8 Summer Sips You Can't Miss

by Sydney Blanchard & Hannah Alkadi

Summertime always brings out the drinker in me. The way I see it, if I'm expected to tolerate the heat and humidity of Louisiana summers, at least have the decency to fix me up a fancy, freezing cold cocktail.

Luckily, all my favorite bars and restaurants have taken the hint. Here are some of my favorite cocktails around town to beat the summer heat.

Rum Punch at Barcadia

Masonrita at Mason's Grill

You look like you need a little #masonrita in your life! 😉🍹#masonsgrill $6 alllllllll night looooonnnnng!

A photo posted by MasonsGrill (@masonsgrill) on Jun 21, 2014 at 2:28pm PDT

Cane Shaker at Donner Peltier Distillers

Adult Snoball at Olive or Twist

Jardin District at Radio Bar

Our spring cocktail menu has been released!! Come on by and try one of our delicious drinks like this Jardin District. The bar opens at 4pm!

A photo posted by The Radio Bar (@the_radiobar) on Mar 21, 2016 at 2:22pm PDT

Moscow Mule at Beausoleil

Rose Freeze at Bistro Byronz

Southern Hemisphere at City Pork Brasserie

A Southern Hemisphere. #BRFoodies

A photo posted by Christina Stephens (@christinastephens) on Apr 16, 2016 at 11:13am PDT

Brea Frederick: Vixen of Vermouth

by Blair Loup

I bet you didn’t know your friendly neighborhood bartender is a licensed cosmetologist in three states, has tended bar in five states, and was a short-order cook at a Waffle House when she was 18 years old.

Brea Frederick of Olive or Twist in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Bartender Brea Frederick at Olive or Twist was born and raised in San Diego, California, and moved to Baton Rouge during four of the most formative years of her life.

Looking for a change in a few different places, Brea's travels carried her to Phoenix, the Twin Cities and New York. Most of the time she worked two jobs, and she always had one foot behind the bar or in the kitchen.

From constant unwanted advances to being corrected on classic drink recipes, Brea has some less than pleasant experiences as a bartender in New York, and some of those struggles are still very real for her in Baton Rouge.

“Being a woman in this industry is challenging, but being a lesbian in this industry makes things even more difficult,” Brea said.

She said there’s something about the sense of entitlement found primarily in the older white privileged males that reminds her of the disrespect many Middle Eastern men she encountered in New York have for women.

After living in Brooklyn and working in Manhattan for four years, Brea made her way down to New Orleans. Trying to wedge her way into the industry in the Crescent City, she landed a position at SoBou where she met fellow Woman in Booze Abigail Gullo before her move to Compère Lapin.

Shortly after working at SoBou, Brea found her life pulling her back to Baton Rouge.

“Baton Rouge has always been a big slice of home to me,” Brea said.

The friends she made here are like family, and now so are her coworkers.

As one of five bartenders (and the only female bartender) at Olive or Twist, she says her coworkers are incredible. There's a lot of mutual respect happening among the staff behind and outside of the bar.

Olive or Twist is Brea's first craft cocktail job, and she admits to being overwhelmed and intimidated at first by the enormous collection of booze at Olive or Twist. Who wouldn’t be? With a towering wall of alcohol, some of which can only be reached by a sliding Charlie and the Chocolate Factory-style ladder, Olive or Twist boasts an extensive and seasonal cocktail menu.

Brea’s favorite part of working in a craft cocktail bar is surprising her customers’ palates with flavors and ingredients they’ve never experienced. She likes to shoot from the hip with a little cocktail roulette when she’s behind the bar playing with vermouths and aperitifs.

You can snag one of her more recent concoctions, The Formidable Frisk, at the bar, or make it at home with this recipe:

1.5 oz. Old Overholt Rye
.5 oz Buffalo Trace Bourbon
.5 oz Lime Juice
.75 oz Vanilla Syrup
.5 oz Turbinado
2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
Muddled Rosemary
*serve in a rocks glass and garnish with a sprig of rosemary*

Brea says a good cocktail changes people, so if you’re in the mood for great conversation or life-changing sip, visit Brea Frederick at Olive or Twist.

Cheers to you lady!



This post is part of a monthly series spotlighting Louisiana women in the business of booze. Previous features include:

Natalie Parbhoo: Duchess of Distribution
Lindsay Nations: Baroness of Beer
Dori Murvin: Sorceress of Service
Nora McGunnigle: Headmistress of Hops
Myrna Arroyo: Vino Valedictorian
Brandi Lauck: Warden of Whiskey
Cari Caramonta: Mother of Malts
Erin White: Priestess of Pairing
Beth Donner: Dame of Distilling
Halston McMullan: Hustler of Houston Hops
Libby Landry: Governess of Grapes
Abigail Gullo: Leading Lady of Libation

Mary Lewis: Superintendent of Suds

Insta-Worthy Cocktails in Baton Rouge and New Orleans

by Sydney Blanchard

I don't know about y'all, but any time I go out and order a cocktail, I feel compelled to photograph it and post it on Instagram. There's just something so fun and novel about ordering a pretty cocktail. And if it tastes great? Even better.

