The Old Absinthe House
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The 200 year old Absinthe House on Bourbon Street has been a staple of New Orleans celebrities since its founding in 1807. Originally built by two Spaniards from Barcelona it blossomed into a famous bar known for its absinthe frappe (essentially absinthe with sugar water). It has hosted many notable patrons, from Mark Twain to Oscar Wilde and Robert E. Lee. It is still operating today, with some of its original artifacts on display.
Images
The Absinthe House in the 1890s.
The Old Absinthe House bar in 1903.
One of the original fountains, which were save from destruction during Prohibition.
Old Absinthe House bar in 1900. Courtesy of the Library of Congress
Old Absinthe House in 1909. Courtesy of the Illinois Central Railroad
Circa 1820 portrait of Andrew Jackson by John Vanderlyn. Courtesy of the Collections of the Louisiana State Museum.
1802 map of New Orleans. The Old Absinthe House can be seen in the center left of map (between Rue Royal and Rue Bourbon). Courtesy of the Louisiana State Museum.
A portrait supposedly of Jean Laffite painted by Anonymous. Courtesy of Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Francisco Juncadella and Pedro Font commissioned the bar to be built in 1807 to replace their previous residence/business which was too small for their growing operation. The two men ran a foodstuff import business, bringing goods in from their native Barcelona. For the beginning of the building's life it was essentially a grocery, from which Font and Juncadella ran their business. But after Juncadella’s death in 1820 it was managed by Senora Juncadella, and Mr. Font. Mr. Font and the Senora returned to Spain in 1838 leaving the store in the hands of the Aleix brothers. Brister
Under the Aleix Brothers the store changed roles many times, it went from a shoe shop in 1838, to a grocery in 1843 and finally a coffee house in 1861, this final iteration began the progression towards its eventual fate. IBID
In 1870 the Aleix brothers hired Cayetano Ferrer, a bartender who had become famous while working for the Old French Opera House. In 1874 Ferrer created the drink which would make the Absinthe House famous: Absinthe Frappe. This mixture of absinthe, sugar and water struck a chord with the high society of the time and made the small former grocery a famous institution and by 1890, it was being called the Old Absinthe House. But this absinthe craze was not to last. Rue Bourbon
By the turn of the 20th century it had become clear that the wormwood used in absinthe production contained hallucinogenic and narcotic qualities and it was eventually outlawed in 1912. When prohibition was put on the books in 1920 it was decided that the bar in the Absinthe House would be destroyed in order to send a message to anyone who’d think to disobey the new laws. But the bar, and the original bar fountains, which were the first in the country, were smuggled out in the night before they could be damaged. They were hidden in a warehouse which then became the “Absinthe House Bar” until 2004 when the bars were brought back to the original building. Ibid.
Today the Old Absinthe is back up and running, though Absinthe is still illegal to import or produce in the United States so substitutes have to be used. The bar also has a plaque commemorating the rumored meeting between famous general Andrew Jackson and the pirate Jean Lafitte shortly before the battle of New Orleans. Lafitte’s men would play a pivotal role in that battle acting as Jackson’s artillery. Casey
Under the Aleix Brothers the store changed roles many times, it went from a shoe shop in 1838, to a grocery in 1843 and finally a coffee house in 1861, this final iteration began the progression towards its eventual fate. IBID
In 1870 the Aleix brothers hired Cayetano Ferrer, a bartender who had become famous while working for the Old French Opera House. In 1874 Ferrer created the drink which would make the Absinthe House famous: Absinthe Frappe. This mixture of absinthe, sugar and water struck a chord with the high society of the time and made the small former grocery a famous institution and by 1890, it was being called the Old Absinthe House. But this absinthe craze was not to last. Rue Bourbon
By the turn of the 20th century it had become clear that the wormwood used in absinthe production contained hallucinogenic and narcotic qualities and it was eventually outlawed in 1912. When prohibition was put on the books in 1920 it was decided that the bar in the Absinthe House would be destroyed in order to send a message to anyone who’d think to disobey the new laws. But the bar, and the original bar fountains, which were the first in the country, were smuggled out in the night before they could be damaged. They were hidden in a warehouse which then became the “Absinthe House Bar” until 2004 when the bars were brought back to the original building. Ibid.
Today the Old Absinthe is back up and running, though Absinthe is still illegal to import or produce in the United States so substitutes have to be used. The bar also has a plaque commemorating the rumored meeting between famous general Andrew Jackson and the pirate Jean Lafitte shortly before the battle of New Orleans. Lafitte’s men would play a pivotal role in that battle acting as Jackson’s artillery. Casey
Sources
Brister, Nancy. "NO_Absinthe_House." NO_Absinthe_House. Accessed February 08, 2016. http://old-new-orleans.com/NO_Absinthe_House.html.
Casey, Mark. "Jean Lafitte's Old Absinthe House." Atlas Obscura. Accessed February 08, 2016. http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/jean-lafitte-s-old-absinthe-house.
Rue Bourbon. "History." History. Accessed February 08, 2016. http://www.ruebourbon.com/oldabsinthehouse/history.html#absinthe.