Rampart Street Parade

Just a guess...this is a New Oleans cocktail. It has Southern Comfort (A Louisiana Original!) and creme de bananes (banana liqueur) for sweetness alone--and it is pretty sweet. It's a strong rum drink that sounds like it would be a party in your mouth. I've been dissing it for a while, but I have to say that this is a fun cocktail to drink. It has the kind of addictiveness of Dippin' Dots banana split flavor in that you can't stop with one taste and it doesn't overtly taste like bananas. If you have the weird combination of ingredients at home, do the Rampart Street just so you can say you drank it. Like Mardi Gras and New Orleans in general, it is strange experience that you have to have yourself.

• 2 oz. light rum
• 1 oz. creme de bananes
• 1/2 oz. Southern Comfort
• 1 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Hurricane

The Hurricane is typically associated with New Orleans and Mardi Gras season celebrations. I've heard that there are drive through bars where you can get Hurricanes made to go in paper cups. It's a different world down there.

Anyway, this is pretty much a tiki drink with the ever elusive passion fruit syrup. I used passion fruit puree from the restaurant I work at when I made this for a guest. A Hurricane glass is typically used, but we were doing tikis and this happy god looked appropriate for protection from natural disasters.

• 1 1/2 oz. light rum
• 1 1/2 oz. dark rum
• 1 oz. passion fruit syrup (puree used)
• 1 tbsp. lime juice

Shake or blend all ingredients with plenty of ice and pour into a chilled Hurricane glass.