“Parade-going is an all day, all night, multi-generational affair,” says Ralph Brennan, the president of his family’s restaurant group, which runs some of the most beloved restaurants in New Orleans. His favorite drink to pair with the food and festivities is this Ojen cocktail, with a main ingredient that was first produced in nineteenth-century Spain. After New Orleanians had difficulty tracking down bottles of the popular anise-based liqueur, local Sazerac Co. revived it and now produces its own Ojen.
Drinks
Ojen Cocktail
A liqueur with Spanish roots makes for a favorite Mardi Gras drink

photo: Courtesy of Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
Ingredients
Yield: 1 cocktail
1½–2 oz. Ojen
4 drops Peychaud's bitters
1 splash soda water
Preparation
Combine ingredients in a rocks glass over crushed ice and stir.
Recipe from Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group
Related Stories:

Recipes
Broiled Trout with Red and Green Adobo Sauce
Mexican flavors meets Carolina ingredients in this dish from chef Katsuji Tanabe

Recipes
Blistered Okra with Basil Sauce
Chef Katsuji Tanabe dishes out traditional Mexican dishes with Japanese and North Carolina twists

Recipes
Simmer a Second Life Out of Crawfish
A Mississippi chef’s secrets to crawfish leftovers, plus a recipe for snapper with crawfish curry
Trending Stories:

Food & Drink
A State-by-State Guide to the South’s 35 Best Oysters
Oyster experts from around the South weigh in on their favorite oysters, by state

Food & Drink
How an Award-Winning Pastry Chef Doctors Up Boxed Cornbread
Even Kelly Fields whips up a box of Jiffy every once in a while. Here’s how she makes the store-bought stuff her own

Travel
Five Out-of-the-Way Spring Break Escapes
Remote Southern retreats to help you unwind and unplug