Sneak peek of ‘Best Bars in America’ New Orleans

When you’re composing a roundup of America’s quintessential bars — or, as Esquire puts it, “a happy hour any self-respecting man [we’ll add women too] should experience,” it seems only natural to dedicate a substantial portion of that list to The Big (Booze-Happy) Easy.

Tomorrow night at 9 PM, Esquire network will air a New Orleans episode of the channel’s new series, Best Bars in America — a cross-country exploration of must-visit watering holes from notable cocktail historian Dave Wondrich’s “Best Bars in America” list in Esquire magazine. Dissimilar from prevailing stereotypes about New Orleans, the episode will approach its examination of the city’s drinking climate from a local angle, focusing primarily on a group of non-Bourbon bars (but yes, Bourbon will make its obligatory appearance), as well as a food establishment and jazz lounge — because drinks ain’t all we do.

Episode hosts Sean Patton, a NOLA native and comedian, and fellow comic and best friend Jay Larson will host the episode, exploring a handful of local bars — a combination of both Wondrich’s NOLA picks, as well as Patton’s own favorites — learning about the drinking culture and history as they indulge in the city’s best libations at Erin Rose, Arnaud’s French 75, Snake & Jake’s Christmas Club Lounge, Bacchanal and, as promised — every local’s favorite rue, Bourbon Street.

In between sips of one hell of an epic bar crawl, the pair will dine on roast beef po’boys at Parasol’s, learn the secret to playing jazz trumpet from Kermit Ruffins at Mother-in-Law Lounge and receive a crash course in “proto-tiki” cocktails from Cane and Table mixologist Nick Detrich.

Below, you can watch a sneak peek of the episode here, as the guys head to Erin Rose and bond with the bartender over green Chartreuse.