The Ojen cocktail is an anise-flavored liqueur that is celebrated in the grand halls of The Bombay Club at the Prince of Conti Hotel. The cocktail originated in Spain and was embraced in the Crescent City culture and has become the Carnival season cocktail. Now you can make it at home!
There is one cocktail drink that has close ties to Mardi Gras and that drink is the Ojen cocktail (it’s pronounced oh-hen). It has been a go-to drink during carnival since the 1800s. You might not even know, but the cocktail is the drink used to toast the King of Carnival on Mardi Gras Day.
In 2018, the Bombay Club shared this recipe with me so that I could pass it along to you. If you plan on being in New Orleans and want to swing by the Bombay Club to grab the drink, and you should, you may want to contact them ahead of time to see if it’s available and on the menu. At the time that this recipe and information were shared with me, they offered a fève with the drink.
{photo credit: frenchquarter.com}
What is a fève?
Fèves are small trinkets or charms that are traditionally placed in the king cake. The word “fève” is French for “fava bean,” which was one of the original items that would be hidden in the cake. The person who finds the fève becomes the ‘King’ or ‘Queen’ for the day and must provide the next king cake.
In this case, the Bombay Club was passing out fèves, which were musically themed figurines. If you were able to get the full collection, you’d have a ten-piece jazz band. “We just thought this was a fun way to celebrate our favorite holiday in New Orleans,” stated Bar Manager Blake Kaiser at that time. “If you get all ten, it’s a great collection, and it’s a unique souvenir by which to remember carnival 2018.”
The Ojen Cocktail in New Orleans
The Ojen cocktail reflects New Orleans’ love for adopting unique flavors from around the world. Ojen liqueur gained local fame during Mardi Gras and St. Joseph’s Day celebrations. When its production ceased, local enthusiasts rallied to preserve the tradition, preserving its place in the city’s cocktail legacy.
Ojen was first produced in the mid-1800s by a distiller in Spain, however, the production of the liqueur ended when the distillery closed in the late 1980s. Some believed that New Orleans’ consumed more Ojen then of all of Spain.
What is Ojen?
Ojen is a sweet, herbal liqueur with a bold anise flavor, similar to absinthe or pastis but milder and less bitter. Its taste includes notes of licorice and fennel. It is made primarily from anise seeds, herbs, and botanicals and is distilled to achieve its distinctive smoothness and complex profile.
Who brought the Ojen back to New Orleans?
The Sazerac Company revived the classic drink with a new production here in the United States in early 2016 calling it the Legendre Ojen Liqueur. The drink is not mass-produced like some of their other products and from what I’m told by the Sazerac Company, “it seems to be distributed almost solely in New Orleans.” The associate I spoke with from the Buffalo Trace Distillery said, “A couple of retail locations receive cases, but it’s a very small number each month – luckily those stores are in New Orleans.”
- To learn more about the Sazerac Company, visit them at https://www.sazerac.com/
Where is the Bombay Club in New Orleans?
The Bombay Club is located in the Prince Conti Hotel and specializes in craft cocktails, single malt scotches, ports, reserved bourbons, premium cigars, and local live music.
- online: https://bombayclubneworleans.com/
- address: 830 Conti Street, New Orleans, LA, 70112
- phone: 504.577.2237
More cocktail recipes from New Orleans:
- Thyme is on My Side from Sac-A-Lait
- Casserole Cocktail from DTB
- Wolf in Lambs Clothing from Hot Tin Bar
Did you try this Ojen cocktail recipe? Share your results in the comments below or tag @RedBeansAndEric on social media. Let’s keep the Louisiana tradition alive!
Love this recipe? Celebrate the season with this cocktail and my Monday Red Beans and Rice recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Legendre Ojen
- 7 dashes Peychaud's bitters
- ½ ounce orgeat or simple
Instructions
- Fill a rocks glass with crushed ice. Pour Ojen over the ice and add four dashes of Peychaud's bitters, then swizzle. Fill with more crushed ice and top with three more dashes of Peychaud's. Swizzle until the glass frosts.
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
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