Skip to site content
The Group Travel Leader Small Market Meetings Going on Faith

Southern Signature Cocktails

Sazerac

New Orleans

More than one classic cocktail can trace its roots to the epicurean hub of New Orleans, but only one claims the title as the city’s official cocktail: the Sazerac.

The cocktail emerged during the 1830s when a local apothecary named Antoine Amedie Peychaud began serving his friends and customers an original brandy toddy made with Sazerac cognac and his own special recipe of bitters. During the 1870s, the French cognac was replaced with American rye whiskey.

“It’s interesting because it was influenced by all the different cultures that have called New Orleans home,” said Kristian Sonnier, vice president of public relations at the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

One of the best places to try the cocktail is at the Sazerac Bar inside the historic Roosevelt Hotel. Groups can also take advantage of the immersive Drink and Learn tours led by local cocktail historian Elizabeth Pearce. Drink Lab also offers a wonderful workshop called Classic New Orleans Cocktails during which participants hone their mixology skills as they follow a two-hour guided program on key cocktail ingredients and mixing techniques. 

In 2019, the Sazerac Distilling Company plans to open the Sazerac House Museum to commemorate the Sazerac cocktail’s colorful history and influence. 

www.neworleans.com

Cherry Bounce

Raleigh, North Carolina

Those with a penchant for tart, fruit-based drinks are sure to enjoy the cherry bounce, the official cocktail of Raleigh, the capital of North Carolina.

“If you ask any bartender in town what the signature cocktail is, they’ll say it’s the cherry bounce,” said Scott Peacock, director of public relations at the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau.

The cocktail gained prevalence during the mid-1700s when a tavern owner named Isaac Hunter began serving the infused cherry-and-brandy blend at his establishment along a popular travel route between Fayetteville, North Carolina, and Petersburg, Virginia. The bar became such a popular spot among state legislators that when the North Carolina General Assembly met in 1788 to determine the location of the state capital, they decreed: “The General Assembly shall fix the unalterable seat of government within 10 miles of Isaac Hunter’s Tavern.”

Though the original Isaac Hunter’s Tavern no longer exists, a new bar of the same name recently opened in downtown Raleigh. Another great spot to stop for cocktails is Watts and Ward, a speakeasy basement bar with leather tufted couches, bookshelves and exposed brick walls. The name Watts and Ward is a nod to the two pieces of legislation that initially introduced Prohibition to the state: the Watts Act of 1903 and the Ward Law of 1905. A few other excellent drink venues for groups to check out are Dram and Draught, Whiskey Kitchen and Vidrio.

www.visitraleigh.com