10 top New Orleans spots to sip cocktails

Ten great places to enjoy one of New Orleans’ favorite pastimes, the leisurely drink, and the cocktails they are associated with:

1. Napoleon House: Pimm’s Cup. Sip the classic made from Pimm’s No. 1 and fizzy lemonade at this 200-year-old bar where classic also means classical music in lieu of jazz. 500 Chartres St., French Quarter.

2. Old Absinthe House Bar: frappé. After absinthe’s ban in the U.S., the local anise-flavored liqueur Herbsaint was substituted. Now, you can again order the frappé with absinthe -- or, for the less adventurous, Herbsaint. 240 Bourbon St., French Quarter.

3. Swizzle Stick Bar at Café Adelaide: Tequila Mockingbird II. Ask Lu Brow to mix up a drink like this tequila-limoncello-bitters combo to pair with your meal, or try the food-friendly cocktail pairing menu. 300 Poydras St., Loew’s Hotel, Warehouse District.

4. 7 on Fulton: Espresso Creme Brulee Tini. Skip dessert and order one of the restaurant’s signature nightcaps, like this version with vodka, butterscotch schnapps and espresso. Riverfront Hotel, 701 Convention Center Blvd., Downtown.

5. Iris: Parsley julep. Bartender Alan Walter turns to the farmers market for seasonal inspiration, shaking up parsley juleps in the summer, blood-orange martinis in the winter. 8115 Jeannette St., Uptown.

6. Vizard’s on the Avenue: The BLT. Manager Ron Cooley has as much fun coming up with whimsical names (BLT = Beefeater gin, lime, tonic) as he does inventing new cocktails. 2203 St. Charles Ave., Uptown.

7. Herbsaint and Cochon: Herbsaint Champagne cocktail (Herbsaint) and bourbon lemonade (Cochon). Chef Donald Link’s recent James Beard award lures foodies to his two restaurants, but don’t miss the simple, fresh cocktails. Herbsaint, 701 St. Charles Ave., Warehouse District; Cochon, 930 Tchoupitoulas St., Warehouse District.

8. Library Lounge: Sazerac. Get a history lesson alongside a classic drink from fourth-generation bartender Chris McMillan, the local king of historic cocktails. Ritz-Carlton, 921 Canal St., French Quarter.

9. St. Joe’s Bar: Blueberry mojito. Take a seat on a church pew at this favorite local watering hole, which turns out fresh cocktails amid Gothic candelabra and folk art. 5535 Magazine St., Uptown.

10. Pat O’Briens: Hurricane. How could we leave the venerable World War II-era New Orleans fruit punch off the list? 718 St. Peter St., French Quarter.