Welcome to Clubhouse Eats and Drinks, where we’ll introduce you to our favorite food and drink at some of the best golf courses, golf resorts and golfy locations around. Cheers!
Late spring in New Orleans. The swelter of summer has yet to settle in, but the air is warm and still: cocktail weather. At TPC Louisiana, which had been on tap to host the Zurich Classic this week, the signature drink is the Bayou Bloody Mary, a bartender’s classic, done Big Easy-style.
Before we proceed, a bit of history. How and when the first Bloody Mary came to be is a matter of some dispute. Origin stories alternatively place it in the 1920s or 1930s, in either Paris or New York. Whatever the case, there’s no better place for a cocktail of hybrid birth than the cultural gumbo that is New Orleans.
The TPC’s “bayou” version is based on a double shot of Grey Goose Vodka, shaken with a tangy house-made bloody mix that’s spiked with horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper and picked jalapeño brine. That’s all poured over ice, then garnished with pickled okra, spicy green beans, jalapeño stuffed olives and a floater of locally brewed brown ale. As a final touch, Cajun-blacked salt goes around the rim, followed by the coup de grace: a beef jerky swizzle stick. Bam!
In November 2019, TPC Louisiana underwent a substantial makeover that included the re-grassing of greens and fairways and the renovation of all pot bunkers. So next year, when the Zurich rolls around again, the grounds will sport an updated look. Count on this, though: the signature cocktail will be very much the same.
