Happy Mardi Gras!

Mardi Gras 2010 Poster

In case you didn’t have enough holiday events this past weekend (the Presidents, the Valentines, the Olympics, oh and did you forget about Chinese New Year?), we have one last party. And it’s our favorite of them all!

You may or may not realize that Bourbon & Canal is named for that famous intersection in New Orleans, where visitors staying in the hotels of the Central Business District walk into the French Quarter – at Bourbon Street and Canal Street. So of course we love Mardi Gras. Just for kicks, here’s a couple of pictures of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras past:

View down Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras

Women We Don't Know -- Collecting Lots of Beads

A Sea of People on Bourbon Street

Two things are obvious from these pictures:

1. If you go to Mardi Gras, it’s important to get a spot on a balcony!

2. Everyone always has a drink in their hand!

While we can’t bring you a Bourbon Street crowd or a balcony, we can help you with the drinks.

By far the most popular Mardi Gras drink is the Hurricane. It’s a signature New Orleans choice, and would be great for your own celebration at home. We suggest that you make things easy for yourself and pick up some pre-mixed, ready-to-drink Hurricanes at our place. For the more ambitious, we also have powdered Hurricane mix you can tinker with at home, adding as much alcohol as you want, with or without a blender and ice.

The other thing you commonly find in New Orleans is Bourbon and rum-based drinks. New Orleans’ heritage as a port city settled by the French explains the rum part – the French ships would go to the French colonies in the Bahamas and further South on trading missions, and bring back rum – which was made from the sugar cane in the tropics.

The Bourbon tradition is not so obvious. One guess might be that boats brought Bourbon from Kentucky down the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers to the port of New Orleans. But that would be wrong. In fact, New Orleans was settled years before anyone in Kentucky ever thought about making whiskey.

What actually happened is that the French settlers and trading ships would come to New Orleans with stashes of their beloved Cognac from back home in France, and this became a staple in New Orleans and was the basis for lots of their traditional recipes. Later on, when Americans learned how to make whiskey and started selling good quality product up and down the river, then bartenders in New Orleans started substituting the less-costly American whiskey in place of expensive Cognac in their drinks. And a tradition was born that continues today.

One other piece of trivia: Absinthe was originally brought to America by the French settlers also, and is used in several old-school New Orleans cocktails, for example the Sazerac which includes Bourbon, Absinthe and bitters (also originally from New Orleans!). Absinthe is legal in the U.S. again, and we have several to choose from if you’d like to try it.

That concludes our history lesson for today! Live it up on Fat Tuesday, and stop by Bourbon & Canal to get everything you need for a great Mardi Gras party.

Cheers!

Valentine’s Gift Ideas

Yes, Valentine’s Day is this weekend!

Flowers or chocolate are kind of predictable, don’t you think? How about a nice bottle of something delicious and fun to celebrate with your someone special? Here are some ideas:

1.  Rare Scotch.

Laphroaig 30 year scotch

How about a nice bottle of Scotch? People who drink Scotch are thrilled when they receive a really nice, unusual bottle. Something to treasure, sip and savor, and share with special friends who appreciate it.

Our best Scotch suggestion right now is Laphroaig 30 year, which we have on sale for only $150 (reg. $225). It’s extraordinarily smooth and rich, with the expected peaty flavor that Laphroaig is known for, but in spades. It also has a hint of sweetness that helps balance out the sea air that you find in older scotches, making it one of the better rare blends.

We also have many, many other common and rare scotch whiskies to choose from – by far the most anywhere around, so you’ll have plenty of choices across price ranges and even regions within Scotland.

2. Champagne!

Nothing says Romance like a bottle of Bubbly!

It’s true that nothing says Romance like a bottle of the Bubbly. It’s a great thing to share on Valentine’s evening, maybe after dinner as a nightcap?

If you like the sweeter varieties of Bubbly, we have a wide range of Moscatos and other sweeter bubblies that will hit the spot.

If you like the classic dry type, we’ve got plenty of Bruts and Extra Drys to choose from.

For the in-between choice, we suggest a Prosecco from Italy. We can show you a couple of nice bottles here, too.

To splurge, we suggest either the Armand de Brignac, which is made in only one small cellar with crazy obsessive attention to detail, or the classic Dom Perignon.

Whatever you prefer, we’ve got well over 60 different choices of Bubbly to make your day special.

3.  A Barrel of Bourbon

Home Whiskey-Making Kit

This is a fun gift for any whiskey-loving guy.

With this kit, you get to make your own whiskey at home. It includes 2 bottles of the “white dog” spirit, the barrel to age it in, and thorough instructions.

Also available, a home-size barrel that comes free with a 1.75L bottle of Jim Beam Black, built so that you can serve the whiskey from the barrel tap. Slick.

4.  Rare and Small Batch Bourbons

Small Batch Bourbon Collection

We have the largest collection of rare and small batch bourbons you’ll find anywhere around.

Pictured here is a collection of the 4 small batch bourbons made by the company that does Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark. They come in a beautiful hardwood display case that looks great on any mantle, bar or cabinet.

