31 louisianacookin.com
LOUISIANA
FOODWAYSNEW ORLEANS IS A COCKTAIL TOWN, and
since it fi rst opened seven decades ago, the Carousel Bar
in the Hotel Monteleone has enticed guests to take a
coveted seat at the bar and enjoy one of its artfully craft ed
drinks. With an alluring selection of specialty cocktails
(including a few that were fi rst created at the famed bar),
live music performances, and knowledgeable bartenders,
the Carousel Bar remains a favorite of both locals and
tourists.
Th e city’s only revolving bar was fi rst installed at the
Hotel Monteleone in 1949. Th e bar turns on 2,000 large
steel rollers and makes one full rotation every 15 minutes,
allowing patrons to overlook bustling Royal Street as
they spin past the large fan windows. With its authentic
carousel top, which was installed in 1992, and 25 hand-
painted barstools depicting circus animals, the bar gives
its guests the feel of a real carousel. Part of the fun is that
the only way for its bartenders to get behind the circular
bar is to hop up and over.
Th e establishment has a star-studded past, with
performers such as Liberace stopping in for a nightcap
aft er their shows at the famous Swan Room, a nightclub
that operated alongside the Carousel Bar during its early
days. Th e bar also attracted several distinguished authors,
including William Faulkner, Tennessee Williams, Truman
Capote, and Eudora Welty. Th e Friends of the Library
Association deemed it a national literary landmark hotel.
Th e hotel named several luxury suites aft er a few of its
famed literary guests while the Carousel Bar honors
Ernest Hemingway with a cocktail called Papa’s Daiquiri.COCKTAIL
REVOLUTION
A LOOK BACK AT THE HISTORY OF THE CAROUSEL BAR AS IT TURNS 70
Marvin Allen
Head Mixologist