Editorial
New Orleans is the cradle of American cocktailing. The Sazerac was invented here. The Ramos Gin Fizz was invented here. The Vieux Carré was invented here. The 10 below honour the city's history while including the modern rooms (Cure, Compère Lapin) that have brought the cocktail scene back to its 1880s peak.
Visit The Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel for the original Sazerac (it's where the cocktail's restaurant rights live). Drink a Pimm's Cup at the Napoleon House. Order a Vieux Carré at Hotel Monteleone's Carousel Bar (where it was invented). Then graduate to Cure, Cane & Table, and Compère Lapin for what New Orleans cocktailing looks like in the present.
Senior US Editor — drinks his way through New York and writes about which bars actually deserve their reputations.