We also have some left of the sought-after annual releases of the small batch collection that includes the Pappy Van Winkles and George T. Stagg, among others.

And, we have a bunch of other unusual and hard-to-find but very nicely made bourbons.

5. A nice bottle of Cabernet. (Or Pinot Noir, or Chardonnay, or whatever your honey loves…)

How About A Nice Bottle of Wine?

There are lots of choices here, but giving a nice bottle of wine to someone who really appreciates wine – or just someone who enjoys a nice glass once in a while – makes for a great evening.

Whether it’s to be aged for years as a commemoration of your relationship, or enjoyed with dinner or as a nightcap, wine hits the spot.

We have tons and tons of choices for you, across all price ranges, and our team can ask you a few questions to help you decide on just the right bottle.

6. Great Cigars

Great Cigars

Our fine cigar collection is one of the best kept secrets in town. We have two large humidors that hold a broad range of cigars at exactly the right humidity until you select them.

We have cigars of all different types and price ranges, including sampler packs, gift packs, and some of the top-rated cigars in the most recent Cigar Afficionado rankings.

And, we have knowledgeable people on staff that can help you know what to choose for the person you’re giving it to.

Hope that helps you with some interesting Valentine’s Ideas. If there is something unusual and special that you’re looking for and by some chance we don’t already have it on hand, be sure to get to us by 4pm Thursday with any special orders so that we can have what you want in time for the weekend.

Cheers!

10 Last-Minute Gifts – something for everyone.

It’s down to the wire…!

In our experience, the hard-to-buy-for people on your list are the ones you haven’t found anything for yet. And we would suggest that *everyone* likes a nice bottle of something to drink as a gift. So, Bourbon & Canal is your ideal last-minute shopping destination — get it all done in one shot.

This morning we pretended we were you and went around the store snapping pictures of some ideas. Even if these specific ones don’t work, we do have something for everyone. Take a look….

1. Jim Beam Black on tap:

Jim Beam Black on Tap (1.75L $49.99)

Jim Beam Black half gallon goes inside the barrel, and the tap screws onto the top of the bottles so you can serve your bourbon straight from the barrel tap. Comes with everything you see and instructions. Pretty cool.

2. Home Whiskey-Making Kit:

Home Whiskey-Making Kit ($99.99)

Comes with two 750ml bottles of “white dog”, the high-proof spirit you pour into your whiskey barrel then let it age however long you want.

3. A box of cigars, or an assortment of cigars:

Choose a box of cigars, a custom assortment, or a cigar gift pack.

4. Personalized Wine Gift Basket

Personalized Gift Baskets with any wines you choose.

5. Rare Whiskey

Canadian Club 30 Year - a one-time collectible bottling. Reg. $200, now $75 off this week only.

We have by far the largest assortment of rare whiskies and scotches in the area, on hand for your last-minute solution. Many come in beautiful boxes, leather carriers, etc.

6. Traditional Holiday Gift Packs

We still have a wide variety (50+) of holiday Gift Packs in stock. We can even wrap it for you!

7. Riedel crystal wine glasses:

For anyone who loves wine, you can’t go wrong here….

Riedel crystal wine glasses are handmade with a unique shape for each type of wine. The choice of wine connoisseurs worldwide, in a variety of price points.

8. Whiskey Sampler Packs:

We have several different whiskey and scotch sampler packs like this one.  They make great gifts for anyone – whether they know much about whiskey or not, everyone enjoys a little adventure….

Sampler bottles of whiskies from 5 different countries around the world. Only $14.99.

9. Dom Perignon:

Nothing says “classy” like a bottle of Dom. Regarded around the world as the gold standard of Champagne, everyone will be impressed with a gift of Dom. We have the 2000 vintage box set, which includes crystal flutes to enjoy it from.

2000 Vintage box set, Dom Perignon plus crystal flutes. $132.

10. Small Batch Bourbon Collection

This makes an elegant addition to any home bar or a great fireplace mantle display.

Small Batch Bourbon Collection: Knob Creek, Basil Hayden, Booker's, Baker's. In an elegant dark wood display case. $210.

And of course we’re open late this week – til 11pm Mon-Wed, and at least til 8pm Christmas Eve. Look forward to seeing you!

Cheers!

Annual Rare Bourbon allotment has arrived

Pappy Van Winkle 23 Year Old Bourbon

We have just received our once-per-year allotment of Rare Bourbons from the house of Van Winkle. As a group, they are among the highest-rated and hardest-to-find of all the Bourbons out there. As you might imagine, they are pretty pricey, so they’re not really for everyday drinking. But, they are great for special occasions and would make a great holiday gift for someone special.

We received some of each of these:

• Van Winkle 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 year Bourbons
• Van Winkle 13 year Rye
• George T. Stagg barrel proof
• Eagle Rare 17 year
• William Larue Weller barrel proof
• Sazerac 18 year Rye

There are only a few bottles of each, and they’re available first-come, first-served. If you think you want to try a rare Bourbon yourself or you know the perfect person to give one to, we suggest you stop in ASAP and get one before they’re gone.