Bourbon House
Divine intervention is a real thing. And on my recent trip to New Orleans where, for a split second, I thought I was 22 again and ready for copious amounts of Hand Grenades, divine intervention came in the form of Bourbon House. It was one of the first things I saw when I turned on to the infamous Bourbon Street and its existence saved me from the inevitably dark fate I would've endured had I trekked forward to Tropical Isle.
Now I've been on Bourbon Street in New Orleans a good number of times prior to this trip, but somehow never noticed Bourbon House perched on that first corner. But this time it caught my eye almost immediately with their beautiful display window housing some of the top bourbons on the market. And upon entering the building, that beauty is amplified greatly with its decorative vibes of southern elegance and a ten foot tall trophy case filled with any bottle of bourbon you've ever lusted after -- easily one of the coolest accent pieces I've ever seen in a whiskey bar.
On this visit I wanted to dive into some bourbons I've been dying to try, but just haven't got around to. So I got my hands on a flight comprised of Little Book, E.H. Taylor Four Grain, Maker's Private Select and a bonus pour of Old Fitzgerald 11 Year. This had to be one of the most enjoyable whiskey flights I've ever conjured up with each of these drinks bringing great individuality to the table. Little Book packed some big heat that was aggressive and bold in flavor. E.H. Taylor Four Grain smelled of vanilla cream and berries and tasted as delicious as that sounds. The Maker's Private Stock had an intimidating nose, but was surprisingly soft and smooth on the palate. And finally, the Old Fitz 11 year was as beautifully crafted as its decanter style bottle. I honestly hit the jackpot with each of these picks.
So, you'd think that kind of whiskey lineup would've been the highlight of my evening, but it was Bourbon House's Bourbon Milk Punch that completely stole the show. Trust me, I know how it sounds -- the name completely turned me off at first since I had never heard of this drink in my life, but I'm glad I kept an open mind and gave it a chance. Apparently a fairly popular drink in New Orleans, the Bourbon Milk Punch is the perfect marriage of milk, vanilla ice cream and Old Forester bourbon. This was the bourbon cocktail I never realized I needed in my life and now don't want to live without. Thanks to this trip to Bourbon House, I'll be looking to recreate the magic they captured in that glass.
It's always fun stumbling upon places you didn't initially seek out and end up leaving extremely impressed and blown away by the experience. Bourbon House was the icing on the cake of an already amazing trip to New Orleans. There are a million reasons to love this city and this establishment just added another one to the list. I'd like to thank Bourbon House for saving me from the Hand Grenades that my 30 year old liver wasn't ready for and instead giving me a place I'll always revisit any time I wander to the Big Easy. Well done, guys.
