Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court Opens Offering A Modern Take on Classic Cocktails

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
David Semanoff
Quinn & Co.
dsemanoff@quinnandco.com
212-868-1900 x 222

Giselle Caamano
Deveney Communication
gcaamano@deveny.com
504-949-3999 x 210

Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court Opens Offering A Modern Take on Classic Cocktails

Recent $22 Million Restoration Adds Lobby Bar to the Iconic New Orleans Hotel

NEW ORLEANS - Feb. 1, 2012 - The Windsor Court Hotel announces the opening of Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court, the hotel's new lobby bar created as part of the recent $22 million restoration of the entire property.  The aptly named Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court is helmed by recently appointed hotel mixologist Christine Jeanine Nielsen.

Cocktail Bar is taking a modern, culinary approach to its cocktails by creating original craft drinks inspired by pre-prohibition themes and ingredients. Highlights include:

• Beet & Co. with pisco, house-pressed beet juice, agave, lemon, and angostura bitters
• Horchata Rum Punch with local popcorn rice horchata, cinnamon and El Dorado 5 Year Rum
• Gable Meets GaGa with Old Tom Gin, hibiscus syrup, green tea, lemon, and egg white
• Aviation Snowball with super fine ice, Aviation Gin, lemon, Maraschino liqueur and Crème De Violette
• Mardi Gras Preflight Punch with brandy, rum, lemon, black tea, and cardamom syrup, which is available as a single serving or for a group of five.

Furthermore, Nielsen is working closely with the hotel's Executive Chef Drew Dzejak on incorporating culinary techniques into her cocktail creations. For example, the drink Lion Amongst Ladies features Damiana, lemon, flamed orange peel and "2 Hour" kumquat tequila, which is infused using sous vide.

In addition, Cocktail Bar's beer and wine program will not disappoint.  The menu features the best craft Belgian beers, available as single bottles and bombers, and emerging wine producers and regions, such as sparkling wine from Hungary and Lebanese red wines, among others.

"The Windsor Court's new mixologist Christine is bringing a fresh approach to cocktails that is a rarely seen in New Orleans or across the U.S.," said David Teich, general manager.  "Christine's vision and creativity along with the hotel's recent restoration affords us the opportunity to create a new buzz in the lobby, making Cocktail Bar at Windsor Court an ideal imbibing destination for new and returning guests and locals looking to relax after work."

Located in the hotel's lobby, adjacent to the celebrated Le Salon, Cocktail Bar features eight seats at the newly created centerpiece bar and 70 seats situated around the space.  Each guest of Cocktail Bar is welcomed with a booze amuse, a take on an amuse-bouche, featuring a cocktail or punch of the day that also acts as a cocktail testing ground for Nielsen.  The cocktail menu will change seasonally and will expand in the future. Guests may also ask the bartenders to create off-menu customized cocktails according to their flavor profile. 

Cocktail Bar guests will be entertained with live-music four nights a week from talented local acts, including:

• Mykia Jovan, Wednesdays, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Meschiya Lake and The Little Big Horns, Thursdays, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Shannon Powell Trio Featuring the "King of Treme" Shannon Powell on drums, David Torkanowsky on piano, and Roland Guerin on bass, Fridays, 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
• Tim Laughlin and David Boeddinghaus, a piano & clarinet duo, Saturdays from 9 p.m. - midnight

To complement Cocktail Bar, guests and locals may opt to enjoy traditional cocktails, wine and beer at the Polo Club Lounge on the hotel's second floor, next to award-winning The Grill Room restaurant.  Rates at the Windsor Court Hotel begin at $260.  Guests may book and learn more about Cocktail Bar and the restoration at www.windsorcourthotel.com. 

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Media Contact:

National Media: David Semanoff, Quinn & Co., dsemanoff@quinnandco.com, 212.868.1900x222

Local Media: Giselle Caamano, Deveney Communication, gcaamano@deveney.com, 504.949.3999x210

About Windsor Court Hotel

Located in the heart of the Central Business District steps from the French Quarter, the 23-story Windsor Court has long been the choice for discerning travelers to New Orleans.  The award-winning luxury hotel features 316 oversized guestrooms and suites, the acclaimed Grill Room Restaurant, the storied Polo Club Lounge, the celebrated Le Salon for afternoon tea and an extensive art collection with mostly works of British origin, among other amenities and services.  In January 2012 the Windsor Court completed a $22 million restoration to all its guestrooms, suites, and public spaces, including the Club Level Lounge, the pool, addition of the lobby Cocktail Bar and the forthcoming Spa at Windsor Court set to open in spring 2012.  The hotel was purchased in October 2009 by a new ownership team led by The Berger Company of New Orleans and the Dallas-based Crow Family Holdings.  Windsor Court is a member of Preferred Hotels® and Resorts. For more information, please visit www.windsorcourthotel.com.