ice cream
1¾ ounce rum
½
ounce cinnamon syrup
¼
ounce orgeat (almond syrup)
¼
ounce orange juice
microplaned cinnamon bark
tri-color sugar
baby swizzle stick (optional)
HOW TO PREP
Blend first five ingredients together in blender.
Garnish with microplaned cinnamon bark and tri-
colored sugar.
FAREWELL TO THE FLESH
Ash Wednesday
by
Brandon, Rouses Store Director, Carrollton
I feel the same way about steak the way other people feel about their boats: the bigger the
better. If you’ve eaten at a Ruth’s Chris Steak House you’re familiar with the sound, smell
and taste of a steak sizzling in butter. But it’s another New Orleanian whose restaurant was
steps away from the original Chris’ Steakhouse (later Ruth’s Chris), who is actually credited
with creating that New Orleans sizzle, not Ruth Fertel.
Ruth, by the way, used to live in
Happy Jack Canal in Plaquemines Parish just up the road from where I grew up.
John Vojkovich, a Croatian immigrant, opened Crescent City Steakhouse in 1934. The
restaurant is located on Broad Street up the street from my Carrollton store, blocks form the
original Ruth’s Chris, and almost directly across from the Zulu Social Aid & Pleasure Club,
whose members parade in the famous Zulu parade on Mardi Gras Day (and tend to shop at
Rouses for their coconuts). The club’s homebase at the corner of Broad and Orleans, about
a quarter of a mile from the store, is the last stop on Mardi Gras Day for the marchers,
riders and band members, including the St. Aug Purple Knights, who perform in more
than 10 parades each year (they’ve also performed at Rouses!). Crescent City Steakhouse
opens Mardi Gras afternoon to feed the Zulu crowd and revelers who come from all over
the city for their final meat meal before Ash Wednesday. The steaks are always sizzling, and
on Mardi Gras day, so are the sites!
THE REX ROOM
by
Rachel Rouse Bergeron
Antoine’s Restaurant in the French Quarter served its first meal in 1840, just three years
after the first documented parade rolled in New Orleans, and its association with Mardi
Gras goes back to 1857 and the original Comus Organization. (I have been studying my
Mardi Gras history.) There are four private rooms at Antoine’s named after Carnival krewes,
but the one everyone is most familiar with is the Rex Room, whose walls are lined with
photos of Rex royalty and memorabilia. The room was created by Antoine’s proprietor Roy
Alciatore in honor of the Krewe of Rex.
(Roy managed the restaurant from early 1930s until
his death in 1972; his father Jules created one of the city’s most famous dishes, Oysters Rockefeller.)
You don’t have to be a member of Rex to eat in the Rex Room, or as rich as a Rockefeller to
order Oysters Rockefeller — you just need a reservation.
MOON PIES IN MOBILE
In the 1970s, Moon Pies replaced Cracker Jacks as the food throw of choice for Mobile,
Alabama krewes.Those Cracker Jack boxes were too heavy hitters (and harder to throw).Moon
Pies also make appearances at Mardi Gras parades in South Louisiana and South Mississippi.
—Mike, Rouses Center Store Director
BACCHUS
In Greek mythology Bacchus is the God of
wine. In New Orleans, Bacchus is one of
the biggest parades of the season. The super
krewe was founded in 1968, parading for
the first time the next year (King Kong and
Bacchasaurus didn’t appear until 1974). Il
Carnevale di Venezia wines are the perfect
toast to Bacchus.
—Sally, Rouses Wine & Spirits Director
DRINK RECIPE,
try me!
DRINK RECIPE,
try me!
