Monthly Archives: January 2024

Sip Your Way Through Mardi Gras with these Cocktails and Drinks!

Let the good times roll! It is Mardi Gras season down in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou and the party is already in full swing. Through February 13, there will be plenty to celebrate, between the numerous parades, King Cake Festival and tasty Carnival-themed treats found around town.

This year, Mardi Gras enthusiasts will also be able to enjoy a “Second Line” beverage trail through the parish. With nearly ten stops, there are plenty of opportunities to get your Carnival drink on! As an added bonus, a percentage of each themed drink purchased will go toward the Lafourche Education Foundation, the organizers of the now-legendary Bayou King Cake Festival.

Here are some of the cocktails being offered for the Second Line, along with a description of the featured beverage:

Beck’s: Mardi Pardi Punch 
4293 LA-1, Raceland
This colorful cocktail blends vodka, Blue Curacao, grenadine and sweetener, all under a sugared rim. It’s best enjoyed with a side of live music.

Big Mikes BBQ: King Cake Shot
120 Laura Drive, Thibodaux
Need to order something that keeps your trail time down? Stop into Big Mikes for a quick King Cake Shot. Fifolet rum, RumChata, whipped cream and a Mardi Gras-colored sugar rim come together for the perfect shot. If you prefer to take your time at each stop, stay for a while and enjoy their king cake bread pudding.

Cinclare: Too many to name!
601 W 3rd Street, Thibodaux
This bistro is going all out for the Second Line, with four different cocktail options named after local krewes. The Shaka Mama (rum, Ancho Reyes Chili Liquer, Orgeat, pineapple, lime), Chronos Carre (Rittenhouse Rye, cognac, cacao-infused vermouth, Benedictine, Ristretto), Cleophas Courir (ginger spice-infused vodka, blackberry preserves, lime) and Ambrosia Maid (cranberry-infused vodka, Ruby Port, Noilly Rouge, pomegranate, ginger ale) – we’ll take one of each, please!

Cuvee: King Cake Colada
116 Rue Angelique, Thibodaux
This drink is comprised of 504 King Cake spiced rum, pineapple juice and orgeat syrup. It pairs well with Cuvee’s mini sweet potato king cakes.

Fremin’s Restaurant: King Cake Martini - (Pictured Above)
402 W. 3rd Street, Thibodaux

This restaurant specializes in Cajun-inspired Italian and American dishes, all of which are best enjoyed with their seasonal King Cake Martini. Caramel vodka, RumChata, butterscotch schnapps, house-made cream cheese syrup and a tiny baby floating on top of a whipped cream topping complete this glass of sweetness!

Grady V’s: Les Bons Temps Tini
900 Country Club Boulevard, Thibodaux

Stop in for a king cake burger or king cake bread pudding and top off your festive meal with the Les Bon Temps Tini. Made with Skyy Espresso vodka, Baileys, RumChata, Frangelico and a sugar rim, this tasty take on an espresso martini is the perfect complement to the restaurant’s other Mardi Gras offerings.

Spahr’s Seafood: The King Cake Russian
All three locations – in Thibodaux, Des Allemands and Galliano
While most people head to Spahr’s during Carnival season to enjoy their legendary king cake beignets, the restaurants’ King Cake Russian cocktail is this season’s drink of choice!

Come on down and enjoy all the flavors of Mardi Gras with the Lafourche Education Foundation's Second Line trail this Carnival season. Cheers!

How to be King of King Cake this Mardi Gras Season!

It’s January, so … ‘tis the season in Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou. Carnival season, that is! This year, Mardi Gras is on Tuesday, February 13th. Though the big day is still a few weeks away, festivities are already in full swing. One of the best ways to get into the spirit is by indulging in a seasonal treat.

To everyone up and down the Bayou, king cakes are an integral part of Mardi Gras. This colorful confection is the iconic culinary symbol of the Carnival season … with good reason!

Named for the three kings (or wise men) who brought gifts to baby Jesus, the king cake tradition is thought to be brought to Louisiana from France in the 19th century. The cinnamon pastry ring is commonly topped with white icing and decked out in three different colored sugars: purple, which symbolizes justice; gold, which represents power; and green for faith. Watch that dental work, because the cakes come with a plastic baby tucked somewhere in them. The “winner” – whoever gets the baby in their piece – is responsible for providing the next king cake!

Though some bakers sell the beloved cakes year-round (adjusting flavors and colors for the various holidays), consumption skyrockets during Carnival season. Here are some places up and down Bayou Lafourche where you can find a tasty king cake:

Ninette’s Cake Shop
1050 S. Acadia Road, Thibodaux, LA 70301
985-447-1714

The Willow Café
713 West Third Street, Thibodaux, LA 70301
985-448-0444

Mudbug Brewery
1878 LA-3185, Thibodaux, LA, 70301
985-492-1610
Note: Not your typical King Cake - Enjoy their King Cake Ale!

Duet’s Bakery
18134 W Main St, Cut Off, LA, 70354
985-6326954

Cajun Pecan House
14808 W. Main Street, Cut Off, LA 70345
985-632-2337
Note: They ship nationwide!

If you’ve worked your way through all the bakeries and still can’t get enough of this sugary Mardi Gras dessert, you’ll want to mark your calendar for the Bayou King Cake Festival, which will be held in downtown Thibodaux on Saturday, January 27th. Attendees can sample king cakes baked by local bakeries, restaurants and even home cooks and vote for their favorite. The event will give you plenty of opportunities to scout out who makes the best on the Bayou … and map your route to their store, or figure out how to get invited to their home for a great party! It’s never too early to plan ahead when king cake is involved.

King cakes are an important part of the culture in Louisiana, especially along Louisiana’s Cajun Bayou, because they represent how the traditions of the Acadian French – or Cajun – people have become indelibly linked to life in the state of Louisiana. The cake’s name and back story is deeply rooted in the Cajuns’ Catholic faith, but the simple act of enjoying a piece of cake is something everyone can do. The fact that cakes can be shipped to friends and family all around the country ensures that Mardi Gras joy isn’t limited to Louisiana … though the cake sure does seem to taste better when you eat it here!

We hope your Mardi Gras is as amazing as a slab of king cake!