Chapter Sixteen - The Pacific Norhtwest

What could the cool, overcast, drizzly Pacific Northwest possibly have in common with hot, humid, sultry New Orleans? For one thing, they are both famous for particular beverages that originated in each locale.

Seattle, Washington was the city where the worldwide phenomena known as Starbucks coffee originated in 1971. Not as poplar, yet still well known is another Seattle based coffee brand Seattle's Best begun on Seattle's Pier 70 in 1970.

The Pacific Northwest is also one of the starting points of the "microbrew" craze that also began in the 1970s and has grown in popularity up to the present time.  Brewers in Oregon, Washington and British Colombia began making small batches of hand-crafted beer in an effort to improve the taste of what was felt to be bland, tasteless American Beers. Currently, Oregon has 82 brewing companies, operating 114 brewing facilities in 48 of its cities. There are 39 breweries operating  in Portland, more than in any other city in the world.

New Orleans is known for specific cocktails that originated in that city over its long and varied history. Perhaps the most famous cocktail specific to New Orleans is the Hurricane. Imbibing a Hurricane purchased at Pat O'Brien's is a right of passage for any non-tea totalling visitor to New Orleans who is of drinking age. While the drink is available anywhere in the city. Strolling down Bourbon Street, sipping on a hurricane (to-go drinks are legal in New Orleans) as one watches the crazy, carnival of life on that famed avenue is a must for any visitor.

 

Another cocktail which originated in pre-Civil War New Orleans (and which is claimed by some to be the first cocktail created in North America) is the Sazerac. The Sazerac is an aromatic drink consisting of Cognac or, more commonly, rye whiskey and Peychaud's Bitters. The drink is served in a chilled Old-Fashioned glass that has been swirled with absinthe. The drink was first served in 1850 by Aaron Bird at The Sazerac Coffee House. On a historic note, a Louisiana senator attempted (and failed) to pass a bill that would designate it the state's official cocktail. After being defeated, the bill was revised and, in 2008, the Louisiana State Senate voted 25-8 to make it the official cocktail of New Orleans.

A coffee drink often associated with New Orleans is Cafe Au Lait, often paired with beignets at the world famous Cafe Dumonde in the French Quarter, but a coffee drink that is unique to New Orleans is the Cafe Brulot Diabolique. Cafe Brulot Diabolique or "Devilish Burned Coffee" was invented at Antoine's Restaurant by Jules Alciatore, the son the restaurants founder and became especially famous during Prohibition as a means of concealing alcohol. Today the drink is found at only a few restaurants,  such as Antoine's , Galatore's and Arnaud's. The preparation is a spectacle in itself- all ingredients are artfully combined tableside in ornate bowls. Once the alcohol is added, the waiter adds flame to the concoction, ladling the flaming liquid into cups and in some cases, onto the table to create a fiery display (this sounds more dangerous than it its).

 

 

 



Photo sources : Google Images and http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/cuisine/drinks/cafebrulotdiabolique.html

Info sources:
http://theboysclub.net/brian/the-history-of-cocktails-the-sazerac/
http://www.neworleansonline.com/neworleans/cuisine/drinks/
http://www.seattlesbest.com/our-history.aspx
http://www.articlesbase.com/coffee-articles/starbucks-coffee-the-history-and-background-of-starbucks-coffee-285998.html
 The Geography of North America: Environment/Culture/Economy Hardwick, Shelley & Holtgrieve.