Bartender Showcase
Meet the Bar Meisters from across the nation
Evan Wolf
Welcome to Bartender Showcase featuring Evan Wolfe, a fantastic and talented bartender from NOLA by way of New York City. Bartender Showcase brings the best bartending talent from across the country. These passionate and gifted artists of their craft are leaders within the industry and are educating and inspiring through their shaker tins. Come meet Evan Worlfe at Behind The Shot Live at TOTC Monday night July 25th. Click Here For TOTC Agenda
- Press Play on Evan's Spotify Playlist & Enjoy the Tunes.
- Learn About Evan's NOLA Inspired Cocktail.
- Scroll Down to Get to Know the Amazing Evan Wolf.
Evan's Spotify Playlist & Inspiration
New Orleans' musical history spans many eras and genres (some of which are so profane, radio-friendly versions were never even attempted and must be omitted here), so this playlist draws from all over. The common thread for this small sampling is that even though some songs are 60+ years old, you still hear them at house parties, in the streets during Mardi Gras, at Saints games, and on jukeboxes in French Quarter dives–Tell It Like It Is by Aaron Neville is a top 5 most played track. A few years back, I learned from a friend that Cassanova by Rebirth Brass Band is (somewhat inexplicably) what DJs used at parties he went to growing up here to let people know it's time to go home; I can attest to this still working from personal experience. I close with it, paired with two instrumentals, a classic and a lesser-known outro, both from my favorite New Orleans musician, Allen Toussaint.
Evan Wolf
13th Ward
Created by Evan Wolf
Cocktail Name: 13th Ward
Recipe:
- 1½ parts Jägermeister
- ½ part Aperol
- ¾ part “FassioNOLA” syrup* (see recipe below)
- ½ part Fresh pineapple juice
- ½ part Lemon juice
- ½ part Lime juice
Glass: Tulip
Garnish: Mint and Citrus Wheels
Method: Build ingredients in a shaker tin, shake hard and strain over pebble ice in a 16oz Tulip glass. Garnish with mint and citrus wheels.
Inspiration: Everyone knows New Orleans is infamous for hurricanes, but we usually talk about bad cocktails and worse weather. However, the bones of this oft-maligned drink are good, and I like subbing Jägermeister in for the traditional rum base with its herbaceous spice balancing the in-your-face tropical blast of FassioNOLA syrup exceptionally well. I’ve dialed this riff in on the bitter end of the spectrum with the inclusion of Aperol and Bittercube Root Beer Bitters, the latter inspired by New Orleans’ (and specifically, Domilise’s, the best Po Boy shop in the world, located in the heart of the 13th ward) favorite cold drink, Barq’s Root Beer.
Evan Wolf grew up in New York City yet has lived in New Orleans for the last eighteen years and has been in the service industry through virtually all of it (putting his political science degree to good use). Aside from running multiple bar programs and doing freelance bar consulting (because a full-time job is never enough), Evan loves cooking for his girlfriend, walking and biking around New Orleans, and playing dominoes with his friends. He often finds himself in the Thirteenth Ward at longtime Jägermeister employee Ranh Nunez’s house, where sometimes he lets Ranh win.
Evan's Tips & Tricks
Evan, what are some tips & tricks regarding the cocktail you created?
Donn Beach initially invented Fassionola syrup in the 1930s. It was the critical ingredient to some legendary tiki cocktails, including Cobra's Fang & the original Hurricane. The recipe is highly argued over as the original recipe was never uncovered. Tiki enthusiasts and bartenders have been recreating this amazing syrup for years, and below is my take on it with some NOLA flair.
Here is my "FassioNOLA" recipe:
- 500ml Dried Hibiscus (by volume)
- 250ml POM Pomegranate-Cherry Juice (by volume)
- 250ml Cranberry juice (by volume)
Steep above for 30 min @ 80℃ Fine strain Hibiscus, weigh resulting "tea," and add 1.5x in raw sugar by weight; heat to dissolve, then add:
- 500ml Réal Brand Guava Syrup
- 500ml Réal Brand Passion Fruit Syrup
- 50ml Bittercube Root Beer Bitters
If the above is too difficult to source or produce, Cocktail & Sons makes a good FassioNOLA syrup that can stand in place.
What do you love most about your city?
My favorite thing about the city of New Orleans is also what inspired me to create the 13th Ward: we just like to have fun. Cocktails here are a little less about cutting-edge ingredients and techniques; they are just what you take with you to the park, your walk or bike ride to the Superdome, to parades, on dog walks–even to the grocery store if you want. This drink is easygoing, a little sweet, a little sour, and the Jägermeister’s front and center, daring the drinker not to be so pretentious and just trust the bartender.