Louisiana (New Orleans, specifically) is the birthplace of the cocktail, and what better way to celebrate local cocktail culture than to make a not-so-comprehensive list of some of the most photo-worthy cocktails we've had in the Baton Rouge/New Orleans area?

Without further adieu...here's our list! What would you include?

Grapefruit Margarita at Jolie Pearl Oyster Bar

A little sweet, a little tart, and adorably pink, the grapefruit margarita at Jolie Pearl is perfect for pairing with oysters. 

Vodka Freeze at Bistro Byronz

This snow-white, boozy vodka freeze is a Bistro Byronz favorite.Topped with a cherry and a lime slice, it's also a guaranteed like-generator on Instagram. 

Blueberry Hill at Olive or Twist

You can't get an ugly cocktail at Olive or Twist. This muddled blueberry cocktail bursts with berry flavor and color, making it perfectly photogenic.

Sweet-T-Sway at Lock & Key Whiskey Bar

As gorgeous as it is delicious, Lock & Key's picture perfect Sweet-T-Sway combines sweet tea, pomegranate liqueur, muddled mint and hand-crushed ice. 

Jalapeño Pineapple Cilantro Margarita at Araña

Visually stunning chunky pineapple and bright green jalapeño bits make this margarita at Araña pop (and will make all your followers envious).

Damn Thistle at Sac-A-Lait

Sweet, syrupy, and adorned with an edible hibiscus flower, the picturesque Damn Thistle at Sac-A-Lait features Donner-Peltier's Oryza Vodka and tastes like a dream.

Goin' Up on a Tuesday: Best Tuesday Eats in Baton Rouge

by Sydney"Brown Nose" Blanchard

If you're like me, weekends can be as busy and stress-inducing as any weekday. Washing and folding laundry, grocery shopping for the week and running errands sometimes leaves me and my squad no time to party on the weekend.

The only solution, then, is to go up on a Tuesday.

Certainly, ILOVEMAKONNEN and Drake feel me on this.

If goin' up on a Tuesday sounds like something you want to make a weekly tradition, you're in luck. These Baton Rouge eateries and watering holes have Tuesday specials that will make Tuesdays your new favorite night of the week.

After all, Goin' Up on a Tuesday > Thirsty Thursday. 

The Rum House

Beer, lamb and veggie tacos at Rum House

It seems like every restaurant that serves tacos does some form of Taco Tuesday, which is ideal. Tacos were made for Tuesdays. At Rum House, Taco Tuesdays mean $2 draft beer and $2 tacos. Throw in a side of fried plantains if you're feeling crazy because, hey, you deserve it.

The Chimes (both locations) & Parrain's

The Chimes & Parrain's are owned by the same company, and they get one thing right: half off raw oysters on Tuesday... ALL DAY. Usually, a dozen costs about $10, and every day besides Tuesday, they're half off only between the hours of 4 and 7 p.m. That's what makes Tuesdays so magical. You can get your raw oyster on at your leisure. 

Chicken Shack

Golden fried chicken at Chicken Shack

Everyone who's anyone in Baton Rouge knows about Chicken Shack. And if you're pining for fried chicken on a Tuesday, you can't beat their two-piece Tuesday deal: a fried chicken leg and thigh for $1.45. Once you try Chicken Shack, no other fried chicken will do.

Olive or Twist

Whether or not it's National Burger Month, a $5 hamburger always gets my mouth watering. Olive or Twist offers a $5 burger each Tuesday. While you're chowing down, grab a cocktail or wash down your burger with a cold beer. 

Tin Roof Tap Room

Yoga on the brewery floor at Tin Roof

Okay, this isn't really "eats," but Tuesdays at Tin Roof combine two of my favorite activities: drinking beer and contorting my body in ways that are unnatural. Both are great ways to relax the mind, body, and spirit. Every other Tuesday from 6 to 7 Tin Roof and Purusa yoga team up to make the ~good vibes~ and beer flow. After a little downward dog and child's pose, grab a $3 half-pint of Turnrow from 7 to 10 p.m.

Pat's Seafood & Cajun Deli

Pat's is new to Baton Rouge but well-respected in Cajun country. On Tuesday, Pat's might just have the best deal on boiled crawfish in town: $3/pound! Plus, for $15 they'll give you a bucket of beer to wash down the spicy tails. Crawfish needn't be relegated to weekend-only fare.

Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar

Battered fish tacos at Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar in downtown Baton Rouge

Lucy's Retired Surfer Bar's Taco Tuesday goes down from 4 to 11 p.m. They do $1 beef and veggie tacos, $2 chicken tacos, and $3 fish tacos. Plus, they offer a two-for-one special on $6 margaritas and specialty draft beers. The best way to do this is to get an assortment of the tacos and share them with friends.

