Two things when combined provide comfort, joy, and a generous pour of nostalgia: classic films and classic cocktails.Â
That’s why, in honor of Sazerac Cocktail Week, we’ve compiled a list of a few classic movies where the Sazerac Cocktail has its own starring role.Â
State of the Union (1948)
Director Frank Capra’s ode to political theatre. With impeccable performances by the biggest stars from the Golden Age of Cinema, including Katherine Hepburn, Angela Lansbury, Spencer Tracy, and a cameo by the Sazerac, State of the Union is a political thriller that beckons to be enjoyed with New Orleans’ most famous cocktail.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008)
In both the enjoyment of director David Fincher’s romantic fantasy drama and of a Sazerac Cocktail, one gets the rare chance to sit and marvel at how unceasingly time passes. And while we never get to return to the days of long ago, we do continue to enjoy its gifts. The all-star cast includes Brad Pitt, Taraji P. Henson, and takes place in none other than the Crescent City herself.
The French Dispatch (2021)
Wes Anderson’s The French Dispatch and Sazerac House are both devotions to a bygone era and to the art of crafting something with certain care that’s hard to come by these days. The film features three kind-of-true stories and an incredible cast, including Owen Wilson as the cycling reporter Herbsaint Sazerac – a character named after not one, but two New Orleans cocktail staples.Â
Much like an Anderson film, the magic of Sazerac is in the detail. Its character is complex, not unsimilar to Fincher’s leads. And like life, it is a cocktail to be savored, a theme Capra frequently explores in his work. So make a round, enjoy these cinematic odes to times past, and be sure to raise your glass when New Orleans’ official cocktail makes its appearance on-screen.
Celebrating Sazerac Cocktail Week
Discover more ways to capture the magic of Sazerac Cocktail Week by inviting over some friends, making a round of Sazeracs, putting on the perfect sipping songs playlist, and enjoying a piece of New Orleans history on film.
Events
Bourbon County to Bourbon Street – Classroom Experience
While Kentucky may be the home of bourbon, New Orleans has played an important part in its story. Whiskey traveled down the Mississippi to New Orleans, where bartenders used it to craft classic cocktails. Travelers to the city have enjoyed whiskey, especially when sipping it on Bourbon Street. Join drinks historian Elizabeth Pearce and learn how to make signature whiskey cocktails, while hearing how whiskey became America’s spirit. 21+ only.
The Weller Classroom Experience
Step into the story of one of bourbon’s most enduring families and discover how William Larue Weller helped pioneer the wheated style that would later inspire the Van Winkle legacy. This guided tasting explores four expressions—Special Reserve, Antique 107, Full Proof, and 12 Year—tracing Weller’s journey from the days of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery through the industry’s quiet decades of the 1970s and 1980s to its modern revival under Buffalo Trace. Guests will nose, taste, and compare each whiskey in an elegant classroom setting, uncovering how proof, age, and history intertwine to shape the signature richness of Weller and the heritage of American bourbon. 21+ only.
The Weller Classroom Experience
Step into the story of one of bourbon’s most enduring families and discover how William Larue Weller helped pioneer the wheated style that would later inspire the Van Winkle legacy. This guided tasting explores four expressions—Special Reserve, Antique 107, Full Proof, and 12 Year—tracing Weller’s journey from the days of the Stitzel-Weller Distillery through the industry’s quiet decades of the 1970s and 1980s to its modern revival under Buffalo Trace. Guests will nose, taste, and compare each whiskey in an elegant classroom setting, uncovering how proof, age, and history intertwine to shape the signature richness of Weller and the heritage of American bourbon. 21+ only.
