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| Cleopatra Queen 2017 |
On the first night of parades this year - a very wet first night - we ended up in the newly opened Lula Distillery and Restaurant on Saint Charles. By asking our waiter, Byron, some questions about the distillation process, we got a private tour of the distillery guided by one of the owners, Jess Bourgeois. Jess's story can also be found on the Lula web site.
The space is very big - half an event space and half the restaurant and distillery. I wish I had taken photographs... the still is behind glass and is beautifully shiny. Jess probably spent 20 minutes or so with us and walked us through the entire distillation process. I learned on his web site that he attended several courses on distillation, including one at Cornell University. Cornell is big in the wine industry, too, so I recalled fondly a course I took way back when with Dr. Smart when he came out to the Paso Robles wine country in California. I think he was visiting with UC Davis, but I honestly don't recall; it was a long time ago. I liked a trellis system about which he educated us, Smart-Dyson ballerina.
Anyway, a nice respite from the rain at the restaurant. My cucumber collins was quite refreshing. I enjoyed my Creole Slaw salad and the cheeseburger was delicious. I had the boudin egg rolls, too, which I enjoyed, but did need to use the molasses fig sauce to cover up some of the gaminess of the boudin. (Was that liver in there? I know organ meats are rich in nutrients, but I still can only really enjoy foie gras.)
The spirits have not yet been entered into competitions. I think they are still working on the formulas/recipes. The make vodka, gin and rum.
I will happily go again.
