Does the shakey first photo here mean you are still drunk from the weekend? No...you are just experiencing a genuine FauxD© 1950s shot of the Old Absinthe House Bar on Bourbon and Conti. Below is a previously posted shot of the same location:
How the same building looked in 2002, when it was the home of Mango Mango Daiquiris. I’m guessing they didn’t pack as much punch as Absinthe. Today, it appears it is known as SLUSH Frozen Cocktails; 4 stars, nine reviews. Maybe I should put it on my to-do list for the next trip to Nawlins. Or maybe not.
In looking up Old Absinthe House Bar online, all I can find is information about this completely different building on Bienville and Bourbon, which is Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House.
Until somebody steps forward, I can’t tell you which one is older or what the difference was between them. Did the French Quarter really need two Absinthe Bars?
See more Bourbon Street photos at my main website.
That's like asking if we need a Starbucks across the street from a Starbucks. ( A: ...and we do not. ) I suspect both Absinthe bars bring more character to the area. Have you ever been to either?
ReplyDeleteHave never been inside either. I check out the restaurants more than the bars!
ReplyDeleteI have been in both a lot over many years. From 1979-ish to 1985, I played in various bands at the one on Conti & Bourbon 5 nights a week. Those were the days when Bourbon street featured some of the best local musicians.
ReplyDeleteThere has always been the question of which one was the original. They both resembled each other, having old relics hanging from the ceiling or on shelves.
The Conti/Bourbon location (we called it the "A Bar") had Jean Lafitte's wood-carved roosters (or so they claimed), as well, their wooden bar had the original absinthe drip fountains and marble basins, though they were not functioning.
Meanwhile, the Bienville/Bourbon location had/has NFL football helmets hanging from the ceiling. Both sported paper money tacked to the walls and ceiling, put there by tourists.
When the A Bar turned into a daiquiri bar, all of those relics, bar and the absinthe drip fountains were moved down the block to Bienville/Bourbon. So, while the question has never been settled, the Bienville location is the only one that has retained some semblance of the history of imbibing in the French Quarter.