New Orleans's Legendary Carousel Bar Is Turning 75

Who doesn’t want to grab a drink at the same bar that Tennessee Williams saddled up to with Truman Capote? The stories those stools must hold.

And those are only two of the many famous names to have frequented the legendary bar inside the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans. The bar officially turned 75 on September 3rd, so we talked to one of its longtime bartenders about its history, how to make one of their signature cocktails, and how the hotel plans to celebrate.

Behind The Bar

The first thing to know about the bar is that it's spinning not you. There are 2,000 ball bearings, a bicycle chain, and a 1/4 horsepower electric motor swirling you a full revolution every 15 minutes. There's also no entry point for the bartender, meaning they have to carefully hop over the bar (and often between guests and drinks) to enter.

"You have to be a little bit agile to work there," says Marvin Allen, the beverage manager of the Carousel Bar who's worked there for 22 years. "Once you're back there, you're pretty well stuck," he jokes.

The bar proper only has 25 seats, each adorned with hand-painted circus animal designs that glow under 186 twinkling lights. Lines form before the opening at 11 am to get one of the coveted spots.

"By 11:02 am the seats are filled," says Allen. Although, there's plenty of other seating available around the bar. If 11 am seems a little early for any place to have a full bar, "You have to remember this is New Orleans, and we take our drinking seriously," Allen says.

The History

Opened on September 3rd, 1949, the bar has long been a fixture for famous faces. As mentioned, Truman Capote was a frequent bar guest and is said to have bragged about being born in the Hotel Monteleone. (It's only half true, as his mother delivered him in a nearby hospital, but she was a guest at the hotel when she went into labor with him.)

This story is only one of the many legends born from authors drawn to the NOLA haunt over the years. The Carousel Bar is even featured in the literary works of some of its famous guests, from Eudora Welty’s The Purple Hat to Ernest Hemingway’s short story The Night Before Battle. (You can stay in suites inspired by both authors.)

But beyond the literati that have made the rotating bar an icon of the French Quarter, it’s the knowledgeable bartenders and hotel staff that have kept the whole operation spinning. In fact, "Since the hotel’s inception in 1886, we have only been shut down three times, the first time was Hurricane Katrina, then Covid, and then Hurricane Ida," says Allen.

This month the bar will honor its beloved bartenders with featured cocktails, like the French 007 Allen created back in 2007. His drink is a twist on a classic French 75, and features Pama Pomegranate liqueur, Mathilde Pêche (peach) liqueur, prosecco, and a lemon twist. Or you can try The Fleur de Lis, created by bartender Parker Davis the same year. It blends fresh cucumber, lemon juice, Hendricks Gin, St. Germaine, and ginger ale into a refreshing cocktail.

Then there's the Vieux Carré cocktail.

The Famous Vieux Carré Cocktail

This historic New Orleans cocktail was created by Hotel Monteleone bartender Walter Bergeron in the 1930s. A signature of the Carousel Bar, the drink actually predates the bar's opening, which was still known as the Swan Room when the cocktail was first created. The Vieux Carré (pronounced voo-ka-ray) is named after its place of inception, as Carré means “old square” in French—a reference to the French Quarter.

"[Bergeron] created it, as the story goes, as a tribute to the different groups [of people] living in the French Quarter at the time. The French, with the cognac and Bénédictine, rye whiskey for the Americans, the Italians with the sweet vermouth, and the Caribbeans with the bitters," says Allen.

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients

• ¾ oz Sazerac Rye Whiskey
• ¾ oz Pierre Ferrand 1840 Cognac (or your favorite)
• ½ oz Sweet Vermouth
• ¼ oz Bénédictine Liqueur
• 2-3 Dashes Peychaud Bitters
• 2-3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Add all the ingredients to an ice filled old-fashioned glass, give everything a quick stir to mix, and garnish with a fresh lemon twist.

The Big Birthday Bash

To celebrate turning 75 the bar has a full lineup of events planned:

• On September 11th, Allen will host an interactive cocktail class where you can learn how to make a Vieux Carré.
• During the week of September 15th to 21st, hotel guests can reserve The Carousel Bar Experience, a one-hour private session on the bar’s history of legendary patrons and cocktails. The experience is hosted by Allen or the hotel’s tour director, Mike Dupree.
• Guest bartenders will also pop up at the bar September 16th to 19th, from 4 to 6 pm, including Jeff “Beachbum” Berry from Beachbum Berry’s Latitude 29 and Chris Hannah of Jewel of the South, the James Beard award-winner for Outstanding Bar 2024, among others.
• For the entire month of September the bar is also hosting a giveaway. The winner will get a $50 bar tab and a two-night stay at Hotel Monteleone. To enter, all you have to do is post a favorite memory from the Carousel Bar to Instagram using the hashtag #Carousel75. The winner will be announced via social media on October 1.