Rock-n-Sake

LSU roll at Rock-n-Sake

This is the deal of the century. Rock-n-Sake's LSU roll, normally about $14 a pop, is only $5 on Tuesdays. And the roll is everything I love in a sushi roll: tempura shrimp and cream cheese rolled with layers of snow crab crab topped with tuna and avocado and drizzled in Rock-n-Sake's housemade eel sauce.

Local Libations: Olive or Twist hosts Sweet Crude Rum Tasting

Sweet Crude Rum

Olive or Twist is known for their ability to craft unbelievably delicious cocktails utilizing fresh ingredients and a flurry of inspiration. They're also known for great happy hour specials and the ever-popular weekly Wednesday free tastings! This Wednesday, July 30th from 7-9pm, Olive or Twist will be hosting Lafayette's Sweet Crude Rum. If you swing join the party you can taste the rum and sample some cocktails featuring Sweet Crude including their award-winning Hemingway Daiquiri. Rank Wildcat's distillers, David and Cole, will be there to tell you all about what they're doing in Lafayette, and the sample cocktails will be on the menu all day! Don't miss a great time with a wonderful Louisiana Rum.

Dram & Ale Tuesday: Whisk(e)y Wednesday presented by Calandro's Supermarket

Last night debuted the initial Dram & Ale Tuesday at Olive or Twist on Perkins Road. I recently featured them in an article in The Advocate, but when I went in last night learned about this new drink special. Every Tuesday a handful of beers, featured whiskeys, and specialty whiskey cocktails will be marked down for your imbibing pleasure. Last night I stuck to whiskey, giving the Honey Tangerine Old Fashioned, French Sazerac, and Chocolate Manhattan all a try. Each one hit the spot, especially the Honey Tangerine Old Fashioned as I'm a sucker for Old Fashioneds these days. The cocktails will rotate each week on Dram & Ale Tuesdays, as will the featured beers and whiskeys. I couldn't resist one specialty choice on the menu below. A dram of Elijah Craig 21, normally priced at $25 at Olive or Twist, had been reduced to $10. I had one. And it was glorious. Check out Dram & Ale Tuesday next time you're in the mood, or just swing by Olive or Twist any time for a great cocktail!

Dram & Ale Tuesday at Olive or Twist with Elijah Craig 21

Whisk(e)y Wednesday is a blog post series on Bite and Booze sponsored by Calandro's Supermarket. Calandro's has one of Baton Rouge's best selections of bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and other whisk(e)ys as well as wine and craft beer. This WW feature was scored by Jay Ducote, Eric Ducote, and Jeremy Spikes. Scores are marked for Nose, Taste, Finish, and Balance and Complexity using our own proprietary scoring system. Marks are then added and averaged, leaving us with a final score out of a 100 point scale. Our scale should be looked at on the full range of 0-100 rather than an academic range where 70 is passing and anything less is failing. A 50 should be considered a very mediocre whisk(e)y (though not undrinkable) while anything below 20 is absolute horse piss and anything above 80 is rather extraordinary and anything above 90 is world class.

Rougaroux, Oryza, LA1 Whiskey, Olive or Twist: Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket

The Donner-Peltier Distillery in Thibodaux, LA is creating some mighty fine spirits that not only should we all be drinking, but we should also be quite proud of. Making the Rougaroux line of rum out of Louisiana sugar cane, the Oryza brand of vodka and gin out of Louisiana rice, and now Louisiana's first legally distilled aged whiskey since prohibition, the folks down in Thibodaux are really doing it right. Johnny Culpepper, head of the sales team for DP, joined me recently on the Bite and Booze Radio Show. Also in studio, Josh Duke from Olive or Twist mixed up their 13 Pennies for the Rougaroux cocktails which features the 13 Pennies Praline Rum. Blaise Calandro III from Calandro's Supermarket, where you can find all the Rougaroux and Oryza products, came in studio as well. We had a great time, and the radio show should be a great listen!




The Bite and Booze Radio Show presented by Calandro's Supermarket airs on Saturdays at 5 PM and replays Sundays at 8 PM on Talk 107.3 FM in Baton Rouge. The show is hosted by Jay Ducote and won a Taste Award in January 2014 as the best food or drink based radio broadcast in the country. The producer of the show is Chris Courtney at Guaranty Broadcasting and the field producer is Charles Pierce from the Me and My Big Mouth Show. It is also available on iTunes. The show's sponsors include Calandro's Supermarket, Visit Baton Rouge, Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning, Mama Della's N.Y. City Pizzeria, Restaurant IPO, Mason's Grill, Donner-Peltier Distillers (Rougaroux Rums and Oryza Vodka and Gin), Louisiana Cookin' Magazine, Juban's Restaurant, the Tin Roof Brewing Company, the Louisiana Culinary Institute and Triumph Kitchen.