New Orleans

I won the London finals of the Southern Showdown, a cocktail competition set up by Southern Comfort. The prize was an all-expenses paid trip to New Orleans for four days, where I would compete in the grand finale. Because of this, I definitely had a different kind of experience than I would have had I gone on my own dime. 

Most of the meals were with the other competitors and were somewhat pre-arranged. So this meant that I didn’t check out as many places for food as I would’ve liked, but I can still punch you in the face with some coffee knowledge. And let’s be honest, that’s the main thing I write about. I just add a sprinkling of burritos and pizza to top it off.

So here goes the story of how The Big Sleazy came to love The Big Easy.  

Coffee

Now all I’d heard about New Orleans and coffee was Cafe Du Monde, and if you’re after something along those lines, I won’t judge you. But, just let me tell you that you’ll be waiting in line for a while. On the other hand, if you’re after some no-joke coffee-cunts, I’ve got you covered. Now, New Orleans has a full-on history (I’ll come back to later), which has resulted in a few different areas. The two I'll be speaking about are the French Quarter, and the CBD. I’ve got a killer recommendation for each of these.

Starting in the baguette-side of town, you’ve Spitfire Coffee on St. Peter. I swear I walked around the block looking for this place four fucking times. There was construction going on outside, so to be fair, it was difficult to find. Don’t be fooled by the aesthetics of the place. In no way do I think the shop is “ugly,” but it’s definitely been built in a way that says “we make great coffee, and that’s why we’re here." It’s not shiny and pretty like some more modern shops, but it also hasn’t been made deliberately rustic like so many hack places these days. It’s a no-nonsense coffee shop, and that’s exactly why I like it. The staff were super friendly. When you’ve got a shop that could only hold 10 guests if they’re packed liked sardines, it’s probably easy to have great banter. Last, but most certainly not least, the espresso was fantastic!

Now, on the freedom-side of town, you’ve got Stumptown Coffee Roasters on Carondelet. Now the first thing you’ll notice about this spot is that it’s FUCKING beautiful! It’s on the ground floor of the Ace Hotel and it fits there perfectly. I sat out the front of this spot with my underwater friend Conor and had a good chat my first day in town and then returned each day until my flight back to London. Just go. You'll enjoy it. 

Veg Food

Sweet potatoes with sugar. Enjoy your heart attack!

Skateboarding

In the French Quarter, some bits were smooth and some bits were fucked. In the "greatest country in the world's" side of town, I had a really fun roll. Next to the river, you can have a cool ride when it's not full of family-ass cunts clogging the lane with their shitty baby go-karts.

Weather

It ranges from sweaty and magical to windy and underwater. I guess you've just got to risk it to get the biscuit!

Sights

Go on a drinks tour with Drink & Learn. You'll learn a lot about the city and cocktail scene, and also probably get trashed. Go to 21st Amendment and tell Jason to make you a blended Sazerac. He'll know who sent you. Get a piña colada at Latitude 29, because why the fuck not? Get somebody to write you a poem in the street and go listen to some jazz.

New Orleans stole my heart. I had a fantastic time drinking crunchy Hurricanes with the Jazz Crew. I made life-long friends on this trip, and lifted weights drunk. I ran into some of them again in Edinburgh and got a matching tattoo with a few of them. I even named my newest cat Jazzy J - the "J" stands for Jazz. While I was in Edinburgh, I met two new people from NOLA, Chris Hannah and Evan Wolf, and apparently they make drinks too!

I want to say a big thanks to Southern Comfort UK and the Sazerac Company for the opportunity to fuck shit up. Thanks to Jason Sorbabe for letting me defile his bar with my ways. Probably most importantly, thanks to Jason Coleman for putting up with my Hurricane Katrina jokes and loving me anyway - I love you, boo-boo!

I'll be back next year to do it all again.

#CocaineTittiesandJazz