Obituary Cocktail

Sue Strachan is a social historian, journalist, and author who has written about New Orleans culture, food, history, and current events for numerous publications. Her first book, The Café Brûlot, was published in 2021.

"Combine a jigger of history, a wine glass of lore, a dram of joviality, and a splash of absinthe in the Crescent City's cultural cauldron, and out pours The Obituary Cocktail. Sue Strachan's deep dive brings forth a virtual parade of fascinating historical events, tempered by the quirky and irreverent aspects of humanity that together have spawned some of New Orleans's finest contributions to the advancement of western civilization." - T. A. Breaux, distiller and coauthor of Absinthe: The Exquisite Elixir"In The Obituary Cocktail, Sue Strachan masterfully stirs New Orleans history, drinking culture, and storytelling into a book as beguiling as it is alcoholic. Through meticulous research and engaging prose, she traces the tale of this legendary drink from Tennessee Williams's French Quarter of the 1940s to its growing popularity today. Sex, death, and absinthe—this is a must-read for cocktail enthusiasts and New Orleans history buffs alike." - Andrew Nelson, travel writer for National Geographic and Wall Street Journal, and author of Here Not There: 100 Unexpected Travel Destinations"The Obituary Cocktail deserves a place at your bar and on your bookshelf. Sue Strachan captures the mystery of absinthe, the bawdiness of New Orleans, and the cultural climate surrounding the drink's creation. Drinking the cocktail today allows a sensory window into another time. But Strachan's book gives us a clarity of history, place, and attitude that makes reading a profitable pleasure. Reading it while drinking an Obituary Cocktail manifests history." - Elizabeth M. Williams, founder of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum