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The Southern Table
Lift Your Spirits: A Celebratory History of Cocktail Culture in New Orleans
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.
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.
- GenresCocktailsFood History
208 pages, Hardcover
First published May 2, 2016
6 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth M. Williams
10 books2 followersAlways fascinated by the way the lure of nutmeg and peppercorns motivated the exploration of the world, Liz Williams was lucky to be born into a family of Sicilian heritage in New Orleans. She grew up eating in two great food traditions. She is a founder and President of the SoFAB Institute. Much of her research and writing centers on the legal and policy issues related to food and foodways. Her book, coauthored with Stephanie Jane Carter, The Encyclopedia of Law and Food, was published by Greenwood Publishing in 2011. In 2013 AltaMira published New Orleans: A Food Biography. In 2016 her book, co-authored with Chris McMillian, Lift Your Spirits, was published by LSU Press.
A graduate of Louisiana State University (BA, English) and Louisiana State University Law Center (JD) she has served in the U.S. Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG). She has practiced law in Washington, DC and Louisiana. She has written many articles for a variety of magazines and journals, has served as judge in many cooking competitions, and has consulted internationally on the food of New Orleans. Travel is an excuse to eat in new places. She is a member of the Folklife Commission, State of Louisiana.
A graduate of Louisiana State University (BA, English) and Louisiana State University Law Center (JD) she has served in the U.S. Army as a Judge Advocate General (JAG). She has practiced law in Washington, DC and Louisiana. She has written many articles for a variety of magazines and journals, has served as judge in many cooking competitions, and has consulted internationally on the food of New Orleans. Travel is an excuse to eat in new places. She is a member of the Folklife Commission, State of Louisiana.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 27, 2016
Full disclosure -- I'm the editor for this book, which is coming out May, 2016. Objectively and honestly, 'Lift Your Spirits' does an excellent job of telling the long and storied history of cocktails in New Orleans. It also explains the importance of spirits to the city's modern culture. And it's chock-full of cocktail recipes, too.
May 4, 2020
Terrific book about cocktails and the city that nurtures the cocktail tradition. Loved it, and now I want to go back to New Orleans, but I can't because...quarantine. Soon.
December 21, 2016
Interesting and easy, but would have liked more details and depth, especially from sources.
February 23, 2017
The co-author of this wonderful little volume is the incredible Chris McMillian, a New Orleans bartender extraordinaire (with a whole string of awards and accolades to his name). THAT was the reason I wanted to read the book. So what's it about ~
The authors chronicle the history of alcohol consumption from the earliest colonization to the present time, offering the background of what constitutes the unique culture of New Orleans. For example, the notion of a minimum drinking age was not supported by parents because it denied them the opportunity to civilize their offspring when it came to the art of drinking. They wanted to be able to teach them what to drink and when, how to drink it, and exactly how NOT to drink. In other words, they wanted to teach their children how to drink sociably without going nuts and getting drunk for the sake of getting drunk.
The locals' attitudes to liquor are relaxed for the simple reason it has been a part of their culture since the inception of the Crescent City. The European manner of dining and drinking continue to this day, and the only ones who don't know how to drink are the tourists.
We learn that early city fathers sought to keep the keelboaters under control until they caught the next boat going back upstream. We learn about the districts they created for keeping vice in its place, and the interesting way that the cocktail developed from the liquor that was available. While it certainly did not begin in New Orleans, the city certainly did more than its fair share in keeping the old recipes alive, especially during Prohibition and the period afterward when alcohol production was coming back. We learn that limited production of certain spirits influenced what people drank, and we learn that bartenders could be very creative when it came to using the spirits they had at hand.
The one thing I was hoping for were more of Mr. McMillian's recipes for cocktails. I happen to have a lot of them thanks to his appearances in a series of videos shot when he was the venerable man behind the bar at the now defunct Library Bar. I wish this book had included more that just the few. And to be sure, he was careful to label his own; he did not give his own version of drinks such as the Vieux Carre or the Brandy Alexander. (I will make the ones as they were printed in this book for comparison's sake, but I'm going to admit to a high level of bias. His Vieux Carre is one of our favorite cocktails.)
But, the fact that this book did not might be good news. It leaves the door open for his own book of cocktail recipes. Or, at the very least, a compilation of those videos on DVD! (I learned a LOT by watching them!)
If you want to avoid the tourist traps where the drinks are made with powdered or liquid base mixes, the book will give you some good tips. And it definitely will make you want to visit the Museum of the American Cocktail on your next trip to NOLA.
Overall, if you like history, cocktails, and are interested in how the two subjects intersect in our nation's most iconic city, this book is for you.
Cheers!
The authors chronicle the history of alcohol consumption from the earliest colonization to the present time, offering the background of what constitutes the unique culture of New Orleans. For example, the notion of a minimum drinking age was not supported by parents because it denied them the opportunity to civilize their offspring when it came to the art of drinking. They wanted to be able to teach them what to drink and when, how to drink it, and exactly how NOT to drink. In other words, they wanted to teach their children how to drink sociably without going nuts and getting drunk for the sake of getting drunk.
The locals' attitudes to liquor are relaxed for the simple reason it has been a part of their culture since the inception of the Crescent City. The European manner of dining and drinking continue to this day, and the only ones who don't know how to drink are the tourists.
We learn that early city fathers sought to keep the keelboaters under control until they caught the next boat going back upstream. We learn about the districts they created for keeping vice in its place, and the interesting way that the cocktail developed from the liquor that was available. While it certainly did not begin in New Orleans, the city certainly did more than its fair share in keeping the old recipes alive, especially during Prohibition and the period afterward when alcohol production was coming back. We learn that limited production of certain spirits influenced what people drank, and we learn that bartenders could be very creative when it came to using the spirits they had at hand.
The one thing I was hoping for were more of Mr. McMillian's recipes for cocktails. I happen to have a lot of them thanks to his appearances in a series of videos shot when he was the venerable man behind the bar at the now defunct Library Bar. I wish this book had included more that just the few. And to be sure, he was careful to label his own; he did not give his own version of drinks such as the Vieux Carre or the Brandy Alexander. (I will make the ones as they were printed in this book for comparison's sake, but I'm going to admit to a high level of bias. His Vieux Carre is one of our favorite cocktails.)
But, the fact that this book did not might be good news. It leaves the door open for his own book of cocktail recipes. Or, at the very least, a compilation of those videos on DVD! (I learned a LOT by watching them!)
If you want to avoid the tourist traps where the drinks are made with powdered or liquid base mixes, the book will give you some good tips. And it definitely will make you want to visit the Museum of the American Cocktail on your next trip to NOLA.
Overall, if you like history, cocktails, and are interested in how the two subjects intersect in our nation's most iconic city, this book is for you.
Cheers!
November 7, 2016
The introduction to this book is wonderful for it shows the love we New Orleanians have for our city.
The focus of this gem is the love we have for our history especially when it comes to our love of life, which includes our drinking culture. This comes from our heritage of French, Spanish, German and so many more cultures that make us the gumbo we are.
The book gives the history of our well known drinks, with recipes on how to make them such as: The Ramon Gin Fizz, the Hurricane and other popular drinks.
A delight to read and never boring to the reader. The author is the founder and president of the National Food and Beverage Institute here in the city, so she knows well of which she speaks.
Great book
The focus of this gem is the love we have for our history especially when it comes to our love of life, which includes our drinking culture. This comes from our heritage of French, Spanish, German and so many more cultures that make us the gumbo we are.
The book gives the history of our well known drinks, with recipes on how to make them such as: The Ramon Gin Fizz, the Hurricane and other popular drinks.
A delight to read and never boring to the reader. The author is the founder and president of the National Food and Beverage Institute here in the city, so she knows well of which she speaks.
Great book
July 30, 2019
Inspired to read during TOTC2019. Learned a few things.
August 14, 2020
Not just a book containing classic cocktail recipes, this is a time capsule. I recommend this for anyone who enjoys a sophisticated libation and loves the history of New Orleans.
Read
August 1, 2022I wrote this one, so I won't be doing a review.
October 3, 2024
a simple overview of Nola's history with cocktail recipes alongside for the ride. the narrative was a little hit and miss for me throughout with the condoning of touristy drunkenness vs the love of everyday drinking of local alcoholics. a nice little section on the Sazerac, the official cocktail of NOLA, but not a single recipe included??
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews