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La Louisiane

Difford’s Guide
Discerning Drinkers (549)
La Louisiane image
Measurements in:
Serves:
1
Ingredients
1 1/3 fl oz Straight rye whiskey (100 proof /50% alc./vol.)
1 fl oz Strucchi Rosso Vermouth
1/2 fl oz Bénédictine D.O.M. liqueur
1/24 fl oz La Fée Parisienne absinthe
1/4 fl oz Chilled water/mineral water (omit if using wet ice)
2 dash Peychaud's or other Creole-style bitters

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How to make

Glassware

Serve in a Coupe glass

Prepare

  1. Select and pre-chill a COUPE GLASS.
  2. Prepare garnish of skewered Luxardo Maraschino Cherry.

Method

  1. STIR all ingredients with ice.
  2. FINE STRAIN into chilled glass.

Garnish

  1. Garnish with skewered maraschino cherry.

Flavour Profile

No alcohol
Medium
Boozy
Strength 8/10
Sweet
Medium
Dry/sour
Sweet to sour 6/10
More cocktails with similar strength and taste profile

Health & Nutrition

Nutrition:

One serving of La Louisiane contains 189 calories

Alcohol content:

  • 1.8 standard drinks
  • 26.65% alc./vol. (53.29° proof)
  • 25.2 grams of pure alcohol

Allergens:

Recipe contains the following allergens:

Values stated for alcohol and calorie content, and number of drinks an ingredient makes should be considered approximate.

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History

Recipe adapted from Stanley Clisby Arthur's 1937 book Famous New Orleans Drinks and How to Mix 'Em', in which he wrote, "This is the special cocktail served at Restaurant de la Louisiane, one of the famous French restaurants of New Orleans, long the rendezvous of those who appreciate the best in Creole cuisine. La Louisiane cocktail is as out-of-the-ordinary as the many distinctive dishes that grace its menu."

Cocktail à Louisiane
1/3 jigger rye whiskey
1/3 jigger Italian vermouth
1/3 jigger Benedictine
3-4 dashes absinthe substitute
3-4 dashes Peychaud bitters
Mix in barglass with lumps of ice. Strain into a cocktail glass in which has been placed a maraschino cherry.

This is the special cocktail served at Restaurant de la Louisiane, one of the famous French restaurants of New Orleans, long the rendezvous of those who appreciate the best in Creole cuisine. La Louisiane cocktail is as out-of-the-ordinary as the many distinctive dishes that grace its menu.

Stanley Clisby Arthur, 1937

Review

A rye-based Sweet Manhattan enriched with herbal liqueur and bittered with Peychaud's and absinthe. Originally made with equal parts rye whiskey, Bénédictine D.O.M. and rosso vermouth, unless you have a sweet tooth, reducing the liqueur and upping the whiskey, as per this recipe, makes for a more balanced cocktail.

In January 2024, I halved the absinthe to 2.5ml (half a barspoon), and then, I halved it again in December 2025 to make it sit harmoniously with the other ingredients. Both absinthe and bonded rye like dilution; hence, depending on your ice, a splash of water tends to benefit this cocktail.

Variations/similar cocktails

Waldorf No.1

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Gallery

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Comments & Discussion

Annechien
Just changed my rating for this cocktail to outstanding. Don’t know if I just really needed a comfort drink but it hits the spot today. The recipe is perfect. It’s bliss. I went easy on the absinthe, (very) heavy on the peychaud’s bitters. And a medium ice cube is slowly melting in my glass. I love how the different flavours play with each other. Easily my favourite cocktail.
3
John Hinojos
Had this again as an evening sipper. Used dry vermouth to cut down on the sweetness as we like our cocktails on the dry side. Perfect as always. Did add a spray of absinthe on the top of the cocktail as well as being in the cocktail
3
Chris Brislawn
R. Elgar proposed more traditional Manhattan proportions for this, with 3/4 oz rosso vermouth and 1/4 oz Benedictine for 2 oz rye, which works well particularly if you offset the added sweetness of Benedictine by using a vermouth amaro if you want an aperitif cocktail rather than a dessert drink. I've now tried this with Punt e Mes, Dopo Teatro, and Tempus Fugit "Alessio" (which I also regard as a vermouth amaro), and all work well for that purpose. Elgar's early comment referred to "an absinthe...made in New Orleans," which had to be Herbsaint, and Marie T. Straus recommended Herbsaint, too, so I tried rinsing an Old Fashioned, per C. Lopez, with Herbsaint instead of absinthe; a very N'awlins touch.
2
Michael Pulcinella
Probably my favorite of the "Manhattan Family" cocktails.
3
Steven Jepson
I went with the recipe if not the ingredients:
Kyro Finnish Rye
Antica Formula Carpano
Jade 1901 Absinthe
Peychards

A good stir and perfect,
1
Simon Sedgley
None of the variants come even close to this. We suspect that it's the Rye and Absinthe dance that is most crucial. Anyway, laissez le bon temps rouler.
7
william dennehy
Ive grown used tthis and love it but now I want to experiment a bit
2
Shay Dabush
I tried the Anders Erickson version and it was great! A bit too sweet so I'm going to give this (above) version a try next. However, I don't think I'm gonna skip the Angostura Bitters.
Adding his recipe here:
1.5 oz. (45 ml) Rittenhouse 100 proof Rye Whiskey
3/4 oz. (22.5 ml) Cocchi Vermouth di Torino
3/4 oz. (22.5 ml) Bénédictine DOM
4 dashes Peychaud's Aromatic Bitters
4 dashes Angostura Aromatic Bitters
https://youtu.be/9V4Jj3bmi90?si=fTavhrfKBSe5Q0v2&t=271
7
Frederic D.
A delicious drink! I agree with others that it needs sufficient dilution to fully open up. Perfect balance of spice and sweetness. I used an atomizer and sprayed my glass before pouring, which led to the perfect hint of absinthe - present but not overpowering.
1
Guy Daniels
Me too. A spritz of absinthe was just perfect. And absolutely needed the dilution. For a non-whiskey lover, i thought this was superb
1
william dennehy
I use a barspoon. It seems enough for my palate.
2
Mookie
first time adding the extra dilution (though I stuck to .25oz) and I must admit it works. one of my all time favorite drinks
2
Tuber Magnatum
Tried this tonight and have three comments. First, this is an excellent cocktail. Second, should anyone have reservations with added dilution if using "dry" ice, it very much benefits this drink. Lastly, if you love absinthe as I do, don't double the amount as I did (see De La Louisiane #2 which does use double the amount suggested here); I suggest you don't! It overpowered this otherwise lovely cocktail.
3
Christopher Lopez
As a fellow absinthe lover I’d recommend rinsing the glass with absinthe instead of mixing it in- makes the absinthe more present without being overpowering. In fact, sounds so good I’m going to make one now!
6
John CARR
Agreed re the dilution - I tried half but ended up adding it back in - the intensity of flavours need the space. Also an absinthe love, this is quite absinthe heavy - agreed with Christopher perhaps to do absinthe rinse or even reduce to 2 dashes. Still quite sweet and could maybe reduce Benedictine to 12.5 for my palate - but the bottle just ran out exactly for this measure! Funny how that happens so frequently! Might have to conjure a scotch and Drambuie version!
2